Academy flanker/lock Alex Rae will start tomorrow’s game against NEC Harlequins with captain Bruce Reihana also looking forward to leading the team out for the first time in five months. No 8 Mark Hopley failed a fitness test on an ankle injury this morning, so Paul Tupai will start at the back of the pack with Rae taking the No 6 berth.
Rae impressed the coaches in last Wednesday’s game against Argentina. He has not played for the first team this season and made two appearances at the start of last season.
Head coach Paul Grayson said: “Alex has worked very hard to put himself in the position to be able to take to the field for us again. He has got good character, is mentally tough and physically he is catching up.”
Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 3pm and there are just 100 tickets left.
It will be the first time Reihana has led the team out since Saints’ home game against Bath on September 16. He will start the game at full-back.
He said: “To be able to lead the boys out of the tunnel again will be very exciting. But I have just got to keep my emotion inside a bit and channel my energy into my role on the pitch.”
Northampton Saints
15 BRUCE REIHANA (capt)
14 SEAN LAMONT
13 Robbie Kydd
12 DAVID QUINLAN
11 BEN COHEN
10 CARLOS SPENCER
9 MARK ROBINSON
1 TOM SMITH
2 Dylan Hartley
3 Pat Barnard
4 Damien Browne
5 Christian Short
6 Alex Rae
7 Darren Fox
8 PAUL TUPAI
16 MATIAS CORTESE
17 SOANE TONGA’UIHA
18 Matt Lord
19 Ben Lewitt
20 Johnny Howard
21 Stephen Myler
22 Matthieu Bourret
