All 12 Gallagher Premiership team selections for this weekend's 2019/20 restart

All the team selections are in for the long-awaited restart of the coronavirus-affected 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season which gets going this Friday in London, with other matches to follow across the weekend at Worcester, Exeter, Bath, Bristol and Northampton.

With 2019 champions Saracens already automatically relegated to the Championship for the 2020/21 season as punishment for repeated breaches of the top-flight salary cap, the emphasis over the remaining nine rounds of matches will be on the race for the play-offs and whether current leaders Exeter can be reeled in by the chasing pack.

A total of 57 matches – 54 regular-season games and three in the play-offs – will be played between now and October 24. Here are your teams for the first half-dozen fixtures this weekend: 

Former Scotland international Alex Grove guests in the latest episode of The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

Former Scotland international Alex Grove guests in the latest episode of The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

Friday, August 14

Harlequins v Sale Sharks (Twickenham Stoop, 7:45pm)

Your teams for this evening's clash #Harlequins #Sale pic.twitter.com/ICgeY7lrrV

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 14, 2020

Referee: Luke Pearce (98th Premiership game). Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson & Paul Dix. TMO: Rowan Kitt. Citing Officer: David Guyan.

Saturday, August 15

Worcester Warriors v Gloucester Rugby (Sixways, 12:30pm)

WORCESTER: 15. Melani Nanai; 14. Tom Howe, 13. Ollie Lawrence, 12. Ashley Beck, 11. Scott van Breda; 10. Billy Searle, 9. Francois Hougaard; 1. Ethan Waller, 2. Niall Annett, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Anton Bresler, 5. Graham Kitchener, 6. Ted Hill (capt), 7. Sam Lewis, 8. Matt Kvesic. Reps: 16. Beck Cutting, 17. Lewis Holsey, 18. Richard Palframan, 19. GJ van Velze, 20. Cornell du Preez, 21. Gareth Simpson, 22. Duncan Weir, 23. Francois Venter.

GLOUCESTER: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Ollie Thorley, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Billy Twelvetrees, 11. Jonny May; 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Joe Simpson; 1. Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2. Jack Singleton, 3. Fraser Balmain, 4. Ed Slater, 5, Freddie Clarke, 6. Ruan Ackermann, 7. Lewis Ludlow (capt), 8. Jake Polledri. Reps: 16. Henry Walker, 17. Logovi’i Mulipola, 18, Jack Stanley, 19. Matt Garvey, 20. Jack Clement, 21. Stephen Varney, 22. Tom Seabrook, 23. Louis Rees-Zammit.

Referee: Christophe Ridley (23rd Premiership game). Assistant Referees: Andrew Jackson & Wayne Falla. TMO: Keith Lewis. Citing Officer: John Byett.

Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers (Sandy Park, 2pm)

EXETER: 15. Stuart Hogg; 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Ollie Devoto, 11. Olly Woodburn; 10. Joe Simmonds (capt), 9. Jack Maunder; 1. Alec Hepburn, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Harry Williams, 4. Jonny Gray, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Dave Ewers, 7. Jannes Kirsten, 8. Sam Simmonds. Reps: 16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Ben Moon, 18. Tomas Francis, 19. Sam Skinner, 20. Don Armand, 21. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22. Gareth Steenson, 23. Ian Whitten.

LEICESTER: 15. George Worth; 14. David Williams, 13. Jaco Taute, 12. Matt Scott, 11. Jordan Olowofela; 10. George Ford, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Tom Youngs (capt), 3. Dan Cole, 4. Tomas Lavanini, 5. Calum Green, 6. Harry Wells, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Jordan Taufua. Reps: 16. Jake Kerr, 17. Nephi Leatigaga, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Hanro Liebenberg, 20. Luke Wallace, 21. Thom Smith, 22. Ben White, 23. Zack Henry. 

Referee: Tom Foley (77th Premiership game). Assistant Referees: Greg Macdonald & Jonathan Healy. TMO: Stuart Terheege. Citing Officer: Buster White.

