After such a successful European weekend with 12 out of 14 victories across both competitions the expectations are high heading into Round 5 of the Aviva Premiership. The annual double header fixture returns as Twickenham Stadium opens its doors for the first time since the Rugby World Cup, we will see second take on third at Sandy Park, fourth versus fifth at Welford Road and plenty of other intriguing clashes in between.
The Northampton Saints will kick off the round underneath their Friday night lights against Gloucester Rugby. The hope for all home fans is that their two European victories will have given them their confidence heading back into the Aviva Premiership. It has been a slow start to the year for Jim Mallinder’s men and on home soil they must crank it up once again. Victor Matfield is set to make his Aviva Premiership debut off the bench, continuing this 17 year professional career, and for the visitors All Black Jeremy Thrush is also making his club debut. Jonny May missed both of Gloucester's European fixtures however he returns out wide and will be part of a slightly tweaked Gloucester back line including Rob Cook at full back and Willi Heinz rotating in and starting at scrum half. 
On Saturday the AJ Bell Stadium opens its doors as the Sale Sharks will host the Newcastle Falcons. Sale have won their last three Aviva Premiership contests with the Newcastle Falcons and will be confident that they can deliver a fourth on home soil. Dean Richards’ is handing sevens convert Marcus Watson with his first Aviva Premiership start after scoring four of the side’s nine tries against Enisei-STM last weekend. Steve Diamond has named familiar and strong looking side for this weekend’s match and personally I’m looking forward to watching their back rows dual. Nili Latu has been one of Falcons’ shining lights to date and the trio of Dan Braid, Magnus Lund and Josh Beaumont is always powerful one for the home side.
In Devon the Sandy Park faithful are in for a cracker between the Exeter Chiefs and Harlequins. Both sides love to play with ball in hand and have started strongly domestically and in Europe, excluding Exeter's’ Liberty Stadium error. After his barnstorming performance in the Challenge Cup Dave Ward is handed the 7 jersey in Harlequins’ back row and will line up alongside Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter. Elsewhere Mike Brown will make his 250th appearance for the visitors being only the second player in the club’s history to do so. Rob Baxter’s side looks largely familiar to the one that has delivered such impressive performances in the opening four rounds of the competition. Thomas Waldrom is handed the eight jersey, Henry Slade moves back into the centres after his outing at fly-half last weekend and captain Jack Yeandle starts at hooker. The Chiefs have recorded just two home defeats in 14 months however Conor O’Shea’s side don’t mind disrupting longstanding home records, just ask Bath Rugby!
At Twickenham Stadium the annual double header fixture arrives in town and the first match is between Saracens and the Worcester Warriors. Saracens victories over Toulouse and Ulster. As expected Mark McCall has mixed things up from a selection perspective and is handing starts to Ben Ransom, Ben Spencer and Juan Figallo. After announcing his retirement earlier in the month Ernst Joubert will play his final professional match starting at eight and joins up with Will Fraser and Kelly Brown. The Worcester Warriors’ starting XV were rested last weekend so they will be fresh for this domestic encounter and I see absolutely no reason why they won’t attack this fixture like any other. Worcester have never played a game of XVs at Twickenham Stadium and I hope that the occasion adds to their performance and doesn’t hinder it, for they need to continue their impressive Premiership form against a side that have fond and successful memories of Twickenham.
The second fixture of the double header is between London Irish and Wasps. Wasps enjoyed two tremendous weeks in Europe however their historic victories came at a cost as hooker Carlo Festuccia fractured his cheekbone and Christian Wade sustained a foot injury meaning he’ll be out for a 2-3 months. That said Dai Young’s side remains strong; Sailosi Tagicakibau will line up against his former club, Ruaridh Jackson continues to hold onto the 10 shirt in spite of Jimmy Gopperth being available for selection again and James Haskell will captain the side. Tom Coventry has the luxury of starting Rugby World Cup winner Ben Franks for the first time in his front row, Joe Trayfoot, Blair Cowan and Ofisa Treviranus form an industrious back row and he has handed the captaincy to Matt Symons in the second row.
The final game of the weekend is at Welford Road where the Leicester Tigers will host Bath Rugby. The fruits of Aaron Major’s labour have been noticeable as Leicester are now showing the ability to punch holes through oppositions’ defences. The man that turned so many heads on his debut against Stade Francais, Brendon O’Connor, starts in the seven jersey and will be tested against the experienced Francois Louw. In Tigers’ back line Matt Smith and Peter Bethan will form a strong centre partnership and one that will face off against Kyle Eastmond and Matt Banahan who will be making his 200th Bath appearance. The Tigers have won their last 9 Aviva Premiership matches at Welford Road however have only been victorious in one of their last seven matches against Bath in all tournaments.
