Gallagher Premiership guide: Formidable Saracens set to march on as Worcester Warriors bid to end their travel sickness

Bath are where Leicester were a few seasons ago: wallowing at the bottom of the table with an expensive squad and a head coach out of his depth. Let us remember that were it not for the salary-cap scandal, Leicester would have been relegated to the Championship in 2019-20. Tigers then swapped financially crippling internationals for available gnarly South Africans and precocious youngsters, all overseen by a coaching staff boasting a clear vision.

With no relegation this season, Bath have a similar chance to revamp the club. They are starting young talent and have even benched “golden wrists” Danny Cipriani for the past two matches. Bath’s workrate is there but it is simply not enough. Last week they lost at home to a Wasps team missing 17 players. Amazingly, Bath have won five of the past six encounters against Leicester but deeat here would be their seventh in a row and confirm their longest ever losing streak.

It is 7-0 hosting 0-6, but the Premiership likes a surprise . . .

Saturday
Bristol Bears v Worcester Warriors
3pm

That’s more like it boys. Beware Premiership, the lads are back. Who am I talking about? It could be both but is probably likely to be neither. Bristol returned from a week off to put 44 points on a rejuvenated London Irish, playing with the zeal and style that we have become accustomed to seeing from Pat Lam’s side. As well as scoring some scorching tries with obscene handling, Bristol were much better in the tight and will fancy a fifth consecutive win over Worcester. Fitz Harding is no giant in size but is in execution, Luke Morahan has X-factor and even Harry Thacker (last season’s Nic Dolly) was back among the tries. The win was not without its worries; at one point Bristol were down to 12 men and London Irish drew level. But the Bears showed mental strength to avoid suffering a Quins-related hangover and earn an impressive victory.

Speaking of impressive victories, hats off to Worcester for roasting Sale. Clearly they wanted a greater mention in the Premiership guide and they have earned it — they were class. Nobody has scored more tries in the final quarter than Worcester (12 — Bristol have scored the least with one), but it was their rapid start that set the tone for the afternoon. Jamie Shillcock was exemplary, Scott Baldwin has been a hell of a pick-up, Ollie Lawrence is a bouncy ball of muscle, Francois Venter is key, Ted Hill galvanises the pack and if you actually give Duhan van der Merwe the ball he will bully his way to a try.

But now Warriors must end a miserable record on the road — they have lost 14 consecutive away matches. Both sides suffer from 22-fever: Worcester have averaged the fewest entries into the opposition 22 this season, while Bristol have the fewest points from those breaches.

This is a tough one to call, but home advantage should count massively in the Bears’ favour.

Saracens v London Irish
3pm

This London derby looks ominous for London Irish. After a first half at Twickenham Stoop in which they overcomplicated matters, Saracens channelled their inner All Blacks, did the basics right, kicked flawlessly and had too much for Harlequins. Billy Vunipola has been awesome and watching him pick up Danny Care with one arm was glorious, but he is out for a few weeks with ligament damage. Jackson Wray will ease that loss and the form of Alex Lozowski means that Saracens will not miss Owen Farrell.

No doubt feeling smug about ending Harlequins’s home record, Mark McCall’s men now turn their attention to achieving a ninth consecutive triumph against London Irish. They have not lost to the Exiles since 2014, and only Newcastle are more routinely bullied by Saracens.

How do London Irish go to the StoneX Stadium, where Saracens have won 26 of their past 29 league games, and win? It seems impossible, but we all thought that before their trip to Sandy Park a fortnight ago. There is no doubting London Irish’s talent but they must do more. They shipped 44 points at home to lowly Bristol and really should have done more when the Bears had three players in the sin-bin. Are they less motivated without the threat of relegation?

Stunning Saracens would mark the first time in more than six years that London Irish have won consecutive away league matches, but Sarries are operating on a different level. They have scored 2.9 points per 22 entry in the Premiership this season — the most of any team — while in defence they have allowed their opponents the fewest 22 entries per game of any team in the league this term (6.7).

Who will stop Saracens from reclaiming the title? Certainly not London Irish.

Dom Morris goes over for Saracens during their win over Harlequins last weekend

HENRY BROWNE/GETTY IMAGES

Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints
5pm

It was a pretty frightening Halloween for these two. Tigers and Saracens are coasting to the play-offs, Harlequins should be there, never rule out Exeter, and then who knows with Wasps and Gloucester. This means that Sale and Saints have to pick up wins and fast.

The Sharks have won their past four against Northampton but were embarrassed at Worcester — if you are making the top four, especially this term, you cannot lose to Worcester (no offence, Warriors fans). Alex Sanderson has been hamstrung in the half-back department, with Faf de Klerk and AJ MacGinty yet to play together this season, while Raffi Quirke is now away with England, but the boss is rotating his squad too much. Rotation does have long-term benefits, but Sale cannot afford to fall away from the chasing pack. They have to play their best players when available, and it does not help that Tom Curry and Manu Tuilagi, among others, are with England.

