Preview: Premiership, Round Nine
The team from Coventry have had mixed fortunes in the 2015/16 season so far. They have struggled in the English Premiership, yet they top their pool in the European Champions Cup, which also includes Europe heavyweight Toulon, Bath and Leinster.
Wasps coach Dai Young will be wanting his team to emulate the type of form they have been showing in the European Cup, starting with this weekend's clash against the Warriors.
One player Young will be looking to to spark the team into action is fullback Charles Piutau.
The 24-year-old All Black was a marquee signing for Wasps and reinforced an already star-studded attack. Piutau insists slight tweaks here and there are all that is needed to get the team ready for the next round of matches.
"The weather is frustrating but that's part of rugby, it comes with playing in difficult conditions and it's all about how well you adapt," he said.
"It's been awesome though, I've really enjoyed the difference in playing styles and seeing how things are in England.
"A big part of coming here is for the experience and Wasps is a great club with great people, and I'm looking forward to pitching in for the rest of the season.
"Things haven't gone our way, we've made lots of errors as a team and individually and that has cost us in the last couple of weeks.
"If we fix those little things I know we will go a long way to get into better form like we've been showing in the European Cup.
"Saracens have led the way in the Premiership and they're showing how it's got to be done.
"But if a few things had gone our way in that game too we could have come out on top, so it's these little opportunities that we need to turn in our favour."
In the weekend's other matches Exeter Chiefs will be looking to stay in touch with log leaders Saracens when they face Gloucester at Sandy park on Saturday.
Saracens will make the short trip to the Twickenham Stoop when they face Harlequins in what will be a tricky match for the defending Premiership champions.
Saturday's other game will see a mouth-watering match-up between Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints.
On Sunday, besides Wasps' meeting with Worcester Warriors, there is a bottom-of-the-log clash between London Irish and Newcastle Falcons.
We look at this weekend's action!
Saturday, January 9
Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester
(Sandy Park – Kick-off: 15.00 GMT)
Gloucester are unbeaten in their last five fixtures in all tournaments since losing 3-15 at Northampton on November 27. Gloucester have however won just one away game in their last nine trips in the Premiership: 39-27 at Newcastle in Round One this season.
The two sides met on four occasions last season with the two Premiership encounters both being won by the away side, Exeter victorious at home in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and Gloucester winning at Kingsholm in the semifinal of the European Challenge Cup. Gloucester were the most recent visiting team to win at Sandy Park doing so in Premiership Rugby on January 3, 2015.
Teams:
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Jack Nowell, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 James Short, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Will Chudley, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Don Armand, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Ollie Atkins, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Jack Yeandle (captain), 1 Ben Moon.
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Moray Low, 19 Jonny Hill, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Michele Campagnaro.
Gloucester: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 James Hook 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 4 Tom Savage, 3 Nicky Thomas, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Nick Wood.
Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Paddy McAllister, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Mark Atkinson.
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Peter Huckle, Ross Campbell
TMO: Stuart Terheege
Harlequins v Saracens
(Twickenham Stoop – Kick-off: 15.00 GMT)
Saracens perfect start to the new season continued with their victory over Leicester last Saturday an eighth successive Premiership victory since the start of the campaign equalling their previous best start set in 2009-10.
Harlequins have won just one of their last 14 matches with Saracens in all tournaments: 24-19 at Wembley Stadium in the Premiership in March 2012. Saracens have won on their five most recent visits to Twickenham Stoop.
Teams:
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 George Lowe, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Ross Chisholm, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care (captain), 8 Jack Clifford, 7 Luke Wallace, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 Charlie Matthews, 4 James Horwill, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Rob Buchanan, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Seb Adeniran-Olule, 18 Will Collier, 19 George Merrick, 20 Nick Easter, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Tim Swiel, 23 Harry Sloan.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Duncan Taylor, 11 Mike Ellery, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Will Fraser, 6 Jackson Wray, 5 George Kruis, 4 Jim Hamilton, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 2 Jamie George (captain), 1 Mako Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Jared Saunders, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Jacques Burger, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Charlie Hodgson, 23 Nick Tompkins
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Ashley Rowden, Simon McConnell
TMO: Keith Lewi
Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints
(Welford Road – Kick-off: 15.15 GMT)
Northampton Saints three-game winless run ended with their 8-3 victory at home to Exeter on New Year's Day. The Saints only two victories in their last nine away games in the Premiership have both been on visits to Bath, in February and December 2015.
