Northampton Saints head to Exeter Chiefs this Sunday (8 March, kick-off: 1.30pm) for the Club’s first semi-final in the PREM Rugby Cup since 2023.
The clash marks Saints’ second meeting with Chiefs this term, with Northampton making the long trip down to the South West after the sides drew 33-33 in the Gallagher PREM season opener back in September.
Chiefs reached the Final of last year’s competition and lifted the trophy back in 2022/23, while Saints’ last success in the Cup saw them claim the silverware on home soil back in 2019 – courtesy of a 23-9 victory over Saracens at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Callum Chick leads out Northampton at Sandy Park as he starts the clash at No.8, while Josh Kemeny makes his first appearance since January as he comes into the back row alongside 19-year-old flanker Charlie Ulcoq – who features in his fourth match of the season so far.
Tom Lockett returns to Saints’ second row against Chiefs and partners JJ Van Der Mescht – who carried the ball for some 56 metres in Saints’ last outing – in the engine room.
Ahead of them in the pack, Northampton make two changes to their front row for the semi-final, with hooker Henry Walker and tighthead prop Luke Green coming in to start alongside loosehead prop Tom West.
Saints reunite Archie McParland and Anthony Belleau in the half-back berths in the South West, with the pair starting at scrum-half and fly-half respectively at Sandy Park.
Outside them, Rory Hutchinson returns from Scotland camp to start in the centres alongside Tom Litchfield for only the second time this term.
James Ramm and James Martin form an unchanged wing partnership against Chiefs, while last week’s match-winning try-scorer George Hendy shifts into the starting XV to start at fullback.
A long-awaited return to rugby awaits for Curtis Langdon on the bench, as the hooker is set to feature in his first match of the season in Exeter as he recovers from the shoulder injury which has kept him out of action so far.
Langdon is joined amongst the replacements by the likes of Chunya Munga, Tom James and Toby Thame – while guest players Joe Cowell and Will Davies-King join Saints on loan from Cardiff to provide cover at prop.
Tickets for the semi-final clash between Exeter vs Saints remain available to purchase directly from Exeter Chiefs now HERE.
EXETER CHIEFS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
PREM Rugby Cup, Semi-Final
Sunday 8 March, 2026
Sandy Park
Kick-off: 1.30pm
15 George Hendy
14 James Martin
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 James Ramm
10 Anthony Belleau
9 Archie McParland
1 Tom West
2 Henry Walker
3 Luke Green
4 Tom Lockett
5 JJ Van Der Mescht
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Charlie Ulcoq
8 Callum Chick (c)
Replacements:
16 Curtis Langdon
17 Joe Cowell – Guest player
18 Will Davies-King – Guest player, Northampton Saints debut
19 Chunya Munga
20 Archie Benson
21 Tom James
22 Toby Thame
23 Amena Caqusau
Not available for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, Will Glister, Sam Graham, Henry Lumley, Alex Mitchell, Ollie Sleightholme, and Edoardo Todaro.
International duty:
Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Trevor Davison, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Emmanuel Iyogun, Henry Pollock and Fin Smith (all England), Elliot Millar Mills (both Scotland), Danilo Fischetti (Italy), Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, James Pater, Oliver Scola, Sonny Tonga’uiha, and Jonny Weimann (England U20s), Archie Appleby (Scotland U20s).
EXETER TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Josh Hodge, 14 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Zack Wimbush, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Tom Cairns; 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 3 Jimmy Roots, 4 Lewis Pearson, 5 Rusi Tuima, 6 Martin Moloney, 7 Finn Worley Brady, 8 Greg Fisilau.
Replacements: 16 Julian Heaven, 17 Ethan Burger, 18 Khwezi Mona, 19 Joe Bailey, 20 Oscar Beckerleg, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Campbell Ridl.
Referee: George Selwood
Assistant referees: Rochard Gordon and Neil Chivers
No.4: Mike Woods
TMO: David Rose