Two changes for Premiership defending champions

October 03, 2024
89
Ultimate Rugby

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.

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