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All 10 team selections for Gallagher Premiership round seven
By Liam Heagney
This weekend’s return of the Gallagher Premiership following a five-week hibernation was given its banner headline on Wednesday when Joe Marler confirmed he will retire from playing with immediate effect following Friday night’s Harlequins match at home to Bristol.
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The 34-year-old, who quit Test rugby the day after England’s November 2 Autumn Nations Series loss to New Zealand, was poised to retire from the game at the of the 2024/25 season. However, he will bow out months earlier than planned with a start for Quins in his final outing.
Marler was one of nine players called up by England across the four-game series against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan not to earn a cap this past month.
All of those squad no-cappers – Quins’ Marler, Luke Northmore and Cadan Murley, Northampton pair Alex Coles and Trevor Davison, Saracens duo Elliot Daly and Alex Lozowski, and Bath’s Ted Hill and Charlie Ewels – have been chosen to start by their clubs in the league resumption.
Meanwhile, Alex Mitchell, the first-choice Test No9 who was unavailable for squad selection due to a neck injury, will make his first club appearance off Saints’ bench.
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Expect more end-to-end tries when Round 7 kicks off tonight! #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/NbWET4aAcb
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) November 29, 2024
The action begins on Friday in London and Newcastle, continues on Saturday in Northampton and Bath, and concludes on Sunday in Manchester.
In total, 21 of the 31 players capped by Steve Borthwick during the ANS will feature for their clubs, but just four of the 10 players who started all four Test games – Bath pair Will Stuart and Ollie Lawrence, Exeter’s Henry Slade and Leicester’s George Martin – have been selected to play by their clubs.
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Saracens’ Ben Earl and Maro Itoje, and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman, who played every one of the 320-minute Test programme, are rested, as are Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Marcus Smith, the other three players to start every England game. Here are the 10 teams named for all five Premiership round five matches:
FRIDAY
Harlequins vs Bristol Bears (Twickenham Stoop, 7.45pm) – Live on TNT Sports 1 and UHD
Harlequins: 15. Tyrone Green;14. Rodrigo Isgro, 13. Oscar Beard, 12. Luke Northmore, 11. Cadan Murley; 10. Jarrod Evans, 9. Will Porter; 1. Joe Marler, 2. Jack Walker, 3. Simon Kerrod, 4. Irne Herbst, 5. Dino Lamb, 6. Jack Kenningham, 7. Will Evans, 8. Alex Dombrandt (capt). Reps: 16. Nathan Jibulu, 17. Fin Baxter, 18. Titi Lamositele, 19. Joe Launchbury, 20. James Chisholm, 21. Danny Care, 22. Jamie Benson, 23. Nick David.
Bristol: 15. Rich Lane; 14. Jack Bates, 13. Kalaveti Ravouvou, 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye; 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Jake Woolmore, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Owen, 6. Santiago Grondona, 7. Fitz Harding (capt), 8. Viliame Mata. Reps: 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Yann Thomas, 18. Lovejoy Chawatama, 19. Steven Luatua, 20. Benjamin Grondona, 21. Oscar Lennon, 22. Joe Jenkins, 23. Benjamin Elizalde.
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Referee: Luke Pearce.
Newcastle Falcons vs Saracens (Kingston Park, 7.45pm) – Live on discovery+
Newcastle: 15. Ethan Grayson; 14. Ben Stevenson, 13. Sammy Arnold, 12. Cameron Hutchison, 11. Alex Hearle; 10. Brett Connon, 9. Sam Stuart; 1. Murray McCallum, 2. Jamie Blamire, 3. Richard Palframan, 4. Philip van der Walt, 5. Sebastian de Chaves, 6. Freddie Lockwood, 7. Tom Gordon, 8. Callum Chick (capt). Reps: 16. Ollie Fletcher, 17. Mike Rewcastle, 18. Callum Hancock, 19. Kiran McDonald, 20. Ollie Leatherbarrow, 21. Max Pepper, 22. Connor Doherty, 23. Adam Radwan.
