New signings Danny Cipriani and Dan Biggar faced off, Will Skelton impressed for Saracens and Worcester ran Wasps close
There are plenty of high-profile fixtures heading to Newcastle over the next 12 months, with the city to host this season’s European Champions Cup final and England’s final warm-up game prior to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which will be confirmed this week for a Friday night at St James’ Park. There are currently only around 10,000 public tickets left for the European showpiece next May, which Saracens will be hoping involves another trip to Tyneside for them. If their Australian forward Will Skelton, who has slimmed down by 15kg since the end of last season, can maintain the promising form he showed in Sarries’ bonus-point win at Kingston Park, it will do the north Londoners’ prospects no harm. Robert Kitson
Related: Sale’s Tom Curry: ‘You can’t train like Tarzan and play like Jane’
Related: Eddie Jones addresses England breakdown with head of referees
Team of the weekend