Aviva Premiership: Chris Robshaw returns for Harlequins
Saturday 31 October 2015 11:46, UK
There are three games in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday as leaders Saracens host bottom club London Irish, Harlequins visit Bath and Gloucester face Worcester.
Saracens v London Irish (1pm)
Alistair Hargreaves makes his first start of the season as Saracens look to maintain their 100 per cent start to the season against winless London Irish.
Owen Farrell, who kicked the match-winning penalty against Gloucester last weekend, moves from inside centre to partner Ben Spencer at half-back.
Wales prop Rhys Gill replaces Mako Vunipola at loosehead while Maro Itoje comes in for Jim Hamilton in the second row.
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London Irish hand starts to Scotland duo Blair Cowan and Sean Maitland with Fergus Mulchrone replacing fellow Irishman Eoin Griffin at inside centre.
The Exiles, who sit bottom of the Premiership table, have conceded 66 points in their opening two games.
Irish announced earlier this week that they will play the return fixture with Sarries in New York on March 12.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Nick Tompkins, 12 Duncan Taylor, 11 Mike Ellery, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Rhys Gill, 2 Jamie George, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Alistair Hargreaves (c), 6 Jackson Wray, 7 Will Fraser, 8 Ernst Joubert.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Jacques Burger, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Brad Barritt, 23 Chris Wyles.
London Irish: 15 Topsy Ojo, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Tom Fowlie, 12 Fergus Mulchrone, 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma, 10 Chris Noakes, 9 Brendan McKibbin; 1 Tom Smallbone, 2 David Paice, 3 Halani Aulika, 4 George Skivington (c), 5 Matt Symons, 6 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Blair Cowan, 8. Rob McCusker.
Replacements: 16 Gerard Ellis, 17 Tom Court, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Eoin Sheriff, 20 David Sisi, 21 Scott Steele, 22 Shane Geraghty, 23 Alex Lewington.
Bath v Harlequins (1.30pm)
Bath make six changes to the team that lost at Wasps last Saturday, with Matt Banahan coming in on the left wing as Anthony Watson shifts to full-back.
The other five come in the pack with Max Lahiff, Rob Webber and David Wilson forming a new front row partnership. Lock Dominic Day makes his first start of the season and Guy Mercer is named at openside flanker.
Harlequins also make six changes from last Sunday's narrow loss at Leicester as England quartet Joe Marler, Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter and Danny Care all make their first starts of the season.
Scotland wing Tim Visser is handed his debut with Joe Gray replacing Dave Ward at hooker.
Bath: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Ollie Devoto, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 George Ford, 9 Niko Matawalu; 1 Max Lahiff, 2 Rob Webber, 3 David Wilson, 4 Dominic Day, 5 Dave Attwood (c), 6 Matt Garvey, 7 Guy Mercer, 8 Leroy Houston.
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Stuart Hooper, 20 Max Northcote-Green, 21 Chris Cook, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Tom Homer.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 George Lowe, 12 Harry Sloan, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care (c); 1 Joe Marler, 2 Joe Gray, 3 Adam Jones, 4 James Horwill, 5 Sam Twomey, 6 Jack Clifford, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Nick Easter.
Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Luke Wallace, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague.
Gloucester v Worcester Warriors (2pm)
Wales flanker Ross Moriarty returns for Gloucester and is the only change to the team beaten by Saracens.
Moriarty replaces Lewis Ludlow on the blindside with on-loan hooker Chris Brooker named among the replacements.
Worcester hand a first start to Fijian lock Tevita Cavubati at Kingsholm, with director of rugby Dean Ryan selecting the same 23 that lost to Sale.
Gloucester: 15 Charlie Sharples, 14 David Halaifonua, 13 Billy Twelvetrees (c), 12 Bill Meakes, 11 Jonny May, 10 James Hook, 9 Willi Heinz; 1 Paddy McAllister, 2 Richard Hibbard, 3 John Afoa, 4 Tom Savage, 5 Sione Kalamafoni, 6 Ross Moriarty, 7 Matt Kvesic, 8 Ben Morgan.
Replacements: 16 Chris Brooker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Paul Doran-Jones, 19 Elliott Stooke, 20 Jacob Rowan, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Henry Purdy.
Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Tom Biggs, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Jonny Arr; 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 5 Tevita Cavubati, 6 Phil Dowson, 7 Marco Mama, 8 GJ van Velze (c).
Replacements: 16 Dan George, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Joe Rees, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 Ryan Lamb, 23 Ben Howard.