Director of Rugby Phil Dowson has named his side for Northampton Saints’ Gallagher Premiership opener this weekend, with summer signings Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Angus Scott-Young set to make their full debuts at Sale Sharks.
The men in Black, Green and Gold travel to the Salford Stadium on Friday evening (kick-off: 7.45pm) with the match available to watch via the PRTV Live streaming service.
Saints have won only twice in ten previous visits to Sale in the league (2012 and 2017), but have claimed maximum points twice in last three seasons on opening weekend, and ended last season’s Premiership with six victories in seven matches – so will be hoping to carry that momentum into the new campaign.
Fraser Dingwall will lead out the visitors as captain and lines up in the midfield alongside Matt Proctor, with Courtnall Skosan (who scored 11 Premiership tries last term), Ollie Sleightholme, and Tom Collins named in the back three.
James Grayson will look to control the game from fly-half, while Alex Mitchell starts in the No.9 jersey having starred the last time Northampton met Sale – scoring a try and making 73 metres with two clean breaks and four defenders beaten.
Up front, Salakaia-Loto makes his first competitive start for Saints in the engine room, with Alex Coles also packing down in the tight five behind an experienced front row of Alex Waller, Mike Haywood and Paul Hill.
Scott-Young is named at blindside flanker in Northampton’s back row for his first taste of Premiership action, as Aaron Hinkley lines up on the other side of the scrum and Juarno Augustus (statistically the most destructive carrier of any forward in the Premiership, TOP 14, URC and Super Rugby last season with a gainline success rate of 75%) rounds off the line-up in the No.8 jersey.
Amongst the replacements there is room for England fullback George Furbank, while there are more competitive Saints debuts in store for tighthead prop Alfie Petch and flanker Sam Graham if they enter the action from the bench.
SALE SHARKS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Gallagher Premiership, Round 1
Friday 9 September 2022
Salford Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm
15 Tom Collins
14 Ollie Sleightholme
13 Matt Proctor
12 Fraser Dingwall (c)
11 Courtnall Skosan
10 James Grayson
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Alex Waller
2 Mike Haywood
3 Paul Hill
4 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
5 Alex Coles
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Aaron Hinkley
8 Juarno Augustus
Replacements:
16 Sam Matavesi
17 Emmanuel Iyogun
18 Alfie Petch
19 Alex Moon
20 Sam Graham
21 Tom James
22 Tom Litchfield
23 George Furbank
Not considered for selection:
Dan Biggar, Callum Burns, Tommy Freeman, Joseph Gaffan, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Rory Hutchinson, Courtney Lawes, Tom Lockett, Lewis Ludlam, Ehren Painter, James Ramm, David Ribbans, Frankie Sleightholme, and Karl Wilkins.
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant Referees: Andrew Jackson and Wayne Falla
No.4: Jamie Leahy
TMO: Dean Richards
