Boyd names Saints side for Gallagher Premiership Opener

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Director of Rugby Chris Boyd has named his first Northampton Saints line-up of the new Gallagher Premiership season, with the men in Black, Green and Gold facing Gloucester this weekend.

cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens will host an unrestricted crowd for a league fixture for the first time in over 18 months on Saturday (kick-off: 3pm),with tickets for the clash still on sale from £34 adult / £10 child*.

Fixtures between Saints and the Cherry & Whites have been keenly contested in recent years, with each side winning three of the last six league meetings between the two Clubs, but Northampton will be desperate to kick-off the season in style in front of a packed-out stadium.

James Grayson wears the No.10 jersey for Saints, and will look to pull the strings at the Gardens alongside scrum-half Alex Mitchell.

Rory Hutchinson and Fraser Dingwall are named in Northampton’s midfield for the Premiership opener, with Tom Collins and Matt Proctor preferred on the wings and fullback George Furbank rounding off the back three.

Club captain Lewis Ludlam will lead out the side, while flanker Tom Wood and No.8 Teimana Harrison are selected alongside him in the back row.

David Ribbans returns to Saints’ engine room alongside Alex Moon, and completing the line-up, props Alex Waller and Ehren Painter pack down in the front row with hooker James Fish.

Amongst the replacements for Northampton are summer signing Juarno Augustus, primed to make his Premiership debut if he enters the fray, as well as the likes of Mikey Haywood, Paul Hill, Api Ratuniyarawa and Ahsee Tuala.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Round 1

Saturday 18 September 2021

cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens

Kick-off: 3pm

15 George Furbank

14 Matt Proctor

13 Fraser Dingwall

12 Rory Hutchinson

11 Tom Collins

10 James Grayson

9 Alex Mitchell

1 Alex Waller

2 James Fish

3 Ehren Painter

4 David Ribbans

5 Alex Moon

6 Tom Wood

7 Lewis Ludlam (capt)

8 Teimana Harrison

Replacements:

16 Mikey Haywood

17 Nick Auterac

18 Paul Hill

19 Api Ratuniyarawa

20 Juarno Augustus

21 Connor Tupai

22 Ahsee Tuala

23 Alex Coles

Not considered for selection:

Matthew Arden, Dan Biggar, Callum Burns, Piers Francis, Tommy Freeman, Tom James, Courtney Lawes, Tom Lockett, Reece Marshall, Sam Matavesi, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Ollie Newman, Brandon Nansen, Ollie Sleightholme, JJ Tonks, Karl Wilkins

Referee: Karl Dickson

Assistant referees: Mike Hudson and George Selwood

No.4: Gregg Dawson

TMO: Stuart Terheege