Sale are still a physical juggernaut but are not offering much in the way of expansive rugby with their little magicians injured and away. This is a must-win for them.

Last week Saints allowed their neighbours to waltz into their living room and leave a mess everywhere — they were humiliated by Leicester. After shipping 50 at home, they need a response. At least they have Courtnall Skosan — who already appears to be the league’s best finisher — and can pick the England duo Lewis Ludlam and Tommy Freeman.

The lineout will be huge here. Sale have scored 79 per cent of their tries (15/19) from their lineout, whereas Northampton are the only team to have scored multiple tries from their opponents’ darts.

Skosan, the South African wing, has impressed since arriving from the Lions

MANJIT NAROTRA/PROSPORTS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle Falcons
5.30pm

It is not often you see an overly-emotional Rob Baxter, but this season has clearly got to him after going full Patrice Evra “I love this game” after winning at Kingsholm.

It just goes to show how brilliant the Premiership is. Exeter have not been able to steamroll clubs with their second-string and they struggled this season, but beating an in-form Gloucester was much-needed. Perhaps Gloucester lost it more than Exeter won it, but the 2020 European champions put in a gutsy display without so many of their gigantic pack (Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill, Jonny Gray, Dave Ewers, Jacques Vermeulen and Sam Simmonds were all missing). In the back line, Jack Nowell just about came through his first game on an artificial surface in four years (we all hate them, don’t we?), Tom Hendrickson looks great in tight shirts while Facundo Cordero is worth the price of admission alone. But the Chiefs are still coughing up too many penalties and making too many mistakes, meaning that Newcastle, who have lost nine of their past ten away trips, have a chance of only a third Premiership win against Exeter.

The Falcons’ previous game was also against Gloucester, having had the week off, and they struggled to live with the physicality of the opposition. Like Exeter, discipline is also a problem, and it cost Newcastle 15 points from the boot of Lloyd Evans against Gloucester.

Both clubs are missing key men to internationals but we should see a mouth-watering battle of the discarded England No 8s between Sam Simmonds and Callum Chick. I would not like to get in the way of either of those pent-up wrecking balls this weekend.

Sunday
Wasps v Harlequins
4.30pm, BT Sport 1

In the previous meeting between these two, Quins pulled off a dramatic last-minute comeback to win 48-46. If this match is 10 per cent as good as that, this will be the match of the weekend.

Quins are bent on a reaction to losing their home record against Sarries and victory against Wasps would be their third in a row — something they have not managed since 2014. Injury-plagued Wasps had to get the mascot, tea lady and a few fans in to make up the numbers against Bath and still achieved a morale-boosting triumph. Jacob Umaga, having been outpaced by Marcus Smith in the race to be England’s wonderkid No 10, looked back to his old ways, Vaea Fifita has been a brilliant addition, and Gabriel Oghre’s rise continues.

But the main man is Tom Willis — is he better than Jack? Imagine these two in the same back row. Frightening. Tom was silly again last weekend, holding up a try at his end while scoring at the other; it would be easier to get Boris Johnson to wear a mask than stop the younger Willis in full flight.

Quins also do full flight well, and Tyrone Green is box office. There were positives from their loss to Sarries, with Stephan Lewies and Wilco Louw’s returns among them, but maybe Danny Care’s cute drop-goal was not one of them. Having won three successive penalties on Saracens’ 22, continuing that pressure might have led to a Saracens yellow card or a try. Instead, Care, who woke up and chose anarchy, opting for the three. But Quins will get over it.

If you have never watched NBA basketball before, this is basically it.

Abbie Ward claims the lineout duringEngland’s 43-12 win against New Zealand

BOB BRADFORD/GETTY IMAGES

Women’s autumn internationals
By Jessica Hayden

England v New Zealand
Sunday 2.45pm, BBC Two

The Red Roses head to Franklin’s Gardens to face New Zealand off the back of their 43-12 win against the world champions last weekend.

• England record their biggest win over New Zealand to retain world No 1 spot

England head coach Simon Middleton told The Ruck that England cannot expect an easy match with their closest rivals, who do not stay second in the world rankings for long.

• Latest episode of The Ruck podcast

Wales v Japan
Sunday 5pm, S4C

In great news for international women’s rugby, the WRU has announced professional contracts for its players. Although these do not come into effect until January, the head coach Ioan Cunningham told The Times that the decision over who will get the contracts will be based on how the team perform during the autumn campaign. With professional contracts on the line, Wales will be determined to end their two-year losing streak.

• Wales to bring in professional contracts for women’s rugby team in £2m annual investment