Callum Chick will lead Northampton Saints out for the second time this term as the side travel to Gloucester Rugby in Round 2 of the Gallagher PREM.
The 28-year-old No.8 skippered the men in Black, Green and Gold to a 49-34 PREM Rugby Cup victory against Saracens in his first outing as captain in a Saints shirt, and will be hoping for a repeat when he leads the side out at Kingsholm this Sunday.
Saints have not secured an away win in the league since April – when they beat Newcastle Red Bulls 35-24 last term – but will be hoping to turn the tide on that run of form and add a second away victory to this season’s tally.
Chick (who was Round 1’s top carrier with 21 carries and six dominant contacts against Exeter Chiefs last weekend) starts at No.8 for Northampton in Gloucester, with flankers Angus Scott-Young and Tom Pearson alongside him in the back row.
After making his league debut last week, JJ Van Der Mescht comes into the starting line-up to join Alex Coles in the engine room, while Saints make two changes in the front row – hooker Henry Walker and tighthead prop Elliot Millar Mills both start alongside loosehead prop Emmanuel Iyogun.
Archie McParland retains his place in Saints’ line-up after playing a full 80 minutes against Exeter a week ago, and he partners fly-half Anthony Belleau – who landed four of his five conversions from the tee last weekend.
One of Saints’ try-scorers last time out, Tom Litchfield, shifts to inside centre for the first time this season to make way for Scotland international Rory Hutchinson to come into the starting XV in the No.13 shirt.
James Martin is set to make his debut in the Gallagher PREM on the wing for Northampton this weekend, joining fullback George Hendy – who beat more defenders than any other player in Round 2 (9) – and last weekend’s double try-scorer Edoardo Todaro in the back three.
On Saints’ bench there is space for Cleopas Kundiona to earn his Club debut, while the match sees young fullback Jame Pater make his return to Kingsholm – where he made his senior debut at the end of last term aged just 17.
GLOUCESTER RUGBY vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Gallagher PREM, Round 2
Sunday 5 October, 2025
Kingsholm Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm
15 George Hendy
14 Edoardo Todaro
13 Rory Hutchinson
12 Tom Litchfield
11 James Martin – Gallagher PREM debut
10 Anthony Belleau
9 Archie McParland
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Henry Walker
3 Elliot Millar Mills
4 Alex Coles
5 JJ Van Der Mescht
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Tom Pearson
8 Callum Chick (c)
Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Danilo Fischetti
18 Cleopas Kundiona – Northampton Saints debut
19 Tom Lockett
20 Fyn Brown
21 Jonny Weimann
22 Toby Thame
23 James Pater
Not considered for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, Amena Caqusau, Trevor Davison, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Sam Graham, Tom James, Josh Kemeny, Curtis Langdon, Alex Mitchell, Chunya Munga, Henry Pollock, James Ramm, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith, Charlie Ulcoq, Tom West and Craig Wright.
GLOUCESTER TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Charlie Atkinson, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Will Joseph, 12 Seb Atkinson (vc), 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Tomos Williams (c); 1 Ciaran Knight, 2 Seb Blake, 3 Afolabi Fasogbon, 4 Freddie Thomas, 5 Cam Jordan, 6 Josh Basham, 7 James Venter, 8 Jack Mann.
Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Archie McArthur, 18 Kirill Gotovtsev, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Hugh Bokenham, 21 Harry Taylor, 22 Caolan Englefield, 23 Josiah Edwards-Giraud.
Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant referees: Jonathan Cook and Jamie Leahy
No.4: Jonathan Healy
TMO: David Rose
