1
All 10 team selections for Gallagher Premiership round two
By Liam Heagney
The Gallagher Premiership table after round one highlighted how you can get strange quirks in this game, defending champions Northampton finding themselves at the bottom 16 weeks after they lifted the trophy at Twickenham.
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The Saints fell away in the last quarter at an avenging Bath and will now look to get back to winning ways when they host Exeter on Saturday at Franklin’s Gardens.
Phil Dowson has made three changes, adding Alex Coles and Juarno Augustus to the pack and including Tommy Freeman in the back line versus a Chiefs XV that includes Christ Tshiunza up front and sees a debut league start for rookie winger Paul Brown-Bampoe.
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Bristol get the weekend action rolling on Friday night, Pat Lam fielding a team showing one change – the inclusion of George Kloska – following their win at Newcastle. Gloucester, meanwhile, have made several alterations after their home loss to Saracens, including the naming of the experienced Kirill Gotovtsev at tighthead.
Harlequins’ XV has five changes after the defeat at Sale, with Joe Launchbury, Chandler Cunningham-South and Marcus Smith returning to the starting side hosting the Falcons, who make just one change, Philip van der Walt returning after being forced to withdraw last weekend through illness.
Gallagher Premiership
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Bath
1
1
0
0
5
2
Bristol
1
1
0
0
5
3
Saracens
1
1
0
0
5
4
Leicester
1
1
0
0
4
5
Sale
1
1
0
0
4
6
Harlequins
1
0
1
0
1
7
Exeter Chiefs
1
0
1
0
1
8
Gloucester
1
0
1
0
1
9
Newcastle
1
0
1
0
0
10
Northampton
1
0
1
0
0
Elsewhere in London on Saturday, Ben Earl returns to Saracens’ starting XV in place of Toby Knight while injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his Sale team, with Si McIntyre, Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale the beneficiaries.
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The action concludes on Sunday at Welford Road where Michael Cheika has awarded England duo George Martin and Anthony Watson their first starts of the season. Visitors Bath have made three pack changes, including a Premiership debut for Ross Molony and a first club start for Guy Pepper. Here are all 10 of the round two Gallagher Premiership teams:
FRIDAY
Bristol Bears vs Gloucester (Ashton Gate, 7.45pm) – Live on TNT Sports 1 and UHD
Bristol: 15. Max Malins, 14. Siva Naulago, 13. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12. James Williams, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Harry Randall; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. George Kloska, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Batley, 6. Steven Luatua, 7. Jake Heenan, 8. Fitz Harding (capt). Reps: 16. Will Capon, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. Max Lahiff, 19. Josh Caulfield, 20. Benjamin Grondona, 21. Kieran Marmion, 22. Joe Jenkins, 23. Rich Lane.
Gloucester: 15. George Barton, 14. Christian Wade, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Seb Atkinson, 11. Max Llewellyn, 10. Gareth Anscombe, 9. Tomos Williams (capt); 1. Mayco Vivas, 2. Jack Singleton, 3. Kirill Gotovtsev, 4. Freddie Thomas, 5. Matias Alemanno, 6. Jack Clement, 7. Harry Taylor, 8. Zach Mercer. Reps: 16. Seb Blake, 17. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18. Afo Fasogbon, 19. Freddie Clarke, 20. Ruan Ackermann, 21. Albert Tuisue, 22. Caolan Englefield, 23. Charlie Atkinson.
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SATURDAY
Harlequins vs Newcastle Falcons (Twickenham Stoop, 3pm) – Live on discovery+
Harlequins: 15. Leigh Halfpenny, 14. Nick David, 13. Luke Northmore, 12. Lennox Anyanwu, 11. Cassius Cleaves, 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Will Porter; 1. Fin Baxter, 2. Nathan Jibulu, 3. Titi Lamositele 4. Joe Launchbury 5. Stephan Lewies (capt) 6. Jack Kenningham 7. Will Evans, 8. Chandler Cunningham-South. Reps: 16. Jack Walker 17. Wyn Jones 18. Simon Kerrod 19. Irne Herbst 20. Dino Lamb 21. Danny Care 22. Jarrod Evans 23. Oscar Beard.
