´óÏó´«Ã½

Northampton, Premiership champions in 2014, make two changes for the short 33-mile trip up the A45 to Coventry.

They are both in the pack, with second-row forward David Ribbans brought in for his Premiership debut.

Jamie Gibson also starts for Saints at blindside, while Api Ratuniyarawa is on the bench.

Northampton:  Tuala; North, Tuitavake, Mallinder, Foden; Myler, Groom; A Waller, Hartley, Brookes, Lawes, Ribbans, Gibson, Wood (capt), Picamoles.

¸é±ð±è±ô²¹³¦±ð³¾±ð²Ô³Ù²õ:Ìý Haywood, E Waller, Hill, Ratuniyarawa, Harrison, Dickson, Burrell, Pisi.

Image source, Getty Images

Jimmy Gopperth starts for Wasps at stand-off in place of Danny Cipriani as boss Dai Young reshuffles his back division.

Cipriani came off in the second half of last weekend's Europeans defeat in Dublin with a groin injury and was expected to miss a couple of games for the league leaders. But he has reported fit enough for duty on the bench.

Kurtley Beale moves to inside centre alongside Elliot Daly, while Willie Le Roux switches to full-back, enabling Josh Bassett to return to the wing.

°Â²¹²õ±è²õ:Ìý Le Roux; Wade, Daly, Beale, Bassett; Gopperth, Simpson; Mullan, Taylor, Swainston, Launchbury (capt), Myall, Johnson, Young, Thompson.

Replacements:  Cruse, Bristow, Doran Jones, Symons, Hughes, Robson, Cipriani, Leiua.

Image source, Press Association

Northampton, in seventh, are now seven points adrift of fourth-placed Leicester in their pursuit of a play-off place - but two outside the top-six finish needed to make next year's European Champions Cup draw.

And they face a daunting test today on a ground where they have lost on all their three previous visits - in the 2007 European Cup semi-final (against Wasps, when the Ricoh was still neutral territory), against Cardiff Blues in the 2009 Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final and against Wasps in the Premiership a year ago.

But they are now bolstered by the availability of their international players - and, as well as Wales winger George North, England captain Dylan Hartley, lock Courtney Lawes and flanker Tom Wood, the Saints skipper, all start today for the second game running.

Image source, Getty Images

Dai Young's Wasps start the day still top of the Premiership, as they have been for much of the season - but they lead only on better points difference after second-placed Exeter once again narrowed the gap with Saturday's surprisingly nervy 38-34 win over bottom side Bristol.

Having already secured a top-four finish, prior to last weekend's disappointing European Champions Cup quarter-final exit in Dublin against Leinster, the rest of Wasps' season is now all about staying on course for a first Premiership title success in 12 years.

A top-two finish - and home advantage in the play-offs - would certainly help as they have a formidable record in their own adopted home at the Ricoh, having won their last 16 Premiership home games since Saracens won at the Ricoh Arena on 27 December 2015 - a run which has also contained 12 maximum-point victories.

Image source, Press Association

This time last Sunday, Wasps' Ricoh Arena tenants Coventry City were about to make headlines at Wembley.

Today, back in Coventry at the Ricoh, it's the turn of the landlords to take centre stage again as Wasps play host to Northampton Saints.

Image source, Rex