Preview: Guinness Premiership, Rd Seven
Brendan Venter's Saracens have a chance to make it seven wins from seven this weekend while, at Welford Road, Leicester and Northampton are poised for an epic and hugely important encounter.
Saracens, whose only defeat so far this season has come at the hands of Toulon in the Amlin Challenge Cup, are full of confidence at the moment and, perhaps most importantly, will not be too harshly hit by the loss of international players this season.
Their opponents this weekend however, Bath, were hit quite hard by Martin Johnson's England selection. The pain has been minimized somewhat thanks to the release of prop David Barnes but Matt Banahan's absence will still be a blow for them.
A number of other teams have been hit by Johnson's selections but the former England captain has released a total of seven players for domestic action this weekend. Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Joe Worseley (Wasps), Steffon Armitage (London Irish), Barnes (Bath), David Strettle (Harlequins), Richard Blaze and Ben Kay (Both Leicester Tigers) have all been released and are expected to feature for their respective clubs.
There are a couple tricky trips for London Irish and Worcester this weekend, they travel to the Stoop and Kingston Park respectively, but Wasps, at home to Leeds, will be expecting to maintain the pressure at the top of the table by taking a full set of points from their Saturday fixture.
Friday, 30 October
Sale v Gloucester (19:45 GMT) (19:45 local) - Edgeley Park -
Two teams both struggling for form, neither can afford a loss this weekend. Sale owner Brian Kennedy has already publically stated his support for coach Kingsley Jones while, on the other side, Director of Rugby Bryan Redpath has been pretty public with his own views around his position and the disappointing performances of his team.
Gloucester will be pleased to have Tindall available for selection while Sale will be hoping their star flyhalf, Charlie Hodgson, will be fit enough for selection.
The visitors come into the match fresh off a shocking display against London Wasps last weekend while Sale battled bravely against Northampton and yet still came up short.
rugby365 Prediction: The advantage has to be with the home side. The tale of two troubled teams... Sharks to edge it by 5 or less.
Saturday, 31 October
Bath v Saracens (14:15 GMT) (14:15 local) - Recreation Ground, Bath -
At the start of the season one would have looked at this fixture with interest but expected a victory for the home side.
Much though has changed. Bath, still awaiting the arrival of Springbok Luke Watson, have struggled for form and have just one victory from their first six matches of the domestic season. A disappointing home defeat at the hands of Newcastle last weekend will have done little for their confidence but perhaps this is the weekend they turn their season around?
Saracens, by their own admission, have still not produced a fantastic 80 minute performance. Last weekend's 21-15 victory over Leeds was, in truth, a poor performance. Despite that though they continue to chalk up the victories.
rugby365 Prediction: Bath's confidence is shaken while Sarrie's is sky high. The Vicarage Road-based side should take it by eight.
Harlequins v London Irish (15:00 GMT) (15:00 local) - The Stoop -
Quins' victory last weekend, against an in-form Worcester Warriors side, would have done them the world of good. Another side who has struggled for form, they will be hoping to upset the Exiles this weekend and get their own domestic campaign back on track.
London Irish recorded an uncharacteristic victory over Leicester last weekend. Scoring all their points from the kicking tee, the Irish showed good maturity and ensured that they took home a vital four points against and extracted some sort of revenge for last years final defeat.
rugby365 Prediction: Quins will be full of confidence but London Irish have proven they are more than up for the challenge this season. Another tight contest but one which Ben Casey's men should take by six.
Leicester v Northampton (17:35 GMT) (17:35 local) - Welford Road -
The rugby365 pick for match of the weekend - Leicester host an inform Northampton side and desperately need a win.
While defeat at the Madejski last weekend was certainly not a title-challenge-ending result it comes off the back of a string of sub-par performances from the defending Champions.
Still struggling with a lengthy injury list, Richard Cockerill will make it very clear to his troops of important a win this weekend will be for them.
Northampton struggled to put the Sharks away last weekend and, with Juandre Kruger and Brian Mujati suspended and Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley away with England, will need to rely on the like of Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe to get the job done up front this weekend.
rugby365 Prediction: A difficult match to predict when everything is considered. The Saints' lost of Shane Geraghty to the England squad though could well be the deciding factor. Leicester to edge out another tight win at Welford Road... but by less than 10.
Sunday, 1 November
London Wasps v Leeds Carnegie (13:15 GMT) (13:15 local) - Adams Park -
Leeds produced a decent performance last weekend against Saracens but face another tough test this weekend as they head to Adam Park to take on an impressive Wasps outfit.
Tony Hanks' men were very impressive last weekend at Kingsholm, destroying Gloucester 35-6, and are a team very much in form and firing.
Having not been too badly hit by the international call-up they will be expecting to take a full set of points against the Premiership strugglers.
Neil Back's troops are improving, there is no doubt about that, but they simply do not have the sufficient firepower to break down the likes of Wasps at the moment.
rugby365 Prediction: Straight forward job in front of London Wasps this weekend. It will be competitive for the first 50 but the final half an hour will belong solely to the home side. Wasps by 12-15 points.
Newcastle v Worcester (15:00 GMT) (15:00 local) - Kingston Park -
Opposite results for these two teams last weekend with the Falcons recording an eleven point win over Bath and Worcester going down 26-22 to Harlequins at home.
The victory, Newcastle's first of the new season, moved them up to sixth place on the log, just one spot above the Warriors.
Mike Ruddock's side have enjoyed a good start to the season but were disappointed with last weekend's defeat to Harlequins - in which only a last minute try secured them even the single bonus point.
Neither team has been hit particularly hard by international call-ups, much to Falcons assistant coach Alan Tait's suprise, and therefore should be at close to full strength this weekend.
rugby365 Prediction: The masters of the draw, the Falcons will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins this weekend. The Warriors have the ability to surprise the Falcons but, at home, one has to favour Steve Bates' men. Falcons by nine.
by rugby365