Preview: Premiership, Round 18

The Sharks have slipped to back-to-back defeats against Wasps and Northampton Saints in recent weeks and with Leicester in town this Easter, Deacon is targeting a win to resurrect Sale's season.

Sale Sharks' only victory in their last five Premiership matches was 29-23 at home to Harlequins in March – a statistic that needs to change against Leicester Tigers.

A positive note though for the Sharks is they have not lost in any competition at the AJ Bell Stadium since Harlequins were the visitors in the Premiership on April 25.

"We always approach our home games as games we expect to win," said Deacon. "This week is no different although we are playing Leicester Tigers who are one of the biggest clubs in the Premiership if not the biggest club.

"We've got our work cut out and from our last two performances we need to see a big improvement on them but we have reminded the players that we've had some great performances this year.

"Consistency has let us down these past two weeks but hopefully we can sort that out in training, turn up with the right mindset, get the performance right and the result will look after itself.

"We've got a decent run-in. We don't have to win six out of six to make the top six so there isn't that feeling yet about every game being a cup final.

"We just need to start performing better than we have been in the past couple of weeks. We're focused on the performance rather than the bigger picture."

Leicester Tigers' only defeat in their last four rounds of the Premiership was 24-36 to Wasps in Coventry in Round 16.

However, the Tigers have won just once away from home in 2016: 19-18 at Gloucester at the end of January.

Sale beat Leicester 10-3 at Welford Road in round 11 and has only once before achieved a season's Premiership double over Tigers in 2008.

Leicester has won on their last five visits to Sale since a 15-12 reversal at Edgeley Park in September 2009.

And Leicester's Telusa Veainu is only too aware of the challenge facing the Tigers this weekend against one of the most formidable home teams in the Premiership.

"The game at Sale will be a tough one for sure because I think they are the only Premiership team still unbeaten at home," he said.

"We are aware of that and we know that we will need to be at our best if we want to get anything out of the game.

"Having said that, all we are doing is focussing on ourselves and really making sure we do what we need to do in order to get the win.

"It will be tough but we are going there confident off the back of the win against Saracens.

"We haven't really spoken too much about our difficulties away from home, it is something we are not thinking about.

"But I think a few away games we haven't had the same mindset we do when we are at home so it is about making sure we correct that, starting with Sale."

We take a look at all the Round 18 action!

Saturday:

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs

(Allianz Park – Kick-off: 15.15; 15.15 GMT)

Exeter Chiefs home win over Northampton Saints took them to the top of the Premiership table for only the fourth time, but all the previous occasions have been after Rounds One or Two. The Chiefs only defeat in their last five Premiership fixtures was 27-31 at Leicester on March 6.

The two sides have met on 11 previous occasions in Premiership Rugby with Saracens winning seven and Exeter four. The Chiefs were victorious on their most recent visit to Allianz Park: 24-20 in Round 21 last year.

Teams:

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Duncan Taylor, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt (captain), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Will Fraser, 6 Jackson Wray, 5 Maro Itoje, 4 George Kruis, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Mako Vunipola.

Replacements: 16 Jared Saunders, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Alistair Hargreaves, 20 Kelly Brown, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 Mike Ellery.

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Lachie Turner, 10 Gareth Steenson (captain), 9 Dave Lewis, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Geoff Parling, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Alec Hepburn

Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Moray Low, 19 Ollie Atkins, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Max Bodilly.

Referee: Matthew Carley

Assistant referees: Ross Campbell, Paul Dix

TMO: David Grashoff

Gloucester v Bath

(Kingsholm – Kick-off: 17.30; 17.30 GMT)

Gloucester beat Bath 15-11 at the Recreation Ground on February 15 but have not achieved a season's Premiership double over their near rivals since 2011-12. 

Bath have been victorious on their last two visits to Kinghsolm in the Premiership – no visiting team has ever won three successive Premiership fixtures at the famous old ground.

Teams: 

Gloucester: 15 Tom Marshall, 14 David Halaifonua, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Steve McColl, 10 James Hook, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 Ross Moriarty 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 4 Tom Savage, 3 John Afoa, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 1 Paddy McAllister. 

Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Paul Doran-Jones, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Mark Atkinson, 23 Henry Trinder.

Bath: 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ollie Devoto, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 George Ford, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Leroy Houston, 7 Francois Louw (captain), 6 Matt Garvey, 5 Dominic Day, 4 Charlie Ewels, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Nathan Catt. 

Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Max Lahiff, 18 David Wilson, 19 Amanaki Mafi, 20 Guy Mercer, 21 Jonathan Evans, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Horacio Agulla.

Referee: Wayne Barnes

Assistant referees: Gareth Copsey, Andrew Pearce

TMO: Geoffrey Warren

Worcester Warriors v London Irish

(Sixways – Kick-off: 17.30; 17.30 GMT)

Worcester Warriors have won their last three Premiership matches but have never won four in a row in the history of the tournament. 

London Irish's only defeat in their last 16 Premiership encounters with the Warriors was 11-35 at Sixways in September 2012.

