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It is round 4 of England’s Gallagher PREM Rugby, and we have a replay of the 2025 PREM final when Leicester Tigers host Bath on Saturday. We also get to see two potential title challengers – Saracens and Sale Sharts – get on when they face each other on Saturday.
The action starts on Friday, and here is what ATR thinks you should keep a look out for.
Gloucester v Bristol Bears, Friday 19.45 (all times local)
Zach Mercer’s departure for France is certainly being felt by Gloucester. The powerful, hard-running number eight made an average of 13 carries in his eight PREM appearances for the Cherry and Whites last season.
They definitely missed the impetus he provided against Bath last weekend, and it is a sign that the current back row need to carry more when wing Ben Loader and centre Seb Atkinson lead the way with 10 apiece. In fairness number eight Josh Basham made nine carries, but more should be expected from flanker Josh Venter with four, and Freddie Thomas with one.
Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has problems of the medical variety. Still, young flyhalf Sam Worsley showed he is ready to take his chance with AJ MacGinty injured. He slotted two important conversion in the win over Exeter Chiefs last weekend, and the son of former Bristol, London Irish, and Harlequins prop Mike Worsley, may just have done enough to edge Harry Byrne out of the starting team.
Newcastle Red Bulls v Northampton Saints, Friday 19.45
Two more weeks, and then Newcastle Red Bulls can take stock during the November internationals after a chastening start to the PREM season that currently leaves them bottom with zero points. The initial excitement that brought a first full house since 2018 will evaporate soon unless there is a spark on the pitch.
Can they fire that spark at home to Northampton Saints under the lights of Kingston Park? Judging from Saints’ showing against Leicester Tigers last weekend, it is unlikely.
Phil Dowson’s team benefitted from the return of Lions Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell, and Tommy Freeman, while Henry Pollock enjoyed just over 20 minutes off the bench. The 20-year-old flanker made one carry, won one turnover, and made one dominant tackle. It shows the impact he can make in a short space of time. Just imagine what he might do to Red Bulls over 80 minutes.
Leicester Tigers v Bath, Saturday 15.05
Last season’s PREM finalists meet for the first time since Bath won 23-21 and claimed their first title in 29 years.
Bath’s visit may have come earlier than new Tigers head coach Geoff Parling would have liked, but it will provide a good marker of their progress under him, and how well they have replaced those players who left after the final.
One thing that would help Parling is choosing his first-choice flyhalf. So far, he has used three. Orlando Bailey started in week one against Bristol Bears and went off for Bily Searle after 65 minutes. Searle held the shirt for the win over Harlequins, started against Northampton Saints, but went off for James O’Connor on the hour.
Tigers have always been successful when they have a strong and settled spine. Handre Pollard has left big shoes to fill in the 10 jersey, but it is important that Parling fills them soon.
Saracens v Sale Sharks, Saturday 17.30
Two teams who are regular challengers in the latter stages of the season, but who both seem to lack that certain something to round off their impressive work. There are certainly November international subplots everywhere you look.
Can Jamie George or Luke Cowan-Dickie make their case to be England’s starting hooker this November, or will Theo Dan continue his renaissance? Will George Ford continue his early season form, or will the Owen Farrell-Fergus Burke midfield axis take control of the match for Saracens? How much havoc will Ben Earls and Tom Willis cause for Saracens, with Ben and Tom Curry absent from Sale’s backrow.
For both teams, winning this will be a real marker for the rest of the season, and Saracens have the emotional drive to mark Maro Itoje’s 200th match in style. It may not be pretty but expect it to be intense and still in the balance right to the end.
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins, Sunday 15.00
Two teams that celebrated titles recently, but who have failed to challenge in recent seasons when key figures left the club. Now their replacements have bedded in and both teams appear set to reap the benefits.
Exeter’s Harvey Skinner and Ross Vintcent have filled the holes left by Joe and Sam Simmonds at number eight and flyhalf, and they will now be reinforced by Australia internationals, centre Ken Ikitau and flanker Tom Hooper. Rob Baxter doesn’t have long to get them up to speed before the November internationals, so expect Exeter to throw both into the fray at Sandy Park.
Harlequins have had a slow start, but there’s nothing like a match against Saracens to rouse their spirits, and while they enjoyed their 20-14 win in the capital derby, it came with a very un-Harlequins performance.
Kicking was the order of the day, and a towering up and under laid the platform’s for Marcus Smith’s opening try. Fin Baxter was dominant in the scrum, and Chandler Cunningham-South outplayed Tom Willis at number eight. It is the type of mixed style that they will need if they are to win in Devon.