Can I thumb a lift?published at 14:22 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
Sale v Leicester (14:30 BST)
Not a great start to the afternoon for Sale Sharks' pre-match preparations....
Summary
FT: Sale 34-30 Leicester
Sale edge out Leicester in game of seven tries
FT: Gloucester 6-15 Bath
Late Anthony Watson and Matt Banahan tries give Bath win
Can I thumb a lift?published at 14:22 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
Team newspublished at 14:19 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
Sale v Leicester (14:30 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesSale Sharks make two changes from their 34-34 draw at Worcester last weekend with Mike Phillips replacing the injured Peter Stringer at scrum-half and Ross Harrison coming into the front row.
Steve Diamond's side completed a double over Leicester last season.
Tom Brady replaces injured JP Pietersen and starts on his Leicester debut against the side he left in the summer.
George McGuigan starts at hooker, with captain Tom Youngs dropping to the bench alongside prop Logovi'i Mulipola, who is set to make his debut.
Lock Ed Slater takes over as captain. Dan Cole, Mike Williams and Ben Youngs - Leicester's three uninjured players who were named in Eddie Jones' 37-man training England squad ahead of the autumn Tests - are set to start for the Tigers at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Sale: McGuigan; Edwards, Addison, Leota, Odogwu; MacGinty, Phillips; Harrison, Briggs, Longbottom, Evans, Mills, Neild, Seymour, Beaumont (capt).
Replacements: Lewis-Roberts, Aulika, Ostrikov, Pearce, Lund, Mitchell, Mugford, Bedlow.
Leicester: Veainu; Thompstone, Betham, Tait, Brady; O Williams, B Youngs; Genge, McGuigan, Cole, Slater (capt), Fitzgerald, M Williams, O'Connor, McCaffrey.
Replacements: T Youngs, Mulipola, Bateman, Barrow, Kitchener, Kitto, Burns, Smith.
As it standspublished at 14:15 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
So, a win for Saracens last night takes them back to the top of the table with unbeaten Wasps still to play their round five game on Sunday.
A bonus-point win for Bath today would take them into second.
Image source, ....team news from the first of the afternoon's fixtures at the AJ Bell Stadium on the way.
Friday night rewind: Saracens ease to victory at Bristolpublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
Bristol 0-39 Saracens
Image source, Rex FeaturesDefending champions Saracens returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion against still winless Bristol.
Fly-half Alex Lozowski scored a try in either half, while Chris Wyles and Jamie George made sure of a bonus point with two more for Mark McCall's side.
England second row George Kruis added a fifth score before full-time on his return to action.
Bristol failed to put a point on the board and have now lost all five of their opening Premiership matches.
Friday night rewind: Saints comeback edges out Chiefspublished at 14:08 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
Northampton 20-19 Exeter
Image source, Getty ImagesWales wing George North starred as Northampton came back from 13-0 down to beat Exeter at Franklin's Gardens.
The 24-year-old scored his third try in four games before teeing up debutant Rory Hutchinson (pictured above) to edge Saints ahead at half-time, after Olly Woodburn had crossed to put the visitors in command.
Exeter retook the lead after the break, Gareth Steenson passing 2,000 points for the club to put Exeter 19-14 up.
But Harry Mallinder kicked two late penalties snatch victory for the hosts.
We've already got started....published at 14:04 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
In case you weren't with us for the start of round five's Premiership action, there were two matches last night.
Stay tuned for a recap of the main headlines....
Saturday's fixturespublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 1 October 2016
Saturday afternoon and the Premiership rugby train rumbles on....
Two games coming up this afternoon.
Here's what we've got on the way:
- Sale v Leicester (14:30 BST)
- Gloucester v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images