🦈 RUMOUR: George Ford re-signs at Sale! @MailSport are reporting that the veteran fly half has signed a 3 year deal that will run until he is 35. Still a serious option and doesn't look like fading any time soon!

🧂 Things are getting spicy in the CHAMP already! What do you think - penalty try, or play on?

Undoubtedly left a lot of players out here. Some serious quality to come back!

PREM R3 POTENTIAL RETURNERS XV 1. Genge 🐻 2. George 💫 3. Stuart 🛁 4. Itoje 💫 5. Petti 🃏 6. Hooper ❌ 7. Pollock 😇 8. Earl 💫 9. Mitchell 😇 10. Russell 🛁 11. Isgro 🃏 12. Ikitau ❌ 13. Freeman 😇 14. Carreras 🛁 15. M. Smith 🃏

🤔 Saints, Quins and Exeter feel like they're the most reliant on the reinforcements aligning quickly. Saints because of their huge unavailable list, Exeter because of the pure starpower, and Quins because they've been operating with such underpowered depth. Big weekend.

🔙 Lots of Prem teams with some serious cavalry potentially returning this weekend! Could mean a change of fortune for a few sides. Which returning players are you most excited to see on the pitch?

❌ Len Ikitau's arrival is imminent! You can see Exeter are just as excited about it as we are. On great form, if he can hit the ground running it would be huge boost. https://t.co/0g4fZ7HE2U

🦈 TRANSFER: Rob du Preez to Bayonne! It's an early announcement. The French side have announced that the South African Shark will join them next year, linking up with his former teammate Tuilagi. Good for Sale to have clarity early, but still a big loss.

👑 Jack Willis is a star. Top 14 Player of the year. There is an alternate reality where that serious knee injury in the Six Nations win over Italy in Rome in 2021 never happens. In that reality, he's probably a mainstay in white, and a Lion.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 NEW COACH: Lee Radford to Scotland as Defence Coach! The Northampton defensive guru joins as Steve Tandy's replacement. He will join on secondment for international windows, but stay at Saints for the rest of the season. He will join full time in the summer.

💫 Sensational from Saracens. Willis is an animal, and Malins as silky as ever. https://t.co/9i3ZTtOymv

POINTS COMPARED TO LAST SEASON 🐻 +4 💫 +4 ❌ +3 😇 +3 🛁 0 🃏 0 🦈 0 🐯 -4 🍒 -5 🐂 -5

🦁 Andy Farrell has confirmed that he did want to take his son on the Lions as part of the initial squad. "There had to be no bias whatsoever. And that included the consideration of whether to pick Owen"... https://t.co/IZhjs2I4gc

🍷 Bielle-Biarrey is a freak. Being this good at this age is absurd.

🐻 Another tough day for Bristol. It feels another season gone. Louis Rees-Zammit and Tom Jordan the latest on the injury list. However 50 points conceded today. Pressure surely builds on Lam. There's a Diamond now on the market too.

🃏 Quins are on a 7 game losing streak since beating Exeter in mid May. Alarm bells should be going off, despite it being early in the season. "Forgetting how to win" can be a very real thing.

🐯 Tigers show fight with a comeback at home to beat Quins. Once again, Quins look superb in patches but utterly implode when they need it. Ollie Chessum looks very up for it as captain!

🃏 Sonny Bill Dombrandt?

🃏 Dombrandt with the offload of the so far? Doing his best Sonny Bill impression! Wow.