Northampton Saints’ Director of Rugby Chris Boyd has named a matchday squad full of youth for Tuesday evening’s Gallagher Premiership visit to the West Country to face Bristol Bears.
The men in Black, Green and Gold have won four of their last six away matches in all tournaments, and have been victorious on their last two visits to Ashton Gate – but will face a stern test against Pat Lam’s in-form outfit.
Piers Francis and Fraser Dingwall line up together again in Saints’ midfield, with Taqele Naiyaravoro and Ryan Olowofela on the wings and 19-year-old fullback Tommy Freeman completing the back three.
Scrum-half Tom James – signed this summer from Doncaster Knights – will start for Northampton for the first time and will hope to pull the strings alongside James Grayson, who wears the No.10 jersey.
A homegrown front row sees props Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and Ehren Painter pack down alongside Mikey Haywood.
Alex Moon and Nick Isiekwe are selected in the second row with flanker Lewis Ludlam leading out the side in Bristol as captain – the England international is joined in the back row by Jamie Gibson and Shaun Adendorff.
A young bench sees wing Josh Gillespie primed for his league debut if he enters the action, with Senior Academy prospects Karl Garside, Tui Uru, and Reuben Bird-Tulloch also hoping to grasp an opportunity with both hands in the West Country.
BRISTOL BEARS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Round 19
Tuesday 8 September 2020
Ashton Gate
Kick-off: 7.45pm
15 Tommy Freeman
14 Ryan Olowofela
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Piers Francis
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 James Grayson
9 Tom James
1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
2 Mikey Haywood
3 Ehren Painter
4 Alex Moon
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Lewis Ludlam (c)
8 Shaun Adendorff
Replacements:
16 Reece Marshall
17 Nick Auterac
18 Karl Garside
19 Lewis Bean
20 Tui Uru
21 Henry Taylor
22 Reuben Bird-Tulloch
23 Josh Gillespie
Not available due to injury:
Alex Coles (ankle), Tom Collins (foot), Harry Mallinder (knee), Ollie Sleightholme (hamstring), Ahsee Tuala (groin), Connor Tupai (wrist), Alex Waller (achilles), and Tom Wood (illness).
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace and Simon McConnell
TMO: Wayne Barnes
No.4: Neil Chivers
