Saints play Leeds Tykes on the traditional sporting fixture date of New Year’s Day for what will be Pountney’s first home league game as the club’s new head coach.

Pountney said: “It would be great to repeat the fantastic atmosphere that we experienced at the home Toulouse game and to get 2005 underway in true Franklin’s Gardens style.”

Tickets are still available for this fixture. The ticket office will close at 7pm tomorrow (Thur) but will re-open again between 9am and noon on Thursday, December 30, and Friday, December 31. Tickets are also available 24 hours-a-day on www.northamptonsaints.co.uk and are expected to be available on the day too.

Saints’ game against Leeds will be the perfect opportunity to blow away a few cobwebs after the Christmas break and to take in some fresh air after the inevitable New Year’s Eve hangovers....but bars will be open from noon!