All 10 clubs have named their teams and numerous selections catch the eye. For instance, Beno Obano, whose red card was influential in tilting last June’s Twickenham showpiece result in favour of Northampton, has completed his suspension and is a Bath starter at The Rec.
It may have been an off-season with more star departures than arrivals in the Premiership but it never fails to entertain and it’s a big name off the field that’s going to provide the biggest shake-up.
It's semi-finals Sunday at the World Rugby U20 Championship and following last Tuesday’s weather-affected schedule, the hope will be that all six matches will be played to an 80-minute conclusion unlike on match day three when there were just four and a half matches completed due to the heavy rain making pitches unplayable.
Knowing they effectively had a ‘gimme’ versus minnows Spain on match day three, they rested numerous first-choice players but they will now run out at the DHL Stadium with a team that has 10 alterations from last Tuesday in Stellenbosch.
New Zealand U20 opener their U20 Championship campaign against Wales U20 on Sunday morning (NZST).
The Spanish have the honour of opening the pool the DHL Stadium this Saturday, taking on a French team that didn’t fire on all cylinders in a Six Nations campaign that only merited third place.
On Sunday, Solomon scored two tries in a 36-25 victory over Australia as the ‘Baby Blacks’ secured inaugural Rugby Championship honours.
Giant lock Christian Scotland-Williamson has left Worcester Warriors as he looks to pursue a career in American Football in the USA.
England must wait on the fitness of Denny Solomona after he was named in their final squad to face Argentina over two Tests next month.