Chunya Munga will captain Northampton Saints this Friday (5 September, kick-off: 7.45pm), as the men in Black, Green and Gold kick off their preseason campaign in the Mobbs Memorial Match at Bedford Blues.
One of rugby’s oldest annual fixtures, the Mobbs Memorial Match was created in 1921 and honours Saints legend, World Rugby Hall-of-Fame inductee, and World War One hero, Edgar Mobbs.
A new format was agreed in 2023 between Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues, East Midlands Rugby Union, Army Rugby Union and the Mobbs Memorial Trustees – which now sees Saints and Blues contest the fixture annually.
Saints will travel back to partner club Bedford on Friday for the first time since 2023 – when the CHAMP side secured a 33-24 victory at Goldington Road.
This season, Phil Dowson’s men head to Bedford for their first of two preseason clashes before embarking on a trip north to take on Glasgow Warriors ahead of the 2025/26 PREM Rugby Cup campaign getting underway on Friday 19 September.
Lock Munga leads Northampton out at Goldington Road as he joins Ed Prowse in Saints’ second row, while Archie Benson and Angus Scott-Young start as the flankers in Bedford.
There’s a welcome return to the field for No.8 Sam Graham, as the 28-year-old features in Black, Green and Gold for the first time since October 2024 after recovering from the knee injury he sustained last season.
In the front row, Saints name England Under-20 loosehead prop Oliver Scola for his first senior appearance, while hooker Henry Walker and tighthead prop Luke Green also start.
Anthony Belleau dons a Black, Green and Gold shirt for the first time at fly-half, joining scrum-half Archie McParland in Saints’ halfbacks against Blues.
Toby Thame also returns from injury to start in Northampton’s midfield and joins Tom Litchfield there for the Mobbs Memorial Match.
James Pater – who made his debut in Black, Green and Gold aged just 17 last season – starts at fullback, while two new faces Edoardo Todaro and Tom Rowe feature on Saints’ wings in Bedford.
Dowson names an extended bench, with new Saintsmen Cleopas Kundiona, James Martin and Amena Caqusau amongst those set to feature at Goldington Road.
Tickets for the clash remain available to purchase from Bedford Blues HERE.
BEDFORD BLUES vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Friday 5 September, 2025
Goldington Road
Kick-off: 7.45pm
15 James Pater
14 Tom Rowe
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Toby Thame
11 Edoardo Todaro
10 Anthony Belleau
9 Archie McParland
1 Oliver Scola
2 Henry Walker
3 Luke Green
4 Ed Prowse
5 Chunya Munga (c)
6 Archie Benson
7 Angus Scott-Young
8 Sam Graham
Replacements:
Craig Wright
Ben Murphy*
Cleopas Kundiona
Jack Lawrence
Emeka Atuanya
Aiden Ainsworth-Cave
Siep Walta
Fyn Brown
Jonny Weimann
Tom James
James Martin
Henry Lumley
Amena Caqusau
*Denotes guest
Not considered for selection:
Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, George Hendy, Emmanuel Iyogun, Josh Kemeny, Curtis Langdon, Alex Mitchell, Henry Pollock, Charlie Ulcoq, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith and Tom West.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Iain Kiy and Neil Chivers
No.4: Richard Steggall
