Phil Dowson makes four changes to his Northampton Saints side this weekend, as the men in Black, Green and Gold travel to Newcastle Red Bulls in Round 4 of the Gallagher PREM.
The clash takes place under the Friday Night Lights at a sold-out Kingston Park, and sees Northampton – who sit second in the PREM standings after three rounds – look to keep their unbeaten record in the league following last Saturday’s Derby Weekend victory over Leicester Tigers.
Saints have left Newcastle victorious on their last five trips north, having last been defeated by Red Bulls back in 2021. But the last two match ups at Kingston Park have been decided by just two points or less, and so the stage is set for another thrilling encounter in Newcastle.
Callum Chick leads Northampton out against his former club Newcastle as he is named captain for the Friday night encounter, with Sam Graham coming into Saints’ starting line-up to start at flanker alongside incoming Josh Kemeny in the back row.
One of those four changes for Saints, Danilo Fischetti makes his first start in Black, Green and Gold at Kingston Park as he joins an otherwise unchanged front row of hooker Robbie Smith and tighthead prop Trevor Davison.
Alex Coles and JJ Van Der Mescht – who tops the league’s lineout steals statistics – pack down in Saints’ engine room for the second week running against Newcastle.
Behind them, British & Irish Lions duo Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith – who have both re-signed with the Club over the last two weeks – form Saints’ half-backs, with centres Fraser Dingwall and Rory Hutchinson starting outside them in the midfield.
Tommy Freeman shifts into the fullback role for Northampton this week in place of the injured George Hendy, which allows Tom Litchfield to join last weekend’s player of the match Edoardo Todaro on Saints’ wings.
Dowson opts for a six-two bench at Newcastle, with the likes of Emmanuel Iyogun, Henry Pollock and Anthony Belleau all primed to enter the action at Kingston Park.
NEWCASTLE RED BULLS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Gallagher PREM, Round 4
Friday 17 October, 2025
Kingston Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm
15 Tommy Freeman
14 Edoardo Todaro
13 Rory Hutchinson
12 Fraser Dingwall
11 Tom Litchfield
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Danilo Fischetti
2 Robbie Smith
3 Trevor Davison
4 Alex Coles
5 JJ Van Der Mescht
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Sam Graham
8 Callum Chick (c)
Replacements:
16 Craig Wright
17 Emmanuel Iyogun
18 Luke Green
19 Tom Lockett
20 Ed Prowse
21 Henry Pollock
22 Archie McParland
23 Anthony Belleau
Not considered for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, George Furbank, George Hendy, Curtis Langdon, Cleopas Kundiona, Elliot Millar Mills, James Ramm, Ollie Sleightholme and Charlie Ulcoq.
NEWCASTLE TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Boeta Chamberlain, 14 Oli Spencer, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Max Clark, 11 Liam Williams, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 George McGuigain (c), 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Jame Hodgson, 5 Freddie Clarke, 6 Fergus Lee-Warner, 7 Tom Gordon, 8 Amanaki Mafi.
Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Murray McCallum, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Oscar Usher, 20 Freddie Lockwood, 21 James Elliott, 22 Rhys Beeckmans, 23 Stefan Coetzee.
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales and James Clarke
No. 4: Wayne Falla
TMO: Peter Allan