Phil Dowson has made two changes to his Northampton Saints side to face Harlequins this Friday (4 October, kick-off: 7.45pm), with Sam Graham and Ollie Sleightholme both returning to the starting line-up for the clash under the lights.
Saints continued their unbeaten run at home last weekend, with their 30-24 victory over Exeter Chiefs marking their tenth consecutive win in the Gallagher Premiership at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens – somewhere they have not lost a competitive clash in almost 12 months.
Saints and Quins both claimed a win apiece in last season’s meetings, with the home side on the day the one who took home the spoils. But with four of the last five clashes between the sides decided by less than ten points, Friday’s match is set to be another all-action affair in Northampton.
Saints remain largely unchanged in the backs for the clash with Quins – with Sleightholme’s inclusion seeing the 24-year-old join an all-England international back three alongside club captain George Furbank and fellow winger Tommy Freeman.
Rory Hutchinson and Fraser Dingwall reprise their roles in the centres for the fourth week running – with the latter, who will make his 100th Premiership appearance against Quins, having made some 21 tackles in Round 2 (a total beaten by only one player across the whole league, Saints teammate Fin Smith).
Smith – who made 24 tackles and scored 15 points from the tee against Chiefs to claim the man-of-the-match award – starts at fly-half again this week, joining scrum-half Tom James in Northampton’s half-backs.
No.8 Graham, who made his 50th appearance in Black, Green and Gold in last week’s victory over Exeter, marks the only change in Saints’ forwards, as he starts to join flankers Josh Kemeny and Tom Pearson in the back row.
Two of last week’s try-scorers, Chunya Munga and Alex Coles, stay on in Saints’ second row against Quins, with an unchanged front row of Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon and Trevor Davison ahead of them in the pack.
Temo Mayanavanua is set for his first appearance in Black, Green and Gold of the season as he returns to Northampton’s replacements after lifting the Pacific Nations Cup with Fiji just last month. Meanwhile the likes of Henry Pollock, Tom Seabrook and James Ramm are also amongst those primed to enter the action from the bench on Friday night.
The stage is set for a blockbuster clash between Saints and Quins tomorrow, with the hosts now a whisker away from a sell-out crowd. Only a few single seats remain, and are now available at a special price of just £45*, please CLICK HERE and select the ‘Single Seat’ rate.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs HARLEQUINS
Gallagher Premiership, Round 3
Friday 4 October, 2024
Kick-off: 7.45pm
15 George Furbank (c)
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Fraser Dingwall – 100th Premiership appearance
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Fin Smith
9 Tom James
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison
4 Chunya Munga
5 Alex Coles
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Tom Pearson
8 Sam Graham
Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Tom West
18 Luke Green
19 Temo Mayanavanua
20 Henry Pollock
21 Archie McParland
22 Tom Seabrook
23 James Ramm
QUINS SIDE TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Marcus Smith, 14 Nick David, 13 Will Joseph, 12 Lennox Anyanwu, 11 Oscar Beard, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Danny Care; 1 Fin Baxter, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Titi Lamositele, 4 Irne Herbst, 5 Stephan Lewies (c), 6 Jack Kenningham, 7 Will Evans, 8 Chandler Cunningham-South.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Jordan Els, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Dino Lamb, 20 James Chisholm, 21 Will Porter, 22 Bryn Bradley, 23 Cameron Anderson.
Not available for selection:
Juarno Augustus, Emeka Atuanya, George Hendy, Callum Hunter-Hill, Tom Lockett, Alex Mitchell and Burger Odendaal.
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: George Selwood and Wayne Falla
No. 4: Veryan Boscawen
TMO: Rowan Kitt
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* All match ticket prices are subject to a £1.50 booking fee
