Aviva Premiership
Yarde and Foden return from injury
ESPN Staff
February 21, 2014
How they've changed! Mark Cueto and Mike Tindall will make their 200th Premiership appearance this weekend © Getty Images
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This weekend's Aviva Premiership action will see two of the competition's favourite sons reach impressive milestones. Mark Cueto and Mike Tindall will make their 200th appearance in the competition. It is a hugely impressive feat and ahead of Round 15, ESPN brings you the latest team news.

Bath Rugby v London Wasps

Bath change five with Nathan Catt and Juan Pablo Orlandi coming into the front-row while Dom Day is handed a spot in the locks. Tom Heathcote starts at fly-half as George Ford is on international duty with Nick Abendanon at fullback. Wasps have changed four with Tom Lindsay, James Cannon, Nathan Hughes and Charlie Davies starting.

  • Bath have won their last 11 home games in the Premiership since Saracens won there on December 22 2012, a record for the West Country club.
  • London Wasps have slipped to three straight defeats in all competitions and have not won on the road in the Premiership since their trip to Newcastle over Christmas.

Gloucester Rugby v Harlequins

Tindall makes his 200th Premiership appearance while Gloucester make three changes. Rupert Harden, James Hudson and Gareth Evans replace Sila Puafisi, Will James and Ben Morgan respectively. Freddie Burns stays on the bench. Harlequins change four with Joe Gray, Kyle Sinckler, George Robson and Tim Molenaar starting. In injury news, Will Collier will be out until the tail end of the season at best with a neck injury.

England fly-half Toby Flood takes a breather, England v Italy, Six Nations, Twickenham, England, March 10, 2013
Leicester have dropped Toby Flood © Getty Images
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  • Gloucester have won only two Premiership games at Kingsholm this season, only Newcastle and Worcester have fared worse on their own turf.
  • Harlequins have not been victorious at Kingsholm in the competition since February 13 1999.

Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks

The winless Warriors make two changes with Mike Williams replacing the suspended Jonathan Thomas in the back-row with James Percival starting at lock. Cueto will make his 200th Premiership appearance for Sale and their team shows two changes with Johnathan Mills and Tom Arscott starting.

  • Worcester Warriors have lost their last 19 Premiership fixtures, only Rotherham have a worse sequence, with 30 successive losses between 2001-2004.
  • The Sharks won their most recent away game in the tournament at Newcastle but have not managed to win back-to-back matches on the road since the start of the 2008-09 season.

London Irish v Leicester Tigers

The Exiles change one with Darren Allison starting at scrum-half in place of the banned Tomas O'Leary while England's Marland Yarde returns to the bench. Ed Slater captains a much-changed Tigers side. Owen Williams starts at fly-half, while Blaine Scully joins the backline and Tigers' top try-scorer Vereniki Goneva moves to centre alongside Anthony Allen. Rob Hawkins returns to the front row, with Deacon replacing Graham Kitchener in the only two changes from the forward pack that started the win over Gloucester last weekend.

  • Leicester are unbeaten in their last nine fixtures with London Irish in all competitions since the Exiles' 18-12 win in Reading in the Premiership in October 2009.
  • London Irish's only defeat in their last seven fixtures in all tournaments was the loss to Wasps in the LV= Cup in January.

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints

The Falcons make three changes with Matt Thompson in at hooker, Oliver Tomaszczyk replacing Kieran Brookes at tight-head and Ally Hogg starting at No.8. Kahn Fotuali'i and Christian Day both return to the starting line-up for Northampton with Ben Foden named on the bench after he last played in November.

  • Newcastle Falcons have lost their last eight Premiership matches and picked up just two losing bonus point in that sequence.
  • Northampton have not lost since round three and have won their last seven matches against the Falcons.

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs

For Saracens, Richard Barrington, Schalk Brits and James Johnston start in the front-row with George Kruis and Mouritz Botha in the locks. Ernst Joubert captains the side with Ben Ransom at fullback in place of Alex Goode. David Strettle is rested so Chris Wyles starts with Joel Tomkins and Brad Barritt in the centres. Exeter name an unchanged pack with Henry Slade at inside centre and Fetu'u Vainikolo on the wing.

  • Saracens have not lost successive home games in the Premiership in the same season since February 2006.
  • Exeter Chiefs only victory in their last seven Premiership fixtures was 16-3 at home to Newcastle on December 21.

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