Club captain Lewis Ludlam will make his first appearance of the season in Black, Green and Gold this weekend, as the back row is named in Northampton Saints’ side to face Bath Rugby – with Tommy Freeman also returning from injury to start the match.
Saints return to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens for Round 4 of the Gallagher Premiership, welcoming table-toppers Bath to Northampton on Saturday (4 November, kick-off: 3pm).
Each side claimed a home win when Saints and Bath locked horns last season, with the men in Black, Green and Gold running out 45-26 winners at the Gardens back in March. Northampton also secured a narrow 43-42 victory when Bath came to town in the Premiership Rugby Cup in September.
With Ludlam only returning to the Club earlier this week from Rugby World Cup duty, fullback George Furbank retains Saints’ captaincy for this Saturday’s clash, but the England back row will line-up from the start for Northampton at No.8.
Furbank is joined in the hosts’ back three by the returning Freeman – who missed last week’s victory over Newcastle Falcons through injury – and George Hendy.
Rory Hutchinson and Fraser Dingwall retain their spots in Northampton’s midfield, with Fin Smith and Tom James manning the half-back berths for the fourth week in a row.
Props Alex Waller and Elliot Millar Mills come into Saints’ front row, joining last weekend’s player-of-the-match Curtis Langdon, who keeps his place at hooker.
Alex Moon returns to the starting XV alongside Alex Coles in Saints’ engine room, while in-form flankers Angus Scott-Young and Tom Pearson (who made 29 tackles between them last weekend against Newcastle) line-up alongside Ludlam in the back row.
There is plenty of experience on Saints’ bench, with the likes of Tom Cruse, Ethan Waller and Sam Graham all hoping to make an impact, while Paul Hill and Ollie Sleightholme are also set to make their first appearances of the season from amongst the replacements.
Tickets for Northampton Saints vs Bath Rugby are still available to purchase HERE – with prices starting at £23 adults / £8 child*.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs BATH RUGBY
Gallagher Premiership, Round 4
Saturday 4 November, 2023
cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 3pm
15 George Furbank (c)
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 George Hendy
10 Fin Smith
9 Tom James
1 Alex Waller
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Elliot Millar Mills
4 Alex Moon
5 Alex Coles
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Tom Pearson
8 Lewis Ludlam
Replacements:
16 Tom Cruse
17 Ethan Waller
18 Paul Hill
19 Chunya Munga
20 Sam Graham
21 Archie McParland
22 Ollie Sleightholme
23 Tom Seabrook
Not available for selection:
Matthew Arden, Juarno Augustus, Toby Cousins, Trevor Davison, Emmanuel Iyogun, Tarek Haffar, Temo Mayanavanua, Burger Odendaal, James Ramm, Robbie Smith and Kayde Sylvester.
BATH SIDE TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Ruaridh McConnochie, 13 Max Ojomoh, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Will Muir, 10 Orlando Bailey, 9 Louis Schreuder; 1 Beno Obano, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Josh McNally, 5 Fergus Lee-Warner, 6 Miles Reid (c), 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Jaco Coetzee.
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Alfie Barbeary, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Sam Harris, 23 Louie Hennessey
Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant referee: Hamish Grant and Jamie Leahy
No.4: James Pidding
TMO: Dean Richards
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