Currys to play together for first time in 16 months

After a one-week hiatus for the first round of European fixtures, Prem rugby returns with a weekend of mouthwatering derby fixtures.

There is also the prospect of a league try-scoring record being broken on Friday, when Newcastle take on Sale.

All the team news for the five games this weekend can be found here.

You can also listen to coverage of all of the matches on BBC DAB and FM local radio, via BBC Sounds or the BBC Sport website and app.

Gloucester are without captain Dewi Lake and England centre Seb Atkinson for the visit of Bath, with pair picking up head (Lake) and knee (Atkinson) injuries against Bordeaux.

Wing Ben Loader is also unavailable due to a hamstring injury that will keep him out until December, in a blow to the Cherry and Whites who also have Phil Cokanasiga out until January.

It means Ollie Thorley makes his first appearance of the season while teenager Will Knight gets his first Prem start - only the second of his career - in the centre alongside Max Llewellyn.

Bath have made a sweeping eight changes as they look to bounce back from back-to-back defeats in the league and Europe.

Wing Tyler Offiah get his first league start, with Wales centre Louie Hennessey among the backline changes as he makes his return from a shoulder injury.

Kepu Tuipulotu and Archie Griffin join Beno Obano in the front row, while lock Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi comes in among the forward pack.

Gloucester: Barton; Thorley, Joseph, Llewellyn, W. Knight; C. Atkinson, Englefield; Rapava Ruskin, Blake, C. Knight; Kleyn, Clark, Thomas, Morgan (c), Clement.

Replacements: Innard, Bleuler, Fasogbon, Trenholm, Ludlow, Robson, M. Knight, Redshaw.

Bath: Carreras; Hennessey, Lawrence, Redpath, Offiah; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Tuipulotu, Griffin; Opoku-Gyamfi, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Reid.

Replacements: Frost, Kirk, Verden, Molony, Hill, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Green.

Christian Wade starts on the wing for Newcastle as he closes in on the Prem's all-time try-scoring record.

Wade scored his 100th Prem try in their last outing against Exeter, meaning he is one off equalling Chris Ashton's record of 101 or two from breaking it.

Centre Will Rigg returns from an injury that has kept him out since early September, while full-back Josh Hodge similarly makes his first Prem start after recovering from a broken hand.

Meanwhile Sale start with brothers Tom and Ben Curry in their back row for the first time since June 2025 as they make four changes to their line-up.

Tom Curry has played just three games since February - including one for England A this summer - but returns days before head coach Steve Borthwick is due to name his England squad for this autumn.

Ben Curry makes his first league start of the campaign after missing almost all of last season with a hamstring issue. Christ Tshiunza joins them in the back row and Tom O'Flaherty starts on the wing.

Newcastle: Hodge; Wade, Harris, Rigg, Kok; Connon, Benitez Cruz; Rakete-Stones, McGuigan, Millar Mills; Usher, Jordan, Hicks, Christie (c), Sotutu.

Replacements: Togiatama, West, Moreno, Tuima, Leatherbarrow, Graham, Elliott, Henry.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Marchant, Ma'asi-White, O'Flaherty; Ford, Hanson; Smith, Cowan-Dickie, Francis; Van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Tshiunza, B. Curry, T. Curry.

Replacements: Jibulu, McIntyre, Opoku-Fordjour, Canakaivata, Dugdale, Lozowski, Louw, Reed.

Team news to come.

Team news to come.

Team news to come.