George Hendy is set to bring up a half-century of Northampton Saints appearances as the men in Black, Green and Gold kick off their Gallagher PREM campaign this Sunday (28 September, kick-off: 1pm) when Exeter Chiefs come to town.
Saints began their 2025/26 season with a 34-49 win on the road against Saracens in the PREM Rugby Cup and now return to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens to kick-off their home and league campaigns.
When Chiefs came to town last season it was Saints who ran out 30-24 victors in the Round 2 clash thanks to tries from Alex Coles, Chunya Munga and Rory Hutchinson, paired with 15 points from Fin Smith’s boot.
This time around marks the opener of the Gallagher PREM and sees Fraser Dingwall captain Northampton in Round 1, with Tom Litchfield joining the England international there in Northampton’s midfield.
Half-centurion Hendy is named at fullback for the PREM opener, with wingers James Ramm and Edoardo Todaro – the 19-year-old one of three Saints set to make their league debuts on Sunday – starting outside him on the wings.
Scrum-half Archie McParland makes his first PREM start of the term against Exeter, with French fly-half Anthony Belleau starting outside him to make his first appearance in the league.
Saints name an unchanged front row from their win over Saracens, with props Emmanuel Iyogun and Trevor Davison packing down either side of hooker Craig Wright, who scored one of Saints’ seven tries last week.
England’s Alex Coles returns to action for Saints as he starts at lock, with Ed Prowse pairing up with him in the second row for the first time this season.
And Northampton also name an unchanged back row, with flankers Angus Scott-Young and Tom Pearson joining last week’s debutant hat-trick scorer Callum Chick there as he starts at No. 8 again this week.
Another league debuts await among Saints’ replacements, with South African JJ Van Der Mescht set to enter the action at cinch Stadium to make his first league appearances for Saints.
Also on Saints’ bench are the likes of Elliot Millar Mills, Sam Graham, Jonny Weimann and Rory Hutchinson, who are all primed for their first appearance in the PREM this season.
While the match is approaching yet another sell-out attendance, less than 50 tickets remain available in groups for Saints vs Chiefs – priced from £25* adult / £9* child HERE.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs EXETER CHIEFS
Gallagher PREM, Round 1
Sunday 28 September, 2025
cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 1pm
15 George Hendy – 50th Saints appearance
14 Edoardo Todaro – Gallagher PREM debut
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Fraser Dingwall (c)
11 James Ramm
10 Anthony Belleau – Gallagher PREM debut
9 Archie McParland
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Craig Wright
3 Trevor Davison
4 Alex Coles
5 Ed Prowse
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Tom Pearson
8 Callum Chick
Replacements:
16 Henry Walker
17 Danilo Fischetti
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 JJ Van Der Mescht – Gallagher PREM debut
20 Sam Graham
21 Jonny Weimann
22 Rory Hutchinson
23 Toby Thame
Not considered for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, Amena Caqusau, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Tom James, Josh Kemeny, Curtis Langdon, Tom Lockett, Alex Mitchell, Chunya Munga, Henry Pollock, Charlie Ulcoq, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith and Tom West.
EXETER TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Josh Hodge, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ben Hammersley, 11 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 2 Joseph Dweba, 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 4 Rusi Tuima, 5 Lewis Pearson, 6 Christ Tshiunza, 7 Ethan Roots (c), 8 Ross Vintcent.
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19 Dafydd Jenkins, 20 Greg Fisilau, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Nick Lilley, 23 Kane James.
Referee: Joe James
Assistant referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys and Jonathan Healy
TMO: Dan Jones
No. 4: James Clarke
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