England lock Ollie Chessum will return to Leicester Tigers' starting XV on Sunday as his side host Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership.
England captain Maro Itoje will return to captain a Saracens side containing four of his international team-mates during the Guinness Six Nations when they host Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday.
Last week’s post-Christmas block of fixtures took us beyond the halfway point in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and a number of the round nine results have certainly whetted the appetite as English ruby welcomes in the new year.
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.
Round six of the Gallagher Premiership promises to deliver another thrilling weekend of action, with teams looking to solidify their positions ahead of a break before the Test rugby returns in November.
Overall, the nine-try, 72-point belter was yet another classic showcase of a fabulously entertaining Gallagher Premiership, but the post-game Ashton Gate pints were all Saracens judging by the stragglers filtering out of the ground at around 7:30pm from the last remaining open stadium bar after a sunny, blue sky day had given way to a moonlit night.
Twenty-eight of the 36 players named by Steve Borthwick in the England squad for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series will start for their clubs in this weekend’s Gallagher Premiership.
Now for those of you who know your rugby onions, that, of course, is the birthplace of Wales’ greatest tighthead of the professional era, Adam Jones.