Northampton Saints primed themselves for their Gallagher PREM opener against Newcastle Red Bulls next week with a 15-try victory over visiting Georgian side, Black Lion.
Under the Friday Night Lights, the men in Black, Green and Gold filled their boots in the opening 40 minutes, with Tommy Freeman and George Hendy both striking twice, along with singles from Curtis Langdon, Cleopas Kundiona, Josh Kemeny and James Pater.
There was no letting up after the break as Saints cantered clear with seven further tries from Tom Pearson, Danilo Fischetti, Callum Chick, Alex Mitchell, Ollie Sleightholme (2) and Anthony Belleau all got their names on the scoresheet to seal an emphatic home win.
FIRST HALF:
Saints enjoyed a fast start to the Friday night encounter when Fin Smith toed a crossfield kick into the waiting arms of Hendy, who applied the finishing touch with less than two minutes played.
The DPD Stand terrace was then treated to Henry Pollock putting on the afterburners down the right wing, only for Archie McParland’s grubber ahead to be recovered. But the visitors transgressed at the breakdown, and after solid play up front from the foundations of secured lineout ball, hooker Langdon wriggled free to cross after ten minutes.
A third soon followed, and it was a rinse and repeat of the first – only this time Smith’s kick skimmed along the Franklin’s Gardens’ grass for Hendy to baseball‑slide into, and ground.
Black Lion grabbed a score against the run of play when fullback Otar Metreveli scooped up a bouncing ball before speeding down an unguarded left wing to the line.
It was the briefest of responses, as the hosts swiftly returned to usual business, teasing the defence from left to right and eventually allowing tighthead prop Kundiona to bash his way over. He was swiftly followed by two Freeman tries in quick succession, as the winger twice finished moves built on fluid interplay between forwards and backs.
There was time for two more tries before the break: Kemeny finished a move that saw Pollock and Pater go close, and despite going down to 14 men following Rory Hutchinson’s yellow card for a high tackle, Saints brought up a half‑century of points when Pater leapt over in the left corner with the clock in the red.
SECOND HALF:
The first sprinkling of substitutions came at the break as Sleightholme went close to a score, before fellow replacement Pearson bludgeoned his way unmercifully through a wall of white shirts for Saints’ first try of the second period. Smith struck a sixth successful conversion before making way for Anthony Belleau.
The forwards continued to make inroads as Aiden Ainsworth‑Cave pulled in a crossfield kick, laying the foundations from which Fischetti tapped a penalty, survived the contact and reached out an arm to ground.
A delightful 50:22 on a skiddy surface unlocked Black Lion next, as Sleightholme kept up with play to deliver a quick lineout for Chick to walk in.
The scores were coming thick and fast as the rotating cast of Saints players on the pitch did nothing to halt momentum. Mitchell finished Hendy’s break, then a sweeping surge from deep concluded with Sleightholme squeezing over in the corner. Belleau’s extras took Saints past 80 points with nearly a quarter of the game still to play, before the Frenchman struck himself for Saints’ sixth try of the second half, converted by Hugh Shields.
Black Lion managed a second try when Giorgi Spanderashvili broke free down the left, but Saints had the last laugh as Sleightholme slid in for his second, and Saints’ 15th of the night, as Phil Dowson’s side turn their attentions to the visit of Newcastle Red Bulls in a week’s time for their opening fixture of the 2026/27 Gallagher PREM season – tickets are still available by clicking HERE.
LINE-UPS:
SAINTS: 15 James Pater, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Toby Thame, 12 Fraser Dingwall (c), 11 George Hendy, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Archie McParland, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Curtis Langdon, 3 Cleopas Kundiona, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Ed Prowse, 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Henry Pollock, 8 Callum Chick.
Replacements: Robbie Smith, Danilo Fischetti, Ion Neculai, Tom Lockett, Chunya Munga, Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Tom Pearson, Jack Lewis, Alex Mitchell, Anthony Belleau, Ollie Sleightholme, Rory Hutchinson, Hugh Shields, Thomas Rowe, James Martin.
BLACK LION: 15 Otar Metreveli, 14 Akaki Tabutsadze, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze (c), 12 Tornike Kakhoidze, 11 Roma Makhatadze, 10 Davit Imnadze, 9 Giorgi Spanderashvili; 1 Dato Abdushelishvili, 2 Irakli Kvatadze, 3 Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 4 Mikheil Babunashvili, 5 Vladimir Chachanidze, 6 Michael Curry, 7 Lasha Tsikhistavi, 8 Leavasa Potu.
Replacements: Giga Kobakhidze, Vakhtang Jincharadze, Shota Kheladze, Giorgi Kimutsadze, Giorgi Mamaiashvili, Demur Efremidze, Davit Arveladze, Luka Narsia, Giorgi Tsutskiridze, Otar Giorgadze; Temur Dzodzuashvili, Luka Tsirekidze, Luka Tabatadze.