Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints

Penalty to Saints after the scuffle and Biggar goes to the corner.

Frustrations boil over for now and there's a scuffle in the middle as Dan Biggar and Harry Wells have a disagreement. Takes a couple of minutes for Barnes to settle this one down and we come back for a Saints scrum.

A lot of kicking here as territory all important for now. Tigers knock-on on halfway gives Saints a put-in

Well taken Tigers lineout by Green and White clears to just short of halfway. Good exit from the hosts.

Saints win back the kick off and the tempo is high. Hutchinson tries a grubber through and it just trickles out on the 5m line with Taylor in hot persuit.

Henry's penalty attempt sails wide and Saints stay within a score.

Saints just unable to convert in the red zone and Leicester win a breakdown penalty.

Mitchell tries a grubber through and Steward dots down safely. Tigers clear the 22, but Ludlam charges up and now Saints are ticking. Good defence from the hosts stifles the attack but momentum is still with Northampton as a penalty is awarded by Barnes.

Henry's kick over the top goes just too far, and Saints are let off to get a scrum inside Tigers' half. Good opportunity here.

Saints attack well down the left and after Dingwall takes it into contact, Tigers infringe at the breakdown and Biggar sends the penalty just inside the 22.

Penalty for Tigers as Saints seal off a ruck. Leicester clear and it's frustration for Northampton.

Naiyaravoro through a hole but just can't find Dingwall on his shoulder! The wing is brought down by Steward, but Saints get a penalty and go into the corner with the rolling maul working well so far.

Good box from Mitchell brings the knock-on from Nadolo and Saints earn a scrum on the right touchline. Northampton put the ball through the hands and make good ground through Furbank.

Good stuff from Lawes to stop Youngs as the scrum-half looks to dart away down the left.

Boyd unloads the bench now as Moon, Hill and Haywood all come on with Franks, Ratuniyarawa and Fish making way.

Dingwall is also on for Proctor.

Mitchell makes a good break from the base of the scrum but his pullback it straight to Youngs and Biggar then goes off his feet to concede a penalty. Messy couple of minutes.

Mitchell forces a knock-on from his opposite number on halfway, and Saints get the put in to the scrum. Good opportunity here with Tigers still down two men.

Another turnover from Nadolo allows Leicester to clear. The Fijian has made a big contribution so far.

Northampton win back a ropey Tigers lineout and play from deep! They really put the pressure on, moving the ball from left to right and back again, before Furbank opts for territory and finds the corner. Good stuff from Saints with the hosts now under the pump.

Tigers kick it away and Saints look to play from deep, but Mitchell's pass heads into touch.

Saints knocking on the door here and making steady ground. Leicester go offside and Hutchinson looks to release Furbank with the advantage, but he cannot wriggle his way across the whitewash so we come back for the offence.

Van Wyk goes down after Saints try a rolling maul and cannot continue, which means Manny Iyogun comes on for his Northampton debut.

Penalty straight away for Saints in a crucial position from the kick-off. Biggar goes into the corner.

Tigers look to have scored but the TMO confirms Nadolo has knocked on as he tried to ground the ball. However we go back for a previous offence and Henry is going for goal.

Let off for Saints as Henry hits the post with his penalty. There's several knock-ons as both teams try to gather the loose ball, and we come back for a Tigers scrum.

Mitchell darts through a gap and is brought down just five metres short! But he is penalised for crawling on the floor and Tigers go quickly, clearing well and chasing. Furbank cleans up but Nadolo is there again in his blind spot and after making the hit, wins yet another penalty on the floor.

Tigers look to hammer away at Saints' line but van Wyk steals it and Mitchell clears. Leicester return with it now but referee Barnes blows his whistle again with Ribbans off his feet.

Good possession from Saints as the make ground with the ball in hand, but after a few phases Biggar is isolated and Tigers win a penalty to clear. A high-ball goes up and despite Mitchell gathering, Northampton are penalised at the breakdown again and Henry will have a shot.

Crucial lineout steal from Northampton on their own 5m line, and they win a penalty as Harrison charges up with a carry.

Good hit from Ribbans forces a knock-on and Saints get the ball back. But another big hit from Nadolo forces Saints onto the back foot and they concede some ground as Leicester recover the ball and chip over.

Saints win the kicking battle and then look to play out from their own half.

Good scrum from Saints and as Proctor hits a good line, Tigers are pinged for not releasing and Northampton get the penalty. Biggar sends to just outside the 22, and after a clean lineout, the offside line is breached by Leicester and Biggar points to the posts.

Biggar gathers Youngs' box kick and Tigers turn it over, but as they look to take advantage there's a knock-on out wide and Saints will have the put in to the scrum inside their own half.

Both teams head back into the sheds now and it's eerily quiet around Welford Road. Not what we are used to on Derby Day – but make no mistake, the players all know what's at stake. COYS!!

Here are your Saints…

SAINTS: Furbank, Tuala, Proctor, Hutchinson, Naiyaravoro, Biggar, Mitchell, van Wyk, Fish, Franks, Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam, Harrison (c)
Replacements: Haywood, Iyogun, Hill, Moon, Isiekwe, Tonks, Taylor, Dingwall

Director of rugby Chris Boyd has picked a Northampton side packed full of international quality, with 11 capped players in the starting XV. No.8 Teimana Harrison skippers Saints and forms an all-English back row alongside Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam. Meanwhile Dan Biggar pulls on the No.10 jersey for the men in Black, Green and Gold with Rory Hutchinson and Matt Proctor in the centres. The visitors will be desperate to build some momentum heading into next weekend’s European Champions Cup quarter-final clash at Exeter Chiefs.

A reminder of how our hosts line up this afternoon…

TIGERS: Steward, Murimurivalu, Porter, Scott, Nadolo, Henry, Youngs; Gigena, Youngs (c), Cole, Lavanini, Green, Wells, Wallace, Liebenberg
Replacements: Clare, Genge, Leatigaga, Smith, Taufua, White, McPhillips, Potter

We’ve arrived at a sun-drenched Welford Road for the East Midlands Derby this afternoon as Northampton Saints take on Leicester Tigers! No matter where the sides are in the Gallagher Premiership table, this is a fixture packed with history and the local bragging rights are at stake for supporters of both sides. Saints are going for an unprecedented fourth straight win on Tigers soil – in 125 years of visiting Welford Road, no Northampton team has won four on the bounce.