The Rugby’s On - Episode 9
Jan 25Gallagher Premiership on TV this weekend: Your ultimate guide to watching Round 16
TV and live stream information as BT Sport brings you live coverage of four matches across Friday, Saturday and Sunday - plus free highlights from every game.
BT Sport will show no fewer than FOUR live games this weekend as the Gallagher Premiership returns after its three-week hiatus for the culmination of the Heineken Cup pool stage.
Read on for all you need to know on how to watch selected games on BT Sport, plus live stream information, TV channel times and previews of all remaining matches.
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Friday 27 January
Sale Sharks vs Bath - 7pm (7.45pm kick-off), BT Sport 1HD & BT Sport Ultimate
Watch live stream from 7pm
A jam-packed weekend of domestic drama on BT Sport kicks-off on Friday night as high-flying Sale welcome 11th-placed Bath to the AJ Bell Stadium.
With nine wins and just three defeats from their first 12 Premiership outings, the Sharks are well on course for a place in the last four and a shot at their first league crown since 2006.
Sale's only defeat since October came in a shock Round 14 reversal at the hands of Newcastle Falcons.
Since then Alex Sanderson's men have recorded eye-catching back-to-back wins over top-four rivals Leicester and Harlequins to consolidate their grip on second place, 11 points adrift of runaway leaders Saracens.
Meanwhile Bath will be out to secure only their second win on the road when they head north to south-west Manchester.
Despite recording a victory in their last Premiership outing on New Year's Eve, Johann van Graan's Bath side remain second-bottom in the standings, just two points clear of near neighbours Bristol.
The West Country giants will already be eyeing a fresh start next season but the proud old club will be desperate to avoid the ignimony of finishing bottom of the pile come the end of May.
Saturday 28 January
Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints - 2pm (3pm kick-off), BT Sport 1HD & BT Sport Ultimate
Watch live stream from 2pm
The first of two mouth-watering local derbies on BT Sport this weekend sees bitter East Midlands foes Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints square off in the latest instalment in their historic rivalry.
Champions Leicester have made a faltering start to the defence of their crown with five wins, six defeats and one draw from their opening 12 games leaving them 7th in the table.
Despite their lowly league position, the holders are still only two points off Harlequins and Gloucester, who occupy third and fourth respectively on 31 points a piece.
As we head into the second half of the season, interim head coach Richard Wiggelsworth will be eyeing a statement win in the East Midlands derby to kick-start their quest for back-to-back league crowns.
It's been a rocky start to life at the top for Wigglesworth, who succeeded new England head coach Steve Borthwick at Welford Road.
The veteran scrum-half has guided Leicester to victories over Gloucester in the league and Clermont in Europe, but recent defeats to Sale, Newcastle and Ospreys in the final round of Heineken Cup pool games has left the Tigers licking their wounds.
It's not all doom and gloom. Leicester booked their place in the last 16 of Europe, despite a shock reversal at home to Ospreys, but the league is Leicester's bread and butter and nothing is more important in the East Midlands than local bragging rights!
Exeter vs Gloucester - 4pm (4.30pm kick-off), BT Sport 1HD & BT Sport Ultimate
Watch live stream from 4pm
It's fifth versus fourth on Saturday afternoon as Exeter face-off against fellow play-off contenders Gloucester in the third of four live games on BT Sport this weekend.
Both sides have identical records at this stage, amassing six wins and six defeats from their opening 12 outings, with Gloucester are one point better off than Exeter on account of bonus points.
Inconsistency has been the Achilles heel for both sides up to this point and both teams desperately need to address their patchy form with a host of play-off hopefuls bunching up behind them.
Three points separate Harlequins in third from Leicester in seventh with plenty of twists and turns in store as we near the business end of the season.
A fourth-straight home win for Exeter would see them leapfrog Gloucester and Quins into third, while the Cherry and Whites, winless on the road since October, would move into third with victory at Sandy Park.
Both sides will have to make do without a number of international stars with the opening weekend of the Six Nations just over a week away.
Sam Simmonds and Henry Slade are the only Exeter representatives in Steve Borthwick's first ever England squad, with winger Jack Nowell a surprise omission.
Cherry and Whites hooker George McGuigan was also named in Borthwick's 36-man squad, while Louis Rees-Zammitt and centre Chris Harris have been called up for Wales and Scotland respectively.
Saracens vs Bristol Bears - 3pm kick-off
Premiership pacesetters will be looking to tighten their grip on top spot whey welcome bottom-of-the-table Bristol to the StoneX Stadium.
31 points separate the two sides with Saturday's hosts Saracens gunning for a fourth Premiership crown after last season's Twickenham final heartbreak at the hands of Leicester.
Mark McCall's men have taken 52 points from a possible 60 so far this season, winning 11 and losing just once in an impressive start to their second season back in the English top flight.
Now Sarries face arguably their toughest test of the campaign so far with seven stars away on international duty.
Owen Farrell, Max Malins, Ben Earl, Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Nick Isiekwe and Mako Vunipola have all joined up with England ahead of next weekend's Six Nations opener against Scotland.
Number eight Billy Vunipola was the headline omission from Borthwick's squad, while Elliot Daly has been replaced after picking up an injury in Saracens' European Cup defeat to Edinburgh last weekend.
Meanwhile Bristol remain rooted to the bottom of the table despite avoiding defeat in two of their last three league outings.
A two-match unbeaten run made up of a draw with Leicester and victory over 2020 champions Harlequins came to an end with defeat at London Irish last time out.
Now Pat Lam's ailing Bears will be looking to take advantage of a second-string Sarries side and hoist themselves off the bottom of the Premiership pile.
Sunday 29 January
London Irish vs Harlequins - 2pm (3pm kick-off), BT Sport 1HD & BT Sport Ultimate
Watch live stream from 2pm
The curtain falls on BT Sport's Round 16 coverage in fitting fashion as city rivals London Irish and Harlequins square-off with local bragging rights at stake.
Visitors Quins will be looking to avoid a fourth-straight league defeat when they make the short trip to Brentford.
Despite their miserable domestic form, Tabai Matson's men sit third in the table, level on points with fourth-placed Gloucester and one clear of Exeter in fifth.
But the Londoners know they can ill afford a fourth successive loss with the race for the play-offs hotting up.
Harlequins' last league win came back at the beginning of December away at Bath and the 2020 champions will need another stirling performance on the road if they are to keep their season on track.
Meanwhile Quins' city rivals London Irish have not given up hope of a mid-season surge into play-off contention with just five points between them and Gloucester in fourth.
The Exiles have won three of their last four in the league, including the scalp of leaders Saracens, but know victory on Sunday is paramount if they are to start making up ground on the play-off places.
