Harlequins will be out to extend their sensational unbeaten start to the Premiership season when they take on Bath this weekend while champions Saracens face a stiff challenge from the Sale Sharks.

Quins have won their first seven matches in the competition, but they will face a tough assignment away from home as Bath look to halt their momentum and break clear from London Wasps and London Irish who are breathing down their necks.

Second-placed Saracens entertain the Sale Sharks at Vicarage Road on Saturday, and they will be determined to close the gap between themselves and runaway leaders Harlequins by despatching the Sharks who have made an encouraging start to the season.

In other matches this weekend Newcastle Falcons and the Worcestor Warriors will engage in a bottom of the table clash on Friday night and both Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester will have their eye on a place in the top half of the standings when they meet at Sandy Park on Saturday.

The Leicester Tigers will be keen to turn their horror season around when they take on London Irish at Welford Road while Northampton Saints will be out to do the same when they travel to Adams Road to play London Wasps.

Friday, November 4

Newcastle Falcons v Worcestor Warriors
(Kingston Park; Kick-off: 19.45)

The bottom two teams in the Premiership table clash head on at Kingston Park on Friday night, with Newcastle Falcons having obtained just one victory in the competition in their last 14 encounters.

However, the Falcons have won their last two matches in all competitions at Kingston Park. Worcester Warriors' only win in their last half a dozen Premiership games was 12-3 at home to Northampton in round five. The Warriors have lost all four away matches they have played this season.

Newcastle have won just one of their last seven encounters with Worcester in all competitions: 14-3 in the Premiership at Kingston Park in November 2009, whilst the Warriors' only previous victory on Newcastle home turf came on their first ever visit in April 2005.

The teams:

Newcastle: 15 Greg Goosen, 14 Alex Tait, 13 Corne Uys, 12 Jamie Helleur, 11 Rikki Sheriffe, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Jordi Pasqualin, 8 Ally Hogg, 7 Will Welch, 6 Richard Mayhew, 5 Andrew van der Heijden, 4 James Hudson (captain), 3 Euan Murray, 2 Joe Graham, 1 Grant Shiells.     
Replacements: 16 Michael Mayhew, 17 Ashley Wells, 18 James Hall, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Redford Pennycook, 21 Chris Pilgrim, 22 Jeremy Manning, 23 Luke Eves.

Worcestor Warriors: 15 Errie Claassens, 14 Marcel Garvey, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Dale Rasmussen (captain), 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Joe Carlisle, 9 Shaun Perry, 8 Chris Jones, 7 Jake Abbott, 6 Neil Best, 5 Craig Gillies, 4 James Percival, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 George Porter, 17 Ed Shervington, 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 19 Adam Balding, 20 Sam Betty, 21 Ollie Frost, 22 Andy Goode, 23 Chris Pennell.

Referee: Wayne Barnes

Saturday, November 5

Bath v Harlequins
(Recreation Ground; Kick-off: 14.15)

Bath have won three successive matches in all competitions, whilst their only loss at The Rec in their last seven Premiership encounters was 26-28 to Saracens on September 10.

Table-topping Harlequins, with nine wins in all competitions, have made the best ever start to a season by an English top-flight side since Quins themselves won the first ten games of the 1996/97 season.

Harlequins are without a win in their last three clashes with Bath, and have won just one of their last six visits to The Rec in all competitions: 19-3 in the Premiership in April 2009.

The teams: TBC

Referee: Dean Richards

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester
(Sandy Park; Kick-off: 15.00)

Exeter Chiefs have slipped to three straight defeats in the Premiership, whilst their only loss in their last five matches at Sandy Park was 13-17 to Saracens on October 1.

Gloucester have recorded just one win in their last four games in all competitions: 58-27 at home to Sale in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. Gloucester are winless in their last nine away encounters since they beat Northampton 18-16 at Franklin’s Gardens on February 26.

Each side won their respective home game when the two clubs met last season.

The teams: TBC

Referee: Andrew Small

Leicester Tigers v London Irish
(Welford Road; Kick-off: 15.05)

Leicester Tigers are the worst home team in the Premiership having secured a solitary league point from their three games at Welford Road so far. The Tigers have won their last two games in all competitions against Gloucester and Sale.

London Irish tripped up by the narrowest of margins in a 12-13 defeat by Bath at Madejski Stadium last week and have won just one of their last five away matches: 14-13 at Northampton on 17 September.

The Tigers have won six of their last seven encounters with London Irish, whilst the Exiles only win at Welford Road in 25 previous visits since 1923 was 20-19 in the Premiership in May 2003.

The teams: TBC

Referee: David Pearson

Sunday, November 6

London Wasps v Northampton Saints
(Adams Park; Kick-off: 14.15)

London Wasps have won their last two Premiership matches but have not won three in a row in the competition for twelve months. Wasps have won just two of their five home games this season.

Northampton Saints have won their last four matches in all competitions but have lost their last four away matches in the Premiership.

Northampton have won their last three games against Wasps, including a first-ever victory at Adams Park gained last October.

The teams: TBC

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

Saracens v Sale Sharks
(Vicarage Road; Kick-off: 15.00)

Saracens' only loss in any competition since the opening weekend was 6-36 at Northampton in the Anglo-Welsh Cup on 15 October. Sarries have won their last nine Premiership matches at Vicarage Road since Exeter won there; 23-9 in October 2010.

Sale Sharks have slipped to three successive defeats in all competitions, whilst their only away win since the end of January was 29-18 against Wasps at Adams Park in the Premiership on September 17.

The Sharks' only win in their last six encounters with Saracens in all competitions was 28-22 at Edgeley Park in the Premiership in January, whilst Sale's solo victory at Vicarage Road in 16 previous visits came in September 2005 with a 40-32 scoreline.

The teams: TBC

Referee: Martin Fox