Phil Dowson has made three changes to his Northampton Saints side ahead of this weekend’s Gallagher PREM clash with Bath Rugby at a sold-out cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Saints and Bath are no strangers this term, having already met twice at the Recreation Ground, while also sitting in first and second respectively as a single point separates them at the top of the PREM league table.
Each side took a win apiece from those previous meetings this season: Saints earning an impressive 41-21 win in the PREM, while Bath left with a narrow 43-41 victory in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final a fortnight ago.
The men in Black, Green and Gold have not been defeated at cinch Stadium in over 12 months, and are looking to complete a season’s double over their West Country opposition for the first time since the 2021/22 season.
Fraser Dingwall takes on Saints’ captaincy this weekend in Northampton’s slightly reshuffled backs, where British & Irish Lion Tommy Freeman – who sits second in the league stats for tries (10) and first for initial breaks (23) – is the only change.
Freeman’s return to the wing allows George Hendy to shift to fullback in place of Club captain George Furbank – who misses out while he goes through concussion protocols. Ollie Sleightholme joins Freeman on Saints’ wings this week, having scored one of Northampton’s five tries in their win at Exeter Chiefs last time out.
Saints remain unchanged in the half-back berths against Bath, with Alex Mitchell – who tops the league for try assists (11) – staying on at scrum-half and last weekend’s match-winner Fin Smith remaining at fly-half in Round 14.
Luke Green recovers from injury to take his place at tighthead prop this weekend, with the 24-year-old packing down alongside loosehead prop Emmanuel Iyogun and hooker Craig Wright.
Locks Tom Lockett and Ed Prowse man Saints’ engine room for the second week running, while another of Saints’ Lions, Henry Pollock, marks the only change in the back row – with flankers Josh Kemeny and Sam Graham joining him there.
Saints opt for a six-two split of forwards and backs on their bench for Bath’s visit, with the likes of Robbie Smith, Danilo Fischetti, JJ Van Der Mescht and Chunya Munga providing the forward firepower, while Archie McParland and Rory Hutchinson form Northampton’s backs cover.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs BATH RUGBY
Gallagher PREM, Round 14
Saturday 25 April, 2026
cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 5.30pm
15 George Hendy
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Fraser Dingwall (c)
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Craig Wright
3 Luke Green
4 Tom Lockett
5 Ed Prowse
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Sam Graham
8 Henry Pollock
Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Danilo Fischetti
18 Cleopas Kundiona
19 JJ Van Der Mescht
20 Chunya Munga
21 Callum Chick
22 Archie McParland
23 Rory Hutchinson
Not available for selection:
Alex Coles, Trevor Davison, George Furbank, Tom James, Curtis Langdon, Henry Lumley, Tom Pearson, James Ramm, Freddie St John, Edoardo Todaro and Charlie Ulcoq.
BATH TEAM TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Louie Hennessey, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Will Butt, 11 Will Muir, 10 Ciaran Donoghue, 9 Bernard van der Linde; 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Kieran Verden, 4 Ewan Richards, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Miles Reid (c), 8 Arthur Green.
Replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfu, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Sam Winters, 23 Sam Underhill.
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Adam Leal and John Meredith
No.4: James Clarke
TMO: Ian Tempest