Gloucester v Newcastle
Kick-off 3pm today
Venue Kingsholm
TV Sky Sports 2, 3pm
If the shadow of Olivier Azam hangs over this match, Newcastle are also travelling south under a bit of a cloud. The season is taking its toll and, with Dave Walder injured, Jonny Wilkinson will have to play despite nudging the 32-game limit for Premiership players. Inga Tuigamala looks to have played his last game and with other key men Gary Armstrong and Pat Lam also major doubts, the Falcons could be in for a long afternoon. Gloucester were in a ruthless mood last weekend, scoring a half-century of points at Leeds, and Phil Vickery is likely to start after a knee injury.
Leicester v Bristol
Kick-off 1pm today
Venue Welford Road
TV Sky Sports 2, 12.30pm
Bristol's recent Premiership defeat of the champions will be sufficient motivation for Leicester's players, who might otherwise be excused for having their minds on next week's Heineken Cup final. So expect Martin Johnson and Neil Back to have recovered from heavy colds and Tim Stimpson, the hero of the Heineken Cup semi-final, to make recoveries. There is some bad blood between the clubs from that Premiership game a fortnight ago with Leicester's flanker Adam Balding and Bristol's England prop Julian White sent off for fighting. Both are suspended today. White's fellow prop Paul Johnstone and the versatile forward Andrew Sheridan will be missing for the visitors.
London Irish v Northampton
Kick-off 1pm tomorrow
Venue Madejski Stadium
Irish's decision to parade the Powergen Cup before tomorrow's game in Reading could be a red rag to Northampton's bull, given that it was the Saints on the receiving end of last month's heavy final defeat at Twickenham. Since then nothing much has gone right for the Exiles, four successive defeats and a host of injuries making in-form Northampton favourites to exact revenge. Budge Pountney, the Saints skipper, is a doubt with an eye injury, having been forced off the field during last weekend's win over Newcastle. But Northampton have been galvanised by Wayne's Smith's arrival and should win comfortably.
Sale v Wasps
Kick-off 1.45pm tomorrow
Venue Heywood Road
TV BBC1, 1.35pm
Phil Greening's appearance as an emergency flanker is good news for Wasps' former England hooker but bad news for Rory Jenkins, Wasps' reserve flanker who has had no real look-in since leaving Harlequins last year. This is a meeting between the two in-form teams in the Premiership. Sale's coach Jim Mallinder may choose to rest players ahead of next weekend's Parker Pen Shield final, having already qualified for the Heineken Cup via the Premiership. With Lawrence Dallaglio sidelined after hand surgery, Greening plays on the open-side flank with Mark Lock at No8. Martin Offiah replaces Shane Roiser on the wing.
