Eddie Jones could hardly have made a more obvious statement in his selection for the opening round of Guinness Premiership matches on Saturday. The former Australia coach, who is director of rugby at Saracens, has moved Chris Jack, the New Zealand lock, to the blind-side flank for the game against Harlequins at Twickenham in an attempt to challenge his players and take advantage of the experimental law variations (ELV).

Whether it is an All Blacks player with 67 caps such as Jack or an England Under-20 player such as Andy Saull, who is on the bench, Jones wants his men to think for themselves. “Naturally Chris plays fairly loosely, but we have trialled him at 6 in pre-season and we're challenging him to be a better player,” Jones said. “He's had to get fitter and faster and he's really enjoyed it.”

But the wily Australian will also have noted the greater number of set-pieces during these early days of the ELV and has been encouraged to move a set-piece specialist to a loose position. By the time the laws have sorted themselves out, Saracens will have reinforcements in Wikus van Heerden, the South Africa flanker, Bradley Barritt, the Natal Sharks centre, and Ben Jacobs, the Australian centre, who are all due to arrive by November.

Steve Borthwick, the England captain, will make his debut against Harlequins after spending ten years at Bath, although Andy Farrell, his Saracens co-captain, must wait until mid-October to recover from an thumb injury.

London Scottish have attracted sponsorship from Saudi Arabia. Scottish, now in National Division Three after clawing their way back up the leagues in the past ten years, will be supported for the next three years to the tune of £500,000 by Saudex Global, an investment company owned by a prominent member of the Saudi Royal Family.

Olly Barkley should be fit to make his debut for Gloucester within a fortnight after breaking his left wrist in the second match of England's tour to New Zealand in June. Barkley moved to Kingsholm at the end of last season after seven years at Bath.

Speculation is rife that an investor is to buy a minority stake in Gloucester from Tom Walkinshaw, the chairman. Mike Burton, the former England prop who runs a corporate hospitality business, denied yesterday that he had been approached to invest £3million. “There is no interest or intention in buying any shares,” Burton said.