Rory Hutchinson and Fraser Dingwall both return to Northampton Saints’ starting line-up this weekend, with pair both selected in the centres as the men in Black, Green and Gold head to Gloucester.
Saints get back into Gallagher Premiership action at Kingsholm on Saturday (23 December, kick-off: 3pm), taking on ninth-place Gloucester in Round 9 of the competition.
The last four clashes between the sides have been won by the home side on the day, with Saints’ last victory in Gloucester coming behind closed doors back in January 2021; and Northampton will be hoping to overturn that recent run of form at Kingsholm as they go in search of their fifth consecutive win, having downed Harlequins, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors and RC Toulon in the last four weeks.
George Furbank will lead Saints out in Gloucester and is joined in Northampton’s back three by a new-look wing pairing in Tommy Freeman and Tom Litchfield – with the latter starting on the wing for the first time in his Saints career.
Hutchinson returns from injury to start for Saints for the first time since Round 6 as he partners Dingwall in Northampton’s midfield, while Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith man Saints’ half-back berths once again.
Paul Hill provides the only change to the front row for Northampton as he joins prop Ethan Waller and hooker Curtis Langdon there, with locks Temo Mayanavanua and Alex Coles packing down behind them in the engine room – with the latter making his return after a two-week injury lay-off.
Saints name an unchanged back row for the festive clash, with Courtney Lawes, Tom Pearson and Sam Graham – who penned a new contract with the Club earlier this week – completing Northampton’s starting line-up.
Meanwhile there is space on Saints’ bench for the likes of Sam Matavesi, Chunya Munga, Juarno Augustus and Charlie Savala – who became Saint #2087 when he came off the bench against Toulon last week.
GLOUCESTER RUGBY vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Gallagher Premiership, Round 9
Saturday 23 December, 2023
Kingsholm Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm
15 George Furbank (c)
14 Tom Litchfield
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Tommy Freeman
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Ethan Waller
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Paul Hill
4 Temo Mayanavanua
5 Alex Coles
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Tom Pearson
8 Sam Graham
Replacements:
16 Sam Matavesi
17 Tarek Haffar
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Chunya Munga
20 Juarno Augustus
21 Callum Braley
22 Charlie Savala
23 Jake Garside
Not available for selection:
George Hendy, Tom James (suspended), Lewis Ludlam, Joel Matavesi, James Ramm, Tom Seabrook, Ollie Sleightholme, Robbie Smith and Alex Waller.
GLOUCESTER TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Santi Carreras, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Max Llewellyn, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Harry Elrington, 2 Santi Socino, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Freddie Clarke, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Lewis Ludlow (c), 8 Zach Mercer.
Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Kirill Gotovtsev, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Jack Clement, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Seb Atkinson, 23 Lloyd Evans.
Referee: Hamish Smales
Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum and Neil Chivers
No. 4: Andy Wigley
TMO: Dean Richards
