PREM Cup: Round 3 Preview - Club action continues during Autumn Internationals break

The competition continues throughout the hotly contested pool stages, with the top emerging talents of the 10 PREM Rugby clubs back in action this weekend. Formerly known as the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the RFU Knock-Out Cup, the PREM Rugby Cup is an opportune time for the future stars to put their hands up for some first team experience, and cut their teeth in the competition that brings through the next generation of PREM Rugby stars.

With the Autumn Nations Series also commencing this Saturday, the international stars are training with their national team camps, with ample opportunities left open back at their clubs. Also, any international fringe players who just missed the grade for their country this time around, will leave it all on the line in the PREM Cup, to put themselves at the front of the queue for injury cover as the Autumn Nations Series progresses over the coming weeks.

We are set for some fireworks to heat up a bitterly cold evening, with the third round of the PREM Rugby Cup getting underway tomorrow night in the North East. Newcastle Red Bulls host Leicester Tigers under the trademarked Friday Night Lights, with the Red Bulls vying to get back to winning ways with a strong return to their cup campaign.

Newcastle commenced their Red Bulls era with a solid PREM Rugby Cup win back in September, as the fired up former Falcons handed Harlequins a hard-fought 26-14 defeat. The Red Bulls struggled in their second consecutive match-up against London opposition, as Owen Farrell led Saracens to a convincing 39-17 win in Round Two of the Cup. Newcastle sit third in Pool B, with a must-win match coming up as head coach Alan Dickens leads the side for the first time in the PREM Rugby Cup, following the mid-season departure of Steve Diamond.

Leicester Tigers have enjoyed a solid start to their PREM Rugby Cup campaign, with double delight in their pre-season fortnight of fixtures to sit at the top of Pool B. The Tigers started their season on the road to Saracens, with new signing Jamie Blamire bagging a brace of tries against the North London club. Emeka Ilione also got involved upon the try-scoring action, with his unfortunate shoulder injury set to keep him out of the Autumn Series as an England debut was well on the cards for the back row.

Leicester then hosted Harlequins in the second round, with the men in the famous quarters struggling to make a real dent against their East Midlands opponents. Tries from Charlie Clare and George Pearson set the tempo for the Tigers, with Harlequins now propping up the pool following the 25-17 defeat at the Stoop. Leicester have their sights set on a third win in the Cup, with the eye of the Tiger locked on a win over Newcastle Red Bulls.

What would a weekend of top flight English club rugby be without a West Country derby to savour? We will be treated to a high-octane encounter between two of the Premiership's resident entertainers under the Friday night lights, as Bristol Bears host Bath at Ashton Gate. There will be plenty of frightfully good rugby in action, as a West Country spook-tacular lights up Halloween night.

Bristol struggled to gain traction from the start of the PREM Cup campaign, as the Bears had their claws clipped up in Salford upon the opening round defeat to Sale. The Sharks overwhelmed Bristol with a 24-15 win, with Pat Lam's side facing an uphill start to their PREM Cup pool stage efforts. Fortune soon favoured the Bears as Louis Rees-Zammit made his return to Kingsholm, and led from the front in Bristol's 40-24 dismantling of Gloucester in Round Two.

Bath enter the third round of the PREM Cup with a game in hand, after sitting out the opening weekend with a bye, due to the odd numbering of pool stage participants. The blue, black and whites made the most of their down time with a pre-season clash against Munster, yet could not roll this momentum into a win to kick start their competitive campaign. Johann van Graan's men came undone by Exeter Chiefs, with the travelling Devon faithful delighted to witness the 23-14 win at the Rec.

Saturday's standalone match is a PREM Cup clash at Franklin's Gardens, with Northampton Saints set to unleash their new generation upon a Harlequins side that is desperate for a win. The Saints are once more without a core contingency for the PREM Cup, as a plethora of their top talents have been whisked away by Steve Borthwick to the England camp for the Autumn Series.

This opens the door for the new breed to stake their claims for the green, black and gold jerseys, with Phil Dowson set to cast his eagle eye upon an assortment of Saints hopefuls. Northampton's PREM Cup campaign began in Round Two, as like Bath, the Saints were handed the stand-down orders from the opening round. Despite also having a game in hand upon the rest of Pool B, the Saints sit at second in the table following a stunning bonus-point win over Saracens away at the StoneX Stadium.

The 49-34 triumph edged Northampton ahead of Newcastle Red Bulls to claim second place in the pools on points difference, with a comfortable position now favouring the men from the Midlands. Harlequins' undermentioned efforts began with a defeat on the road to the Red Bulls, before taking a subsequent loss to Leicester back upon their home turf. Quins will be hoping that they can redeem themselves and keep their PREM Cup campaign alive with a victory against the Saints this Saturday.

Once the dust is settled following Ireland vs New Zealand on Saturday night, rugby fans would only be wanting more action to see them through for the rest of the weekend. Look no further than Sale Sharks vs Gloucester as the ultimate hangover cure from the opening round of the Autumn Series, with both the Sharks and Cherry and Whites setting the standard for PREM Cup success out of Pool A.

Gloucester started off their season with a solid home victory over Exeter Chiefs, with scores from Lewis Ludlow, Max Llewellyn, Josiah Edwards-Giraud and Jack Innard contributing to the 29-15 derby triumph. This bonus point win propelled the Cherry and Whites to the top of the pool, with a losing bonus point in the defeat to Bristol enough to keep George Skivington's side at the summit for now.

Sale Sharks impressed upon their one match of the PREM Cup so far, as Alex Sanderson's men made light work of Bristol for a bonus point win. Despite just having one match under their belt, the Sharks are nearing the surface of the pool and currently sit in second. This match could well go a long way in determining the progression from Pool A, with plenty on the line ahead of this clash at the CorpAcq.