Teams:

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 GJ van Velze, 7 Carl Kirwan, 6 Phil Dowson, 5 Darren Barry, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Val Rapava Ruskin.

Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga, 18 James Johnston, 19 Dan Sanderson, 20 Matt Cox , 21 Luke Baldwin, 22 Ryan Lamb, 23 Alex Grove. 

London Irish: 15 Sean Maitland, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 Greig Tonks, 9 Scott Steele, 8 Rob McCusker, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Luke Narraway (captain), 5 Matt Symons, 4 Elliott Stooke, 3 Halani Aulika, 2 Tom Cruse, 1 Tom Court. 

Replacements: 16 David Paice, 17 Tom Smallbone, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Jerry Sexton, 20 Ofisa Treviranus, 21 Brendan McKibbin, 22 Theo Brophy Clews, 23 Fergus Mulchrone.

Referee: Gregory Garner

Assistant referees: Robin Goodliffe, Jonathan Healy

TMO: Sean Davey

Sunday:

Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers

(AJ Bell Stadium – Kick-off: 13.00; 13.00 GMT)

Leicester Tigers only defeat in their last four rounds of the Premiership was 24-36 to Wasps in Coventry in Round 16. The Tigers have won just once away from home in 2016: 19-18 at Gloucester at the end of January.  

Sale beat Leicester 10-3 at Welford Road in Round 11 and have only once before achieved a season's Premiership double over Tigers, in 2007-08. Leicester have won on their last five visits to Sale since a 12-15 reversal at Edgeley Park in September 2009.

Teams:

Sale Sharks: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Will Addison, 13 Sam James, 12 Sammy Tuitupou, 11 Nev Edwards, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 TJ Ioane, 7 David Seymour (captain), 6 Cameron Neild, 5 Jonathan Mills, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts.

Replacements: 16 Neil Briggs, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Brian Mujati, 19 Andrei Ostrikov, 20 Magnus Lund, 21 James Mitchell, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Mark Jennings.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Tommy Bell, 14 Mathew Tait, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Williams, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Jordan Crane (captain), 7 Tom Croft, 6 Laurence Pearce, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Dom Barrow, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Sebastian de Chaves, 20 Opeti Fonua, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Peter Betham, 23 Telusa Veainu.

Referee: Thomas Foley

Assistant referees: Andy Watson, Kelvin Stewart

TMO: Stuart Terheege

Newcastle Falcons v Wasps

(Kingston Park – 15.00; 15.00 GMT)

Wasps have lost only one of their last nine encounters in all tournaments, 10-13 at Gloucester in their most recent away game in Round 15 – they have not lost successive away games in the tournament since the start of this season. 

Wasps are unbeaten in their last five encounters with Falcons since Newcastle's 14-10 victory at Adams Park in May 2012.

Teams:

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Alex Tait, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Adam Powell, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Michael Young, 8 Nili Latu, 7 Will Welch (captain), 6 Mark Wilson, 5 Sean Robinson, 4 Calum Green, 3 Taione Vea, 2 George McGuigan, 1 Rob Vickers. 

Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Mike Cusack, 19 Ally Hogg, 20 Sinoti Sinoti, 21 Sonatane Takulua, 22 Andy Goode, 23 Belisario Agulla.

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Sam Jones, 7 George Smith, 6 Thomas Young, 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Ashley Johnson, 1 Matt Mullan (captain). 

Replacements: 16 Carlo Festuccia, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 James Cannon, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Craig Hampson, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Brendan Macken.

Referee: JP Doyle

Assistant referees: Roger Baileff, Roy Maybank

TMO: David Rose

Northampton Saints v Harlequins

(Franklin's Gardens – Kick-off: 15.15; 15.15 GMT)

Harlequins have won just two of their last nine fixtures in all competitions – both at Twickenham Stoop in the Premiership, against Leicester and Bath. Harlequins have lost their last four away games in the tournament since beating Worcester 24-20 at Sixways in Round 8.

The Saints have won their last six fixtures against Harlequins in all tournaments since the Londoners' 22-19 victory at the Stoop in the Premiership in May 2013. Quins have not won at Franklin's Gardens since an 18-9 victory on December 22, 2012.

Teams:

Northampton Saints: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 George North, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson (captain), 8 Teimana Harrison, 7 Tom Wood, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Christian Day, 4 James Craig, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Mikey Haywood, 1 Alex Waller.

Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Campese Ma’afu, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Courtney Lawes, 20 Sam Dickinson, 21 Kahn Fotuali’i, 22 JJ Harrahan, 23 Harry Mallinder.

Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ben Botica, 9 Danny Care (captain), 8 Nick Easter, 7 Luke Wallace, 6 Jack Clifford, 5 James Horwill, 4 George Merrick, 3 Will Collier, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Joe Marler.

Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Mat Luamanu, 20 Chris Robshaw, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Matt Hopper, 23 Ross Chisholm.

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

Assistant referees: Wayne Falla, Paul Burton

TBC: Graham Hughes