Key battles : Bristol Bears v Northampton Saints
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Bristol Bears play host to defending Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions Northampton Saints in a barnburner clash on Friday night.
Bears go into the contest in fourth but sit just two points off league leaders Saracens, eager to propel themselves to the top of the pile with a win over Saints, whose more inconsistent start to the campaign leaves them five points adrift of tomorrow's opponents in fifth.
But as the Autumn Nations Series strips teams of their international talents, opportunity arises for players to make an even bigger impression on the Premiership Rugby stage.
Here are some key battles to keep an eye on at Ashton Gate.
Gabriel Ibitoye vs George Hendy
Many Bears fans were surprised to see bombarding winger Gabriel Ibitoye overlooked for England selection.
After topping many of the Premiership's individual statistics last season, including most metres made, most offloads and most defenders beaten, Ibitoye has started the new campaign in similarly sensational style, notably bagging a show-stopping hat-trick in just nine minutes during the comeback win against Exeter Chiefs.
Bears fans will be counting their blessings that Ibitoye will remain at their disposal throughout November, with the 26-year-old certain to be a key source of threat against Saints.
Hoping to counteract Ibitoye’s impact will be James Ramm, on a high after bagging his first try of the season last weekend in the rousing win against Sale Sharks.
The Australian winger is a staple of the Saints side and will seek to stifle Ibitoye’s spirits on the way to delivering a big win for the reigning champions.
Fitz Harding vs Henry Pollock
Saints have a future star in their ranks by the name of Henry Pollock, who will be looking to further stamp his mark on English rugby against Bristol.
At just 19, the former England U18 captain and 2024 U20 Six Nations player of the tournament is on a collision course towards superstardom in the sport and is a machine at the try line, boasting a place in the history books as Saints’ youngest ever try scorer in the professional era.
After recording his first 80 minutes of the season in the win over Sharks last weekend, Pollock starts at No.8 against Bears eager to do the damage in Premiership Rugby.
Standing off against him as his opposite number will be Bears captain Fitz Harding, feeling at the peak of his powers after scoring a hat-trick against Saracens last weekend.
Harding will nevertheless have a chip on his shoulder after his prolific try-scoring efforts were not enough to overcome Sarries, with Bears conceding a last-second penalty to miss out on a golden chance to climb to the league summit.
With a keen eye on making amends for last weekend’s shortcomings, Harding will hope it is second time’s a charm as Bears seek to claim top spot ahead of the rest of the weekend’s action.
Steven Luatua vs Tom Pearson
Bears will be buoyed by the return of blindside flanker Steven Luatua, who earns a place in the starting XV after missing out on Round 5 through injury.
The experienced Samoa international is a staple in Bristol and his comeback will be much welcomed at Ashton Gate, providing a boost to the back five of the scrum.
It will be interesting to see if Luatua can pick up where he left off, with a calf strain threatening to derail his early momentum this campaign.
Tom Pearson may have been expecting to face off against James Dun before he was shifted out to second row by the returning Luatua.
But regardless of the opposition, the 24-year-old will look to put in a strong display at Ashton Gate from openside flanker, repaying the faith instilled by Saints that earned him a contract extension two weeks ago.