'We have the best training centre in the country and that is not bragging, that is just factual'@BristolBears CEO Mark Tainton on their new training centre, ring-fencing, Lam, Radradra & how a clean-out of players in 2017 was needed, writes @heagneyl https://t.co/fsHrkGupXc

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 12, 2020

Bath Rugby v London Irish (Recreation Ground, 3pm)

BATH: 15. Anthony Watson; 14. Semesa Rokoduguni, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Josh Matavesi, 11. Ruaridh McConnochie; 10. Rhys Priestland, 9. Ben Spencer; 1. Lewis Boyce, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Josh McNally, 5. Charlie Ewels (capt), 6. Zach Mercer, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Taulupe Faletau. Rep: 16. Jack Walker, 17. Beno Obano, 18. Christian Judge, 19. Elliott Stooke, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. Will Chudley, 22. Cameron Redpath, 23. Tom de Glanville.

LONDON IRISH: 15. Tom Parton; 14. Ben Loader, 13. Curtis Rona, 12. Terrence Hepetema, 11. Ollie Hassell-Collins; 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Nick Phipps; 1. Harry Elrington, 2. Motu Matu’u, 3. Sekope Kepu, 4. Ben Donnell, 5. George Nott, 6. Matt Rogerson, 7. Sean O’Brien (capt), 8. Albert Tuisue. Reps: 16. Matt Cornish, 17. Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18. Ollie Hoskins, 19. Sebastian de Chaves, 20. Blair Cowan, 21. Ben Meehan, 22. Theo Brophy Clews, 23. Matt Williams.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (74th Premiership game). Assistant Referees: Robert Warburton & Phil Watters. TMO: David Grashoff. Citing Officer: Brian Campsall.

Bristol Bears v Saracens (Ashton Gate, 4:30pm)

Semi Radradra starts for Bristol ? #BristolBears #Saracens pic.twitter.com/ve2wkohPEa

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 14, 2020

Referee: Matthew Carley (93rd Premiership game). Assistant Referees: Adam Leal & Jack Makepeace. TMO: Claire Hodnett. Citing Officer: Duncan Bell.

Sunday, August 16

Northampton Saints v Wasps (Franklin’s Gardens, 3pm)

NORTHAMPTON: 15. George Furbank; 14. Harry Mallinder, 13. Fraser Dingwall, 12. Piers Francis, 11. Ahsee Tuala; 10. Dan Biggar, 9. Alex Mitchell; 1. Francois van Wyk, 2. Mikey Haywood, 3. Paul Hill, 4. David Ribbans, 5. Api Ratuniyarawa, 6. Courtney Lawes, 7. Lewis Ludlam, 8. Teimana Harrison (capt). Reps: 16. Sam Matavesi, 17. Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, 18. Owen Franks, 19. Alex Coles, 20. JJ Tonks, 21. Henry Taylor, 22. Matt Proctor, 23. Taqele Naiyaravoro.

WASPS: 15. Matteo Minozzi; 14. Zach Kibirige, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 12. Jimmy Gopperth, 11. Josh Bassett; 10. Jacob Umaga, 9. Dan Robson; 1. Ben Harris, 2. Tommy Taylor, 3. Kieran Brookes, 4. Joe Launchbury (capt), 5. Will Rowlands, 6. Jack Willis, 7. Thomas Young, 8. Brad Shields. Reps: 16. Gabriel Oghre, 17. Tom West, 18. Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19. James Gaskell, 20. Sione Vailanu, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Ryan Mills.

Referee: Karl Dickson (26th Premiership game). Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe & Hamish Smales. TMO: Graham Hughes. Citing Officer: Danae Zamboulis.

'As a black player, you get pigeon-holed. You’re either an athlete and you’ll get stuck on the wing or he’s big, let’s stick him in the second row' @Harlequins wing @natenate174 talks about gaining coaches' trust, his ACL, BLM & more, with @heagneyl ???https://t.co/qxaJxTQeXM

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 2, 2020