Itoje, Ford, Rees-Zammit and Freeman return in Prem

The Prem returns this weekend with three showpiece games back-to-back at major stadiums on Saturday.

Gloucester take on Leicester at Aston Villa's Villa Park for the first time as they swap Kingsholm for Birmingham, Bristol Bears return to Cardiff's Principality Stadium to play Harlequins while Saracens face table-toppers Northampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There are also games on Friday night and Sunday before the Prem takes a short two-week break as team's return to European action.

You can 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.

Christian Wade returns to the Newcastle Red Bulls for the visit of play-off chasing Exeter Chiefs to Kingston Park.

Wade, who recently signed a one-year contract extension with Red Bulls will be looking for his first Prem try of the season and the 94th of his career.

Second row Oscar Usher and centre Rhys Beeckmans also come into the team, while loan arrival Ben Healy is named as a replacement.

Exeter centre Nick Lilley is included for his first game since October in a side that includes Newcastle-bound duo Rusi Tuima and Will Rigg.

Second-row Dafydd Jenkins gets the weekend off after playing all but four minutes for Wales across the Six Nations.

Newcastle: E Obatoyinbo; Wade, Hearle, Beeckmans, H Obatoyinbo; Connon, Benitez Cruz; Brocklebank, McGuigan (c), Palframan; Usher, Scott, Parsons, Christie, Leatherbarrow.

Replacements: Fletcher, Hancock, McCallum, Clarke, Gordon, Elliott, Healy, Spencer.

Exeter Chiefs: Woodburn; Brown-Bampoe, Lilley, Rigg, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Yeandle (c), Roots; Tuima, Zambonin, Hooper, Vintcent, Fisilau.

Replacements: Heaven, Burger, Tchumbadze, Pearson, Worley-Brady, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, John.

There are two changes to the Gloucester XV as they take to Villa Park for their Slater Cup clash with Leicester Tigers.

Wales Under-20 captain Deian Gwynne slots into the back row, while Caolan Englefield starts ahead of the injured Tomos Williams.

Williams' absence means scrum-half Rhys Price takes his place on the bench, where Seb Blake also returns from injury.

England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet is promoted to the Leicester Tigers starting line-up after coming off the bench in the win against Bristol Bears a week earlier.

As a result, Tom Whiteley drops to the bench where is joined by the fit-again pair of Adam Radwan and Harry Wells.

Gloucester: Redshaw; Joseph, Llewellyn, S. Atkinson (c), Thorley; C. Atkinson Englefield; Rapava Ruskin, Innard; Fasogbon, Clark, Alemanno, Gwynne, Ludlow, Clement.

Replacements: Blake, Bleuler, Knight, Thomas, Trenholm, Price, Barton, Edwards-Girau.

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Hamer-Webb, Wand, Bailey, Hassell-Collins; Searle, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Liebenberg, Chessum (c), Moro, Watson, Cracknell.

Replacements: Theobald-Thomas, Van der Flier, Hurd, Wells, Palmer, Whiteley, O'Connor, Radwan.

Bristol have brought their Six Nations internationals – Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Jordan and Ellis Genge – back in for their second showpiece game at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

The trio all return as part of six changes to the side that was narrowly beaten by Leicester last week.

Aidan Boshoff also comes onto the wing, with Gabriel Ibitoye moving to the bench, with Matias Moroni in midfield and Viliame Mata in the back row.

There are also four alterations to the Harlequins line-up as they seek a first Prem win since 25 October.

England's Marcus Smith has dropped out of the squad, with Wales international Jarrod Evans starting at fly-half and Jamie Benson at full-back.

Prop Joe Jones and 18-year-old England Under-20 lock Elliot Williams are both set to make their first Prem starts.

Bristol: Rees-Zammit; Ravouvou, Moroni, Williams, Boshoff; Jordan, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska; Dun, Owen, Luatua, Harding (c), S. Grondona.

Replacements: Gwilliam, Woolmore, Chawatama, Taylor, B. Grondona, Marmion, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye.

Harlequins: Benson; Isgro, Murley, Bradley, David; Evans, Townsend; Kerrod, Walker, Jones; Treadwell, Williams, Petti Pagadizabal, Kenningham, Dombrant (c).

Replacements: Riley, Hobson, Delgado, Green, Carr, Driscoll, Grant, Kerr.

Saracens welcome back England captain Maro itoje to their side for their clash with Northampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Itoje is one of four changes with Rhys Carre returning to the front row, Andy Onyeama-Christie coming in at flanker and Charlie Bracken taking over at scrum-half.

Having rested their international stars for the win over Newcastle last week, Saints welcome them back for The Showdown 6.

Tommy Freeman, Henry Pollock, Fin Smith and Curtis Langdon all start while Danilo Fischetti, Trevor Davison and Fraser Dingwall are on the bench.

Saracens: Daly; Elliott, Cinti, Tompkins, Segun; Farrell Bracken; Carre, Dan, Street, Itoje (c), Tizard, McFarland, Onyeama-Christie, Willis.

Replacements: George, Mawi, Riccioni, Isiekwe, Michelow, Van Zyl, Burke, Malins.

Northampton: Furbank (c); Freeman, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Ramm; Smith, McParland; Iyogun, Langdon, Green, Lockett, Prowse, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock.

Replacements: Wright, Fischetti, Davison, Van Der Mescht, Munga, Chick, Weimann, Dingwall.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe

Sale Sharks coach Alex Sanderson welcomes back fly-half George Ford to his starting XV following the conclusion of the Six Nations.

Ford is one of four returning England internationals who go straight back into Sale's team for the clash against reigning champions Bath - along with Bevan Rodd, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tom Roebuck.

Elsewhere, there is a start for Nathan Jibulu at openside flanker while Rod du Preez returns at centre after filling in at fly-half in Ford's absence.

Bath head coach Johann van Graan has by contrast rolled the changes and there are only three starters from the side that beat Saracens 62-15 at the Recreation Ground.

Santi Carreras fills in at number 10 for Finn Russell who does not travel to Greater Manchester, while Miles Reid captains the side.

Sale Sharks: Carpenter; Roebuck, R. du Preez, Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Harper, van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Dugdale, Jibulu, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Caine, McEachran, Raymont, D du Preez, Gilmore, Warr, Louw, O'Flaherty.

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Hennessey, Redpath, Muir; Carrerras, Carr-Smith; Kirk, Frost, Sela, Jeanes, Molony, Hill, Staddon, Reid (c).

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Obano, du Toit, Ewels, Richards, van der Linde, Harris, Barbeary.