By Charlie Elliott
With the Six Nations around the corner, Premiership squads have been decimated by England internationals being away at training camp in Girona.
The focus of fans remains on club rugby for now, with plenty of interesting games over the weekend.
Here are some of the key things to look out for in each game.
Harlequins v Northampton Saints
The most pertinent issue that surrounds this game is the sheer number of England internationals that are going to be unavailable.
There will be six from Harlequins at the training camp and seven from Saints, which has led some fans to suggest that it should be played in Girona (tongue-in-cheek).
Both will be heavily rotated as a result with it being crucial in both teams’ playoff hopes, as both are currently outsiders to finish in the top four.
Reigning champions Northampton will need to show some of that winning mentality that got them over the line last year and dig deep, with Alex Coles also unavailable due to injury after initially being called up for England.
Gloucester v Leicester Tigers
With both teams being largely unaffected due to England call-ups compared to other teams, a couple of interesting tweaks to Tigers’ lineup could change the game with the Ed Slater Cup on the line.
New signing Adam Radwan makes his debut on the wing after joining from Newcastle Falcons this week and will be hoping to impress.
This now means that the linkup between him and Ollie Hassell-Collins can be considered the ‘best of the rest’ in terms of being two players who are not quite Test quality but still very solid in their own right.
It will also be good to see the centre partnership for Leicester, with Izaia Perese and Solomone Kata as the starters.
Many have criticised the two for not being as potent in attack as they should be, while also being fragile in defence, but now is a perfect opportunity to prove the doubters wrong at Kingsholm.
Chris Harris and Seb Atkinson at 12 and 13 for Gloucester are very well suited to each other and could be a more organised unit than their East Midlands counterparts.
Exeter Chiefs v Saracens
A team ravaged by a mix of injuries and internationals, Saracens have 16 players unavailable against Exeter.
Chiefs will be licking their lips at the potential of a scalp that in normal circumstances may prove difficult.
The biggest representation of the issues that Sarries find themselves in is the fact that they need to play a four/four bench split.
Dubbed the ‘anti-bomb squad’, it’s a tactic that’s basically never seen in rugby anymore but provides a different dynamic that could possibly prove tough to defend against.
But in truth, should Exeter not win this game and physically dominate Saracens from the off, it will be a disappointing afternoon for them.
Starting at 12, Olly Hartley is going to have to be the cover at back row, such is the extent of their injuries across the three positions.
Debuts for Max Eke and Louie Johnson could prove to be a blessing in disguise as opportunities for young players to get Premiership minutes gets less and less.
Bristol Bears v Newcastle Falcons
A game which could end up being the most straightforward out of the lot, Falcons still haven’t won away, with Bristol having a near-perfect record only blemished by the huge 38-0 loss to Sale Sharks.
After the disappointing news that Adam Radwan has left, it is down to Callum Chick and Steve Diamond to galvanise the team and cause an upset.
Captain Chick comes up against Bill Mata, who always has the potential to dominate an opponent physically.
Fijian centre Kalaveti Ravouvou starts on the wing in a surprising move from Pat Lam, but given his attributes when it comes to running with the ball in hand, could slot in instantly.
Since signing a new contract a few weeks ago, his boss has been singing his praises.
It could be a long day for Newcastle, with Ravouvou the one to watch in a slightly different position.
Sale Sharks v Bath
George Ford was a potential inclusion for Sale after returning from injury and it being up in the air whether would end up going to camp with England, but he isn’t around and Rob du Preez goes back to ten.
It will be the captain’s 66th consecutive Premiership start as he continues his record-breaking run.
Usually playing at centre but having plenty of minutes at fly-half following Ford’s injury struggles, Bath will be a stern opponent for RDP and co.
Scrum-half Ben Spencer was a late addition to Steve Borthwick’s squad, much to the delight of many England fans.
His exclusion paves the way for Louis Schreuder to make his 50th Bath appearance, coming up against the recently snubbed from Scotland, Gus Warr.
To call the visitors unaffected by international call-ups would be unfair, but it certainly seems that way given the strength in depth.
As the table-toppers and with the strongest squad in the Premiership this weekend, they will need to beat a Sale side that is unbeaten at home all season.
READ MORE: Christ Tshuinza – There’s no panic at Exeter
