Franklin’s Gardens last hosted the Mobbs Memorial Match in 2012, with players that night including Alex and Ethan Waller, Tom Collins and Will Hooley, who have all featured regularly in the Saints first team this season.
Other players involved that night were Semesa Rokoduguni, now starring for Bath, and Greig Tonks, now with Edinburgh.
With the British Army now well into their preparations for the 2014 Babcock Trophy match against the Navy, Mallinder says that tomorrow night’s game is sure to be competitive.
“Games against the British Army are always tough and physical, and it will be a good experience for our younger players to test themselves against a different type of opponent than they’re used to,” he said.
“Most of the players that will be in the team tomorrow night have been playing a lot of rugby recently, but not necessarily in a Saints shirt. So it is a good chance for them to get used to playing in the same team as each other again.
“The last Mobbs Memorial Match we played in went down to the last kick of the game, and with a decent forecast for tomorrow night we could see a lot of running rugby.
“The Mobbs Memorial Match means a great deal to a lot of people in the East Midlands and some of the greatest players in the history of rugby have played in it. So it is also good for our lads to be involved in a bit of history, too.”
The 2014 Mobbs Memorial Match kicks off at 7:45pm at Franklin’s Gardens. There is no compulsory entrance charge, although supporters who attend are encouraged to donate towards the Mobbs Memorial Charitable Trust, which is the beneficiary of proceeds from the Match.
Gates open at 6pm, and there will be plenty of entertainment, including plenty of Army hardware in the Village area and the Band of the Royal Parachute Regiment playing on the pitch.