Saracens: 15. Elliot Daly; 14. Tobias Elliott, 13. Alex Lozowski, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Rotimi Segun; 10. Fergus Burke, 9. Ivan van Zyl (capt), 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Theo Dan, 3. Fraser Balmain, 4. Theo McFarland, 5. Hugh Tizard, 6. Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7. Toby Knight, 8. Tom Willis. Reps: 16. James Hadfield, 17. Eroni Mawi, 18. Marco Riccioni, 19. Harry Wilson, 20. Nathan Michelow, 21. Gareth Simpson, 22. Sam Spink, 23. Tom Parton.
Referee: Matthew Carley.
SATURDAY
Northampton Saints vs Gloucester Rugby (cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, 3pm) – Live on discovery+
Northampton: 15. George Furbank (capt); 14. George Hendy, 13. Tom Litchfield, 12. Rory Hutchinson, 11. Ollie Sleightholme; 10. Fin Smith, 9. Tom James; 1. Tom West, 2. Curtis Langdon, 3. Trevor Davison, 4. Chunya Munga, 5. Alex Coles, 6. Angus Scott-Young, 7. Tom Pearson, 8. Juarno Augustus. Reps: 16. Craig Wright, 17. Emmanuel Iyogun, 18. Luke Green, 19. Tom Lockett, 20. Henry Pollock, 21. Alex Mitchell, 22. Fraser Dingwall, 23. James Ramm.
Gloucester: 15. Santi Carreras; 14. Christian Wade, 13. Max Llewellyn, 12. Seb Atkinson, 11. Ollie Thorley; 10. Gareth Anscombe, 9. Caolan Englefield; 1. Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2. Jack Singleton, 3. Afo Fasogbon, 4. Arthur Clark, 5. Freddie Thomas, 6. Jack Clement, 7. Lewis Ludlow (capt), 8. Zach Mercer. Reps: 16. Seb Blake, 17. Ciaran Knight, 18. Kirill Gotovtsev, 19. Matias Alemanno, 20. Ruan Ackermann, 21. Charlie Chapman, 22. Chris Harris, 23. Josh Hathaway.
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.
Bath vs Exeter Chiefs (The Rec, 5.45pm) – Live on TNT Sports
Bath: 15. Tom de Glanville; 14. Joe Cokanasiga, 13. Ollie Lawrence, 12. Will Butt, 11. Will Muir; 10. Finn Russell, 9. Ben Spencer (capt); 1. Thomas du Toit, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Charlie Ewels, 6. Ted Hill, 7. Guy Pepper, 8. Miles Reid. Reps: 16. Niall Annett, 17. Francois van Wyk, 18. Kieran Verden, 19. Ross Molony, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. Louis Schreuder, 22. Cameron Redpath, 23. Alfie Barbeary.
Exeter: 15. Josh Hodge; 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13. Tamati Tua, 12. Will Rigg, 11. Tommy Wyatt; 10. Henry Slade, 9. Stu Townsend; 1. Scott Sio, 2. Dan Frost, 3. Marcus Street, 4. Rusi Tuima, 5. Richard Capstick, 6. Ethan Roots, 7. Jacques Vermeulen, 8. Greg Fisilau. Reps: 16. Jack Innard, 17. Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18. Jimmy Roots, 19. Franco Molina, 20. Ross Vintcent, 21. Will Becconsall, 22. Will Haydon-Wood, 23. Ben Hammersley.
Referee: Sara Cox.
SUNDAY
Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers (Salford Community Stadium, 3.15pm) – Live on TNT Sports 1 and UHD
Sale: 15. Joe Carpenter; 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Luke James, 11. Arron Reed; 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Tom Curry, 7. Ben Curry (capt), 8. Dan du Preez. Reps: 16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. James Harper, 19. JL du Preez, 20. Tom Burrow, 21. Sam Dugdale, 22. Raffi Quirke, 23. Will Addison.
Leicester: 15. Freddie Steward; 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Izaia Perese, 12. Solomone Kata, 11. Ollie Hassell-Collins; 10. Handre Pollard, 9. Jack van Poortvliet; 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Charlie Clare, 3. Joe Heyes, 4. George Martin, 5. Tom Manz, 6. Hanro Liebenberg, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Olly Cracknell. Reps: 16. Archie Vanes, 17. James Cronin, 18. Dan Cole, 19. Jed Holloway, 20. Emeka Ilione, 21. Ben Youngs, 22. Jamie Shillcock, 23. Will Wand.
Referee: Adam Leal.
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