The English Premiership returns this weekend. The 2018-2019 club season will again feature twelve teams with England’s elite competing for four places in the play-off’s and the final two meeting in the Premiership Final.
For a season preview and prediction click here.
Week 1 opens with a derby in England’s West country. The promoted Bristol Bears host Bath in Friday’s only fixture. Not involved in the season opener is Lucas Noguera Paz. Bath have left the Puma out of their match day 23.
Another RWC 2015 Puma chasing a place in Japan 2019 is Mariano Galarza. He starts in Saturday’s opening fixture. It is to be Gloucester against Northampton. The venue is the same in which Argentina faced Georgia in RWC 2015.
USA center Paul Lasike will be in action for the Harlequins. He is to make his English premiership debut from the bench against the Sale Sharks. Starting for the visitors will be AJ MacGinty at fly half. MacGinty and Lasike were the Eagles’ 10-12 combination in June.
Also heavily involved in the June Internationals for the Eagles was Joe Taufete’e. He has been named as the Worcester Warriors replacement hooker for their home match against the Wasps.
Last season’s beaten finalists the Exeter Chiefs host the most successful team in the history of the English Premiership – the Leicester Tigers. The Chiefs have named Santiago Cordero on the right wing, the position he stared in during RWC 2015. Gastón Cortés will play from the bench for Leicester before flying to New Zealand to join Los Pumas.
Week 1 of the English Premiership will be concluded on Sunday in England’s north. Uncapped Argentine hooker Santiago Socino will play on the Falcons’ bench. Juan Figallo is back from the Rugby Championship to feature for Saracens.