Newcastle: 15. Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14. Adam Radwan, 13. Connor Doherty, 12. Sammy Arnold, 11. Ben Stevenson, 10. Brett Connon, 9. Sam Stuart; 1. Adam Brocklebank, 2. Jamie Blamire, 3. Richard Palframan, 4. John Hawkins, 5. Kiran McDonald, 6. Philip van der Walt, 7. Tom Gordon, 8. Callum Chick (capt). Reps: 16. Ollie Fletcher, 17. Luan de Bruin, 18. Murray McCallum, 19. Freddie Lockwood, 20. Adam Scott, 21. Joe Davis, 22. Ben Redshaw, 23. Ethan Grayson.
Saracens vs Sale Sharks (StoneX Stadium, 3.05pm) – Live on TNT Sports 1 and UHD
Saracens: 15. Elliot Daly, 14. Tobias Elliott, 13. Alex Lozowski, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Rotimi Segun, 10. Fergus Burke, 9. Ivan van Zyl; 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Theo Dan, 3. Marco Riccioni, 4. Maro Itoje (capt), 5. Hugh Tizard, 6. Andy Onyeama-Christie, 7. Ben Earl, 8. Tom Willis. Reps: 16. Jamie George, 17. Sam Crean, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Nick Isiekwe, 20. Theo McFarland, 21. Toby Knight, 22. Charlie Bracken, 23. Alex Goode.
Sale: 15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry (capt), 8. Jean-Luc du Preez. Reps: 16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
Northampton Saints vs Exeter Chiefs (cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens, 5.30pm) – Live on TNT Sports 1 and UHD
Northampton: 15. George Furbank (capt), 14. James Ramm, 13. Fraser Dingwall, 12. Rory Hutchinson, 11. Tommy Freeman, 10. Fin Smith, 9. Tom James; 1. Emmanuel Iyogun, 2. Curtis Langdon, 3. Trevor Davison, 4. Chunya Munga, 5. Alex Coles, 6. Josh Kemeny, 7. Tom Pearson, 8. Juarno Augustus. Reps: 16. Robbie Smith, 17. Tom West, 18. Luke Green, 19. Angus Scott-Young, 20 Sam Graham, 21. Archie McParland, 22. Toby Thame, 23. Ollie Sleightholme.
Exeter: 15. Josh Hodge, 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13. Olly Woodburn, 12. Joe Hawkins, 11. Paul Brown-Bampoe, 10. Harvey Skinner, 9. Sam Maunder; 1. Scott Sio (capt). 2. Dan Frost. 3. Ehren Painter, 4. Rusi Tuima, 5. Christ Tshiunza, 6. Ethan Roots, 7. Richard Capstick, 8. Ross Vintcent. Reps: 16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18. Marcus Street, 19. Jack Dunne, 20. Martin Moloney, 21. Tom Cairns, 22. Will Haydon-Wood, 23. Will Rigg.
SUNDAY
Leicester Tigers vs Bath (Mattioli Woods Welford Road, 3pm) – Live on TNT Sports 1 & UHD
Leicester: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Izaia Perese, 12. Dan Kelly, 11. Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10. Jamie Shillcock, 9. Jack van Poortvliet (capt); 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Charlie Clare, 3. Joe Heyes, 4. Harry Wells, 5. George Martin, 6. Hanro Liebenberg, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Olly Cracknell. Reps: 16. Finn Theobald-Thomas, 17. James Cronin, 18. Dan Cole, 19. Côme Joussain, 20. Kyle Hatherell, 21. Ben Youngs, 22. Ben Volavola, 23. Mike Brown.
Bath: 15. Tom de Glanville, 14. Joe Cokanasiga, 13. Ollie Lawrence, 12. Will Butt, 11. Will Muir, 10. Finn Russell, 9. Ben Spencer (capt); 1. Beno Obano, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Ross Molony, 6. Josh Bayliss, 7. Guy Pepper, 8. Alfie Barbeary. Reps: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Jaco Coetzee.
