Moody bolsters Bath for test of Heineken hopes

Weekend Preview

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Wasps v Bath

If Bath are close to securing a Heineken Cup place for next season, they are not nearly close enough.

Assuming things go to form over the last month of the campaign, there will be six slots for English clubs next year. Where are Bath in the Premiership? Sixth. And not by much, either. Defeat at Twickenham this evening – Wasps have taken to shifting their St George's Day fixtures to a venue ever so slightly better appointed than Adams Park in High Wycombe – will leave them vulnerable to a late push from Harlequins, or even from Wasps themselves.

Under the circumstances, the West Countrymen are mightily relieved to have the England captain Lewis Moody and the outstanding Scotland loose forward Simon Taylor back between the shafts. David Flatman, their senior loose-head prop, is also involved, which is more than can be said for his opposite number in the Londoners' camp, Tim Payne. Wasps have decided against picking the England international, despite absolving him of all blame for the unpalatable events in a Shepherd's Bush pub on Monday night that left his club-mate Andrew Powell nursing a very sore head.

Saracens v Gloucester

Victory will guarantee Saracens a home semi-final come the end-of-season play-offs, so they are throwing the paintbox at this one. Steve Borthwick, mistreated by the England management but revered by everyone at Vicarage Road, returns to lead a big, aggressive pack with high-class footballers in the front and back rows: Matt Stevens and Schalk Brits at the sharp end, Ernst Joubert at No 8.

They will not have it all their own way tomorrow, though. Gloucester, with the brilliant James Simpson-Daniel available after injury, are capable of ripping up entire stretches of woodland, especially if the gifted Freddie Burns presses the right buttons at outside-half. The youngster occasionally looked a million dollars against Northampton on Tuesday night, but there were also occasions when he looked like a double-dip recession. His personal duel with Owen Farrell, the teenager of the season, has real fascination about it.

Leeds v Harlequins

On the basis that Leeds must visit Northampton in the last round of matches – the "ouch" factor can be very high at Franklin's Gardens – the Premiership's bottom club are in win-or-bust territory tomorrow. Unfortunately for the Yorkshiremen, their visitors are rather keen on a place in next season's Heineken Cup and will therefore be equally driven.

Outscrummaged at Bath last weekend, Quins have brought the widely talked-about loose head Joe Marler straight back into the side after suspension and promoted the brick-outhouse Samoan tight head James Johnston from the bench. Leeds are much changed from the side who suffered a 50-point pasting at Wasps last weekend. Christian Lewis-Pratt, scorer of a consolation try at Adams Park, starts at full-back, while Lachlan MacKay replaces the injured Luther Burrell at centre. Phil Swainston, Rhys Oakley and the hard-tackling Alfie To'oala return to the pack.

London Irish v Northampton

This afternoon's game at the Madejski Stadium is full of meaning, given that the Exiles are in fifth, one place behind their visitors, and still believe they can make the knock-out phase of the tournament. Northampton, who used some light weaponry at Gloucester during the week before wheeling out the big guns for the last quarter, will do things the other way round this time: Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Lee Dickson, Soane Tonga'uiha, Dylan Hartley, Uncle Tom Cobleigh ... they are all on the teamsheet.

London Irish recall an All Black and a Springbok to their front row: Clarke Dermody on the loose head, Faan Rautenbach on the tight.