Sale director of rugby Kingsley Jones and coach Jason Robinson will send the Sharks into action in the season-opener at Edgeley Park © Getty Images

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Teams: Bath Rugby | England | Gloucester Rugby | Harlequins | Leeds Tykes | Leicester Tigers | London Irish | Newcastle Falcons | Northampton Saints | Sale Sharks | Saracens | Wasps | Worcester Warriors

The Guinness Premiership returns this weekend with the opening round of matches of the 2009-10 campaign.

Sale Sharks begin the season at home for the first time since 2005 when they entertain reigning champions Leicester Tigers at Edgeley Park. The Sharks have won three of their last four games and have lost just once at home since November last year - a 25-32 reverse to Newcastle.

Sale have three new faces on display, including England World Cup-winning winger Ben Cohen. Cohen starts in the back-three alongside Mark Cueto and Nick Macleod, while Sisa Koyamaibole and Jack Forster slot in at No.8 and tight-head.

Lee Thomas returns in the centre and will look to hit the ground running outside Charlie Hodgson and Richard Wigglesworth.

Leicester boss Richard Cockerill has handed debuts to new signings Jeremy Staunton and Anthony Allen at fly-half and inside-centre respectively. Staunton partners Ben Youngs at halfback, with skipper Geordan Murphy passed fit to play and named at fullback.

Craig Newby, Ben Woods and Jordan Crane will want to continue their fine form from last season after being named in the back-row. Lewis Moody has to make do with a place on the bench. [Teams]

The action continues on Saturday with the tradtional London Double Header at Twickenham, where Saracens take on London Irish and Harlequins take on Wasps in our Game of the Week.

The Exiles have handed a competitive debut to fly-half Ryan Lamb, who starts alongside Paul Hodgson, and there are debuts also for Andy Perry and Paulica Ion in the pack.

Delon Armitage, Adam Thompstone and Sailosi Tagicakibau form the exciting back-three and there are starts for Nick Kennedy and Steffon Armitage in the second-row and at openside. Clarke Dermody captains the side from the front-row, with Bob Casey named on the bench as he continues his return from injury.

New Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter has named an entirely new front-row for the game, with Schalk Brits, Carlos Nieto and Rhys Gill all pulling on the black shirt for the first time. Ernst Joubert will also make his Premiership debut, joining Wikus van Heerden and Andy Saull in the back-row.

Glen Jackson, fresh from announcing his intentions to referee following his retirement, is joined once again by Neil de Kock at halfback. New signings Derick Hougaard, Richard Skuse and Mouritz Botha are all on the bench, where they are joined by Justin Marshall and Richard Haughton. [Teams]

The action will then resume on Sunday with Northampton Saints playing host to Worcester Warriors at Franklin's Gardens.

Dylan Hartley will lead a Saints side featuring three new recruits in flanker Phil Dowson, centre Shane Geraghty and prop Santiago Bonorino. Ben Foden retains the fullback jersey after his excellent showing last season, with Stephen Myler and Lee Dickson retaining their halfback slots.

Former skipper Bruce Reihana starts on the wing, with Paul Diggin completing the back-three.

Warriors boss Mike Ruddock has named summer recruit Olivier Sourgens in the front-row for a difficult away trip, with Willie Walker pulling the strings at fly-half. Kai Horstmann returns to the back-row after missing the end of last season with a rib injury, joining skipper Pat Sanderson and Tom Wood in the starting XV. [Teams]

Leeds Carnegie return to the Premiership stage this weekend with visit of Newcastle. The newly promoted team has won six of the twelve previous opening weekend encounters but Leeds themselves have lost their opening Premiership game in the past four seasons. However, they have won their last 16 games at Headingley in all competitions.

Newcastle boss Steve Bates has handed five players their debuts after a busy summer of transfers, with Jimmy Gopperth, Springbok centre Gcobani Bobo and ex-Leeds pair Tom Biggs and Rob Vickerman all starting in a revamped backline.

All Black prop Carl Hayman captains the Falcons, with ex-London Irish lock James Hudson completing the changes with a start in the second-row.

Leeds chief Andy Key has gone one better, naming six new faces in his squad. Marco Wentzel skippers the side from the second-row, with a new halfback pairing of Andy Gomarsall and Ceiron Thomas and a debut for Gareth Hardy in the front-row. Alex Moreno and Alfie To'oala start on the bench. [Teams]

Gloucester have lost their last four games in the Premiership since a 24-22 victory over London Wasps at Kingsholm in March and will be hoping for a turnaround in fortues against west country rivals Bath.

New Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath will want a quick start and has elected to throw his summer recruits in at the deep end. Fly-half Nicky Robinson partners Rory Lawson and Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu will face his old club after being named alongside skipper Mike Tindall in the centre.

Tom Voyce starts at fullback after his move from Wasps and second-row Dave Attwood also make his debut after joining from Bristol.

Julian Salvi makes his debut for Bath after joining from the Brumbies, completing the back-row alongside fellow new signing Ben Skirving and Andy Beatte. Michael Claassens captains the visitors and partners Ryan Davis at halfback. Nicky Little starts on the bench, as does Matt Banahan following his summer travails with the England squad.