Saturday 16 April 2016 18:55, UK
Team news ahead of Saturday's Premiership action including Saracens v Harlequins and Northampton v Leicester.
Worcester v Wasps (3pm)
Worcester have made five changes for this Saturday's West Midlands derby with Wasps at Sixways. Tom Biggs, Ryan Mills, Nick Schonert, Jaba Bregvadze and Phil Dowson are all restored to the starting line-up as Warriors chase a fourth straight home win in the Aviva Premiership.
The backline sees a reshuffle as Bryce Heem moves to outside centre with Biggs replacing the Kiwi on the right flank and joining Chris Pennell and Cooper Vuna in the back three.
Mills will link-up with Heem in the centre while Tom Heathcote and Francois Hougaard maintain their half-back partnership.
In the pack, tighthead Schonert and Georgian international Bregvadze start next to Val Rapava Ruskin, while Donncha O'Callaghan and Darren Barry continue to fill the second row.
Dowson also returns to the side in the back row, joining Carl Kirwan and skipper GJ van Velze, while Tevita Cavubati is named on the bench after returning from a ban.
For Wasps, Rob Miller returns at full-back, with Charles Piutau moving to 13 and Elliot Daly shuffling across to 12, as Siale Piutau gets a rest having played in every game since his arrival at the club in February.
Italian international Lorenzo Cittadini starts in the front row with Jake Cooper-Woolley moving to the bench. Bradley Davies and Joe Launchbury form the second-row partnership, following Kearnan Myall's knee injury against Exeter Chiefs.
Thomas Young earns a start at 7 after impressing off the bench last weekend, with George Smith given the weekend off having only missed two games all season.
Christian Wade is set to make his 100th appearance for Wasps.
Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Tom Biggs, 13 Bryce Heem, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Francois Hougaard; 1 Val Rapava Ruskin, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 5 Darren Barry, 6 Phil Dowson, 7 Carl Kirwan, 8 GJ van Velze (c).
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga, 18 James Johnston, 19 Tevita Cavubati, 20 Sam Betty, 21 Luke Baldwin, 22 Ryan Lamb, 23 Andy Symons.
Wasps: 15 Rob Miller,14 Christian Wade, 13 Charles Piutau, 12 Elliot Daly, 11 Frank Halai,10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Dan Robson; 1 Matt Mullan, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Bradley Davies, 6 James Haskell (c), 7 Thomas Young, 8 Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 Will Rowlands, 20 Sam Jones, 21 Joe Simpson, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Brendan Macken.
Saracens v Harlequins (3.15pm)
Mako Vunipola will skipper Saracens in the club's 13th game at Wembley Stadium since 2009 against Harlequins.
Jim Hamilton returns for Saracens at lock, rotating with Maro Itoje and the former Scotland international will pack down alongside England Grand Slam winning second rower, George Kruis. Alistair Hargreaves misses out with a slight knock while Hayden Smith takes his place among the replacements.
In the back row, Billy Vunipola is named at No 8 with Jackson Wary (openside flanker) and Michael Rhodes (blindside flanker) taking their place in the Sarries loose-forward trio.
In the halves, after a spell on the sidelines, Saracens welcome back Charlie Hodgson at fly-half with Owen Farrell named on the bench. At scrum-half, Neil De Kock comes in for Richard Wigglesworth.
In the backs, Duncan Taylor moves to inside centre with Marcelo Bosch starting in the No 13 jersey.
Harlequins have made are four changes to the starting team that beat London Irish in the European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-final last week.
Joe Marchant returns to the starting line-up amongst an otherwise unchanged back line.
Among the forwards Will Collier starts in the front row, with Charlie Matthews named in the second row alongside Sam Twomey. Nick Easter returns to the back row and partners Chris Robshaw and Jack Clifford.
Among the replacements, Mat Luamanu provides cover for the back row, with Matt Hopper returning to the bench.
Saracens:15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Duncan Taylor, 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Neil De Kock; 1 Mako Vunipola (c), 2 Schalk Brits, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Jim Hamilton, 5 George Kruis, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Jackson Wray, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements:16 Jared Saunders, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Hayden Smith, 20 Samu Vunisa, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Nick Tompkins.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ben Botica, 9 Danny Care (c); 1 Mark Lambert, 2 Joe Gray, 3 Will Collier, 4 Charlie Matthews, 5 Sam Twomey, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 Jack Clifford, 8 Nick Easter.
Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Owen Evans, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 George Merrick, 20 Mat Luamanu, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Matt Hopper, 23 Ross Chisholm.
Northampton v Leicester (5.30pm)
Northampton have four changes from that which began the European Rugby Champions Cup quarter final at Saracens, with Ahsee Tuala, Tom Kessell, Kieran Brookes and Tom Wood coming into the team, with Wood also wearing the captain's armband.
Leicester Tigers have named unchanged starting line-up while Ed Slater and Sam Harrison come back onto the bench after their late withdrawal last Sunday in the only changes to the matchday squad.
Scrum-half Harrison is in line for his 100th appearance for the club since making his debut as a teenager in 2009.
Northampton: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jamie Elliott, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Tom Kessell; 1 Alex Waller, 2 Mikey Haywood, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 James Craig, 5 Christian Day, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Tom Wood (c), 8 Teimana Harrison.
Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Campese Ma'afu, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Victor Matfield, 20 Ben Nutley, 21 JJ Hanrahan, 22 Harry Mallinder, 23 Tom Collins.
Leicester: 15 Mathew Tait (c), 14 Telusa Veainu, 13 Peter Betham, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Harry Thacker, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Dom Barrow, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Mike Fitzgerald, 7 Brendon O'Connor, 8 Lachlan McCaffrey.
Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Logovi'i Mulipola, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Ed Slater, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Adam Thompstone.
