Director of Rugby Phil Dowson has named his Northampton Saints side to face Ealing Trailfinders in the Premiership Rugby Cup quarter-final this weekend, with Angus Scott-Young leading the team at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Saints embark on their first knock-out clash in the Cup competition since lifting the trophy on home soil back in 2019 and welcome Championship leaders Trailfinders for the first time – having previously met just once, where Saints were defeated 48-22 in Ealing back in 2023.
With either Exeter Chiefs or Sale Sharks waiting in the final four, Northampton will need to find a way past Ealing – with Dowson making six changes to the side that defeated Nottingham in the last pool round.
Prop Luke Green, locks Chunya Munga and Tom Lockett and back rower Fyn Brown come into Saints’ forward pack, while Rory Hutchinson returns from international duty to start at fly-half and James Ramm comes onto the wing in the backs.
Scott-Young leads the side for the fourth consecutive match from Northampton’s back row, joining incoming Brown and No.8 Iakopo Mapu there against Ealing.
In front of them, Munga and Lockett form a fresh-look partnership in the second row – with a front row of loosehead prop Emmanuel Iyogun and hooker Craig Wright joining incoming tighthead prop Green to complete the pack.
Hutchinson features at fly-half for Saints for the second time this season, starting alongside scrum-half Tom James there for the second time in his career.
Charlie Savala and Tom Litchfield – who scored four of Saints’ ten tries in Nottingham last time out – remain in Northampton’s centres for the quarter-final clash.
And Dowson completes his starting line-up with a back three of wingers Tom Seabrook and Ramm and fullback George Hendy.
Northampton opt for a blend of experience and youth amongst the replacements, with the likes of Tom West and Elliot Millar Mills joining Ed Prowse and Will Glister – while there is a welcome return to action for centre Burger Odendaal as he is named on Saints’ bench for the first time this season.
Tickets for Saints vs Ealing remain available, with prices starting from £21 adult / £7 child* HERE.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs EALING TRAILFINDERS
Premiership Rugby Cup, Quarter-Final
Saturday 1 March 2025
cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 3pm
15 George Hendy
14 James Ramm
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Charlie Savala
11 Tom Seabrook
10 Rory Hutchinson
9 Tom James
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Craig Wright
3 Luke Green
4 Chunya Munga
5 Tom Lockett
6 Angus Scott-Young (c)
7 Fyn Brown
8 Iakopo Mapu
Replacements:
16 Nathan Langdon
17 Tom West
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Ed Prowse
20 Juarno Augustus
21 Jake Garside
22 Burger Odendaal
23 Will Glister
Not available for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, George Furbank, Sam Graham, Callum Hunter-Hill, George Makepeace-Cubitt, Archie McParland, Toby Thame, Robbie Smith and Jonny Weimann.
International duty:
Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell, Henry Pollock, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith (all England), Aiden Ainsworth-Cave and Ollie Scola (both England U20s).
EALING TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Tobi Wilson, 14 Angus Kernohan, 13 Reuben Bird-Tulloch, 12 Francis Moore, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Craig Hampson; 1 Lefty Zigiriadis, 2 Mike Willemse (c), 3 George Davis, 4 Bobby De Wee, 5 Sean Lonsdale, 6 Rob Farrar, 7 Jordy Reid, 8 David Bridge.
Replacements: 16 Matt Cornish, 17 Kyle Whyte, 18 Biyi Alo, 19 Danny Cutmore, 20 Ollie Newman, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 George Worboys, 23 Michael Dykes.
Referee: Sara Cox
Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum and Mike Woods
No. 4: Gareth Holsgrove
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