Fraser Dingwall will captain Northampton on his 50th Gallagher Premiership appearance this weekend, as Director of Rugby Chris Boyd names his Saints side to take on Worcester Warriors.
The men in Black, Green and Gold travel to Sixways on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) looking to notch up their fourth straight win at the venue, and their ninth victory in a row over the Warriors, to edge themselves back into the top four.
Northampton’s training ground was closed as a precautionary measure for the first half of the week after the Club’s Heineken Champions Cup match against Racing 92 was cancelled last weekend, but following subsequent rounds of testing, Saints are able to field a strong side in Worcester.
Dingwall is named at outside centre and will lead out Northampton in the league for the first time as he brings up a half-century of Premiership appearances, while Rory Hutchinson also starts in the midfield ahead of his departure into the Scotland camp for the Six Nations Championship.
Wales captain Dan Biggar is also named at fly-half, with Alex Mitchell wearing the No.9 jersey – the duo starting together in Saints’ half-back berths for the fifth straight match – and wingers Ollie Sleightholme and Tom Collins, plus fullback Ahsee Tuala, complete the visitors’ back three.
Alex Waller and Paul Hill pack down either side of hooker Sam Matavesi in the front row for Northampton, with David Ribbans and Api Ratuniyarawa selected in the engine room.
And Saints name an explosive back row for the trip to Sixways with Juarno Augustus (who has scored four tries in his last four starts) wearing the No.8 jersey, and flankers Teimana Harrison and Tom Wood rounding off the starting line-up.
There’s a welcome return from injury amongst the replacements for centre Matt Proctor – who this week signed an extension to his contract to remain at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens – with the likes of James Grayson, Tom James, Alex Coles and Brandon Nansen also hoping to make an impact off the bench against Warriors.
WORCESTER WARRIORS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Round 14
Saturday 29 January 2022
Sixways Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm
15 Ahsee Tuala
14 Ollie Sleightholme
13 Fraser Dingwall (c)
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Tom Collins
10 Dan Biggar
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Alex Waller
2 Sam Matavesi
3 Paul Hill
4 David Ribbans
5 Api Ratuniyarawa
6 Tom Wood
7 Teimana Harrison
8 Juarno Augustus
Replacements:
16 James Fish
17 Emmanuel Iyogun
18 Conor Carey
19 Brandon Nansen
20 Alex Coles
21 Tom James
22 James Grayson
23 Matt Proctor
Not considered for selection:
Matthew Arden, Emeka Atuanya, Callum Burns, Piers Francis, Jake Garside, Oisín Heffernan, Alex Moon, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Courtnall Skosan, and Kayde Sylvester.
International Duty:
Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Dan Jones and Rob Warburton
No.4: Ryan Collier
TMO: Craig Maxwell-Keys
