Saturday 25th September
Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks (Recreation Ground, 2.15pm).
Gloucester Rugby v London Wasps (Kingsholm, 2.30pm). Live on ESPN
Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs (Twickenham Stoop, 3pm)
Leicester Tigers v Leeds Carnegie (Welford Road 3pm)
Newcastle Falcons v London Irish (Kingston Park, 5.15pm). Live on Sky Sports
Sunday 26th September
Saracens v Northampton Saints (Vicarage Road, 3pm). Live on ESPN
This weekend promises to be a cracker in the Aviva Premiership. Three games gone and the table to starting to shape up. But what do you think. Who do you think will win all six games. Give us your predictions,
SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks (Recreation Ground, 2.15pm).
Bath Rugby may have been eclipsed in Aviva Premiership Rugby at Franklin’s Gardens last Friday night but their form at The Rec continues to impress, with seven straight victories in the competition at the famous old venue.
Sale Sharks’ last four matches have all gone the way of the home team on the day, whilst the Sharks’ form on the road gives cause for concern with eight successive losses and just one win (at Leeds in November) in their last 17 Premiership away trips. The two teams met three times in all competitions last season with Bath victorious on each occasion, whilst Sale have won just at The Rec since 1998: 21-9 in the Premiership on 2 January 2006.
Gloucester Rugby v London Wasps (Kingsholm, 2.30pm). Live on ESPN
Gloucester Rugby have the longest current unbeaten home run in Aviva Premiership Rugby with eight wins and a draw since London Wasps last visited “fortress” Kingsholm on 20 November, and left with a 12-9 victory.
London Wasps gained an initial Premiership victory of the season at home to Leicester on Saturday and have won two of their last three away matches.
Wasps have won their last five encounters with Gloucester in all competitions including all four matches played between the two last season.
Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs (Twickenham Stoop, 3pm)
Harlequins are still winless in Aviva Premiership Rugby this season, but have picked up league points in all three games so far. Quins’ defeat to Northampton in their most recent home game ended a run of five successive victories at the Twickenham Stoop.
Exeter Chiefs three outings so far have all been won by the home side on the day.
The two teams met twice when they were both in National One in season 2005/06, with each side winning its respective home game.
Leicester Tigers v Leeds Carnegie (Welford Road 3pm)
Leicester Tigers are Aviva Premiership Rugby’s top try scorers with 11, but have a won 1, lost 2 record! In addition the Tigers (along with Leeds) have the leakiest defence so far having conceded nine tries – already half the tally Leicester conceded during the whole of the 2009/10 regular season.
Leeds Carnegie are making their customary slow start and in fact have not won any Premiership game played in September since beating Saracens in 2004! Leeds’ only away win since February was 23-13 at London Irish on 18 April.
Leicester have won their last six Premiership encounters with Leeds since the Yorkshiremen’s last victory: 23-22 at Headingley Carnegie in March 2005. Leeds have lost on all eight previous visits to Welford Road in all competitions.
SUNDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
Newcastle Falcons v London Irish (Kingston Park, 5.15pm). Live on Sky Sports
Saracens’ only defeat in their last seven Premiership matches was 16-33 to London Irish at Twickenham in round one. Sarries have won their last three home matches.
Table topping Northampton Saints have already made their best ever start to a Premiership season, whilst the only two occasions that they have won their opening three matches of a league campaign was when they went on to have perfect seasons, winning 18 out of 18 in Division Two in 1995/96 and winning 26 from 26 in National One in 2007/08.
Saracens and Northampton met on five separate occasions in all competitions last season with Sarries having the slight edge by three wins to two. Saracens won on their two most recent visits to Franklin’s Gardens and have the best record of any visiting side to Northampton, gaining seven Premiership wins there over the years.
AVIVA FACT BOX
• Newcastle’s Micky Ward has now gone 162 Premiership matches without scoring a try, leaving Worcester’s Craig Gillies in his wake. The last time that Ward scored a Premiership try was against Bristol at Kingston Park on 27 December 2000. Just four other players have ever gone 100 games without scoring a try, one of those is David Flatman, who’s current barren spell stands at 101 games!
• Nick Kennedy and Bob Casey are closing in on the all-time Premiership partnership record for second rows. They have now started 74 games together in the engine room, just five games behind the record of Borthwick & Grewcock for Bath.
• Since 2008 London Wasps have conceded just four try bonus points in the Premiership and three of those have been obtained by Leicester Tigers – the other was by Bath at Twickenham in April.