Premiership: Sarries to step it up
Saracens flyhalf Charlie Hodgson knows that his side will have to raise their game considerably when they face Harlequins on Friday.
Hodgson got the nod to start the Premiership season opener against Wasps in the London Double Header last weekend.
The last-gasp 34-28 victory, helped largely by David Strettle's hat-trick, has given Sarries a solid start to the new campaign.
Hodgson admits that his side will have to improve on their performance against Wasps if they are to challenge for top spot again this season.
"It was a tough start but we managed to get over the line and secure the five points, which is the main thing," added Hodgson.
"We never think (that the game is lost), you have to keep going until the end until that chance of winning has gone, when the final whistle goes.
"It's a measure of the belief we have in the squad, as a team as a whole and the belief in each other as players.
"There's always a feeling that we can win, from any situation, and that's important.
"It wasn't best of performances (against Wasps), so there's still a lot of things to work on, but it's still very early in the season and there's a long way to go."
All the weekend's teams and match details:
Friday, September 12
Harlequins v Saracens
(Twickenham Stoop – Kick-off: 19.45; 18.45 GMT)
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 Jordan Turner-Hall, 11 Ollie Lindsay-Hague, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Luke Wallace, 5 George Robson, 4 Charlie Matthews, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Joe Marler (captain).
Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Will Collier, 19 George Merrick, 20 Jack Clifford, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Charlie Walker.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 David Strettle, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglewsorth, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Will Fraser, 6 Jackson Wray, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 George Kruis, 3 Kieran Longbottom, 2 Jamie George, 1 Richard Barrington.
Replacements: 16 Scott Spurling, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Petrus Du Plessis, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Kelly Brown, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Chris Wyles.
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Paul Dix, Ashley Rowden
TMO: David Grashoff
Saturday, September 13
Bath v London Welsh
(Recreation Ground – Kick-off: 15.00; 14.00 GMT)
Bath: TBC
London Welsh: TBC
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: Ross Campbell, Roger Baileff
TMO: Trevor Fisher
Gloucester v Sale Sharks
(Kingsholm – Kick-off: 15.00; 14.00 GMT)
Gloucester: TBC
Sale Sharks: TBC
Referee: Greg Garner
Assistant referees: Stuart Terheege, Kelvin Stewart
TMO: David Sainsbury
Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers
(Sandy Park – Kick-off: 15.00; 14.00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Paul Burton, Gordon Goodliffe
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Sunday, September 14
London Wasps v Northampton Saints
(Adams Park – Kick-off: 14.00; 13.00
Wasps: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Chris Bell, 11 Tom Varndell, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 James Haskell (captain) 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 James Gaskell , 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 John Yapp, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Guy Thompson, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Rob Miller.
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Andy Watson, Nigel Carrick
TMO: Geoffrey Warren
Newcastle Falcons v London Irish
(Kingston Park – Kick-off: 14.00; 13.00 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Small
Assistant referfees: Gareth Copsey, Peter Huckle
TMO: Sean Davey
