Many of Northampton Saints’ international stars – including Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell, Henry Pollock, Fin Smith, Alex Coles, Danilo Fischetti and Rory Hutchinson – will make their return to a Black, Green and Gold jersey later this week.
Phil Dowson’s side will run out on home soil for the first time this season on Friday evening (18 September, kick-off: 7.30pm), when Black Lion are the visitors to Franklin’s Gardens.
Tickets for the match remain available from just £131 adult / £41 child HERE, while 26/27 Season Ticket Holders can access the fixture free of charge as part of their package.
Saints have already kicked off their season with two PREM Rugby Cup matches on the road, but before the Gallagher PREM gets underway next week, Northampton return to the Gardens to lock horns with the Georgian side in a final warm-up fixture.
Northampton then begin the defence of their PREM title in earnest when Newcastle Red Bulls come to town on Friday 25 September (kick-off: 7.45pm).
Dowson has named a squad of 30 players that are set feature against Black Lion – with the starting XV, which will be announced on Thursday, primed to hold a host of Saints’ international stars.
The extended group features a number of senior players such as Josh Kemeny, Anthony Belleau, Callum Chick and Curtis Langdon alongside Saints’ international returnees, including the likes of British & Irish Lions Freeman, Mitchell, Pollock and Smith, Northampton’s newest England international, Emmanuel Iyogun, as well as Coles, Fischetti and Hutchinson – who featured for England, Italy and Scotland respectively over the summer.
SAINTS SQUAD TO FACE BLACK LION
FORWARDS
Danilo Fischetti
Emmanuel Iyogun
Curtis Langdon
Robbie Smith
Cleopas Kundiona
Ion Neculai
Alex Coles
Tom Lockett
Ed Prowse
JJ Van Der Mescht
Aiden Ainsworth-Cave
Callum Chick
Josh Kemeny
Jack Lewis
Tom Pearson
Henry Pollock
Josh Taylor
BACKS
Archie McParland
Alex Mitchell
Anthony Belleau
Hugh Shields
Fin Smith
Fraser Dingwall
Rory Hutchinson
Toby Thame
Tommy Freeman
George Hendy
James Martin
James Pater
Thomas Rowe
Ollie Sleightholme