Northampton Saints are set to travel to Dublin this weekend, as the men in Black, Green and Gold take on Leinster Rugby in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday (3 May, kick-off: 5.30pm).
Northampton defeated Castres Olympique 51-16 in the competition’s quarterfinals to progress to their second consecutive semi-final – facing familiar opponents Leinster in the final four once again, having narrowly lost out 20-17 in the same clash at Croke Park last season.
Phil Dowson’s side are without a win in Dublin since 2013, when the Saints’ director of rugby featured in Black, Green and Gold as Northampton defeated Leinster (18-9) at the Aviva Stadium – the same ground they travel to on Saturday.
This week Dowson makes just one change to the starting XV that defeated Bristol Bears last time out, welcoming back tighthead prop Trevor Davison who was a late withdrawal for that match.
Davison is joined in Saints’ front row by loosehead prop Emmanuel Iyogun and hooker Curtis Langdon, who both got across the whitewash against Bristol as Saints sent six different scorers over the tryline.
In-form lock pairing Temo Mayanavanua and Alex Coles start once again in Northampton’s engine room, while Saints also remain consistent in their back row choices with Josh Kemeny, Juarno Augustus and 2025 Investec Player of the Year nominee Henry Pollock retaining their spots there.
England duo Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith – who scored 16 of Saints’ 48 points between them against Bristol – partner in the half-backs for Northampton for the tenth time this season.
Outside them, Saints remain unchanged throughout the backs – with Rory Hutchinson and captain Fraser Dingwall starting in Northampton’s centres, while Dowson names a back three of Tom Litchfield, Tommy Freeman and James Ramm in Dublin.
Saints opt for a six-two split amongst their replacements this weekend; naming the likes of Tom West, Elliot Millar Mills, Tom Lockett and Chunya Munga there to enter the action in the forwards, while Tom James – who is set to bring up a century of appearances in Black, Green and Gold – and Tom Seabrook provide backs cover at the Aviva Stadium.
LEINSTER RUGBY vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Investec Champions Cup, Semi-Final
Saturday 3 May, 2025
Aviva Stadium
Kick-off: 5.30pm
15 James Ramm
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Fraser Dingwall (c)
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Tom Litchfield
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison
4 Temo Mayanavanua
5 Alex Coles
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Henry Pollock
8 Juarno Augustus
Replacements:
16 Henry Walker
17 Tom West
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Tom Lockett
20 Chunya Munga
21 Angus Scott-Young
22 Tom James – 100th Saints appearance
23 Tom Seabrook
Not available for selection:
George Furbank, Sam Graham, George Hendy, George Makepeace-Cubitt, Iakopo Mapu, Archie McParland, Burger Odendaal, Tom Pearson, Toby Thame, Charlie Savala, Ollie Sleightholme, and Robbie Smith.
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FRA)
Assistant referees: Luc Ramos (FRA) and Gianluca Gnecchi (ITA)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FRA)