Each club won its respective home game when the two East Midlands rivals clashed in the Premiership last season whilst Northampton have not been victorious at Welford Road in any competition since a 10-9 win in the Premiership in February 2007.
Teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Peter Betham, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Matt Smith, 11 Adam Thompstone, 10 Owen Williams, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Lachlan McCaffrey, 7 Brendon O'Connor, 6 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Logovi'i Mulipola, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Laurence Pearce, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Vereniki Goneva.
Northampton Saints: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Jamie Elliott, 13 George North, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Tom Collins, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Lee Dickson (captain), 8 Sam Dickinson, 7 Teimana Harrison, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Paul Hill, 2 Mikey Haywood, 1 Alex Waller.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Gareth Denman, 19 Christian Day, 20 Tom Wood, 21 Tom Kessell, 22 Stephen Myler, 23 Harry Mallinder.
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Tim Wigglesworth, Peter Allan
TMO: Sean Davey
Sunday, January 10
London Irish v Newcastle Falcons
(Madejski Stadium – Kick-off: 13.00 GMT)
Newcastle Falcons achieved their opening Premiership victory of the season in overcoming Bath at Kingston Park last Saturday, but have only been victorious once on the road in the competition since October 2013 – on a visit to London Welsh twelve months later.
London Irish have won their last thee encounters with the Falcons in the Premiership since Newcastle won 13-11 on their own turf in October 2013. The Tynesiders have not been successful at Madejski Stadium in the Premiership since a visit in November 2009.
Teams:
London Irish: 15 Topsy Ojo, 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma, 10 Chris Noakes, 9 Brendan McKibbin, 8 Ofisa Treviranus, 7 Luke Narraway, 6 Jebb Sinclair, 5 Will Lloyd, 4 Matt Symons (captain), 3 Ben Franks, 2 David Paice, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16. Gerard Ellis, 17 Tom Smallbone, 18 Halani Aulika, 19 Joe Trayfoot, 20 Blair Cowan, 21 Scott Steele, 22 Shane Geraghty, 23 Fergus Mulchrone.
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Alex Tait, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Craig Willis, 9 Michael Young, 8 Ally Hogg, 7 Nili Latu,6 Will Welch (captain), 5 Sean Robinson, 4 Mark Wilson, 3 Paddy Ryan, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Rob Vickers.
Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Taione Vea, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Todd Clever, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Andy Goode, 23 Belisario Agulla.
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Greg Garner, Roy Maybank
TMO: Graham Hughes
Wasps v Worcester Warriors
(Ricoh Arena – Kick-off: 14.00 GMT)
Worcester Warriors have now lost their last seven fixtures in all competitions since beating La Rochelle 19-3 at Sixways in Round One of the European Challenge Cup. The Warriors have lost all six away games they have played in all competitions this season.
The two clubs have not met since the 2013-14 season when Wasps achieved a Premiership double over their now near neighbours. This is the Warriors first visit to the Ricoh Arena, whilst the last time they journeyed to the city of Coventry in April 2004 they achieved a 57-18 victory at the old Coundon Road against Coventry RFC.
Teams:
Wasps: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Ben Jacobs, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Sam Jones, 7 George Smith, 6 James Haskell (captain), 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Edd Shervingtom, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Bradley Davies, 20 Guy Thompson, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Brendan Macken.
Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Tom Biggs, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Andy Symons, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Ryan Mills, 9 Charlie Mulchrone, 8 Phil Dowson (captain), 7 Sam Betty, 6 Matt Cox, 5 Tevita Cavubati, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Nick Schoner, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga.
Replacements: 16 Ben Sowrey, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Gareth Milasinovich, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Marco Mama, 21 Luke Baldwin, 22 Tiff Eden, 23 Ben Howard.
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: Andrew Jackson, Wayne Falla
TMO: David Grashoff
