SARACENS V SAINTS TEAM NEWSEuropean Champions Cup, Round 6Allianz ParkSaturday 20 January, 2018Kick-off: 3.15pm
Northampton Saints have made five changes to their starting line-up for this weekend’s final Pool 2 clash in the European Champions Cup.
Two-time defending champions Saracens lie in wait at Allianz Park, but Saints come into the fixture off the back of two straight victories – beating Gloucester Rugby in the Aviva Premiership before downing ASM Clermont Auvergne for the first time in the Club’s history.
And they have a point to prove again this weekend despite being unable to progress to the knockout stages, having been beaten twice already this season by their London rivals.
Technical coaching consultant Alan Gaffney and interim head coach Alan Dickens have rung the changes following last weekend’s triumph, with several players rested.
All three Saints called up for England duty on Thursday retain their place in the side, with the uncapped Harry Mallinder keeping the No.10 jersey again after impressing at fly-half in recent weeks.
Nafi Tuitavake – who scored with his first touch against Clermont – replaces Ahsee Tuala in the starting XV, with last weekend’s man-of-the-match Ben Foden switching to full-back as a result.
The only other change to the back-line sees scrum-half Cobus Reinach given the opportunity to impress on his first start since early December, but the front row is unchanged.
Christian Day is given a new second-row partner in Michael Paterson, while Jamie Gibson and Mitch Eadie also come in to join Courtney Lawes at the base of the scrum.
And Francois van Wyk is the only player retained among the replacements from last weekend with seven fresh players set to make an impact from the bench – including Stephen Myler and George North who have recovered from rib and knee injuries respectively.
SAINTS 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 Rob Horne 12 Tom Stephenson 11 Nafi Tuitavake 10 Harry Mallinder 9 Cobus Reinach
1 Campese Ma’afu 2 Dylan Hartley (capt) 3 Kieran Brookes 4 Michael Paterson 5 Christian Day 6 Courtney Lawes 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Mitch Eadie
Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Francois van Wyk 18 Paul Hill 19 David Ribbans 20 Lewis Ludlam 21 Alex Mitchell 22 Stephen Myler 23 George North
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Looks like everyone is being a fair crack of the whip. Good for them and it’s good to see.
Not sure how the game is going to go. Sarries need to win and get 5 points. They were playing within themselves against Ospreys so will they go for the jugular again or come out conservative? I fancy if we can contain them and be in with a sniff in the last 20 we can nick it.
As a dead rubber aeay from home I'd have preferred we rested a few frequent players like Gibson, Horne and Foden so they are fit and raring to go for Premiership games.
Good to see Ludlum on the bench.
Judging by the earlier thread not everyone will be pleased to see North on the bench. But I'm pleased for him.
Interesting that Lawes and Itoje - who could be the starting locks for England, are both playing at 6 for their clubs..
I think this is a reall good selection (not sure it we'll win) and actually looks pretty balanced.. Foden at full back i like more than Foden on the wing, Mitch in at 8 (hurrah!!!), Paterson and Day at lock..
Good to see Myler and George North on the bench - would be nice to see George have a good run out and score a couple!
One question.. not picked and not injured - is Tom Wood just rotated out, do we think?
(Oh and one thing - I was a bit disparaging to Brookes before last week end (I actually said I exepcted him to end every scrum face down in the mud).. I was really proved massively wrong so look forward, now, to seeing him continue his climb in form!!)
Saint Stokey i think the one player we'll miss most is Tei.
he has consitantly shown the drive and refusal to stay tackled. hope his influence rubs off on everyone else
In the nicest possible way, wouldn't it be great if Mitch can have an absolute blinder, T then moves to 7 and Gibson to 6... Lawes + Ribbans or Day slug it out for the locks..
Pressure exerted everywhere, and people playing in the "right position" (of course, we'd need to accept that T's best position is 7 not 8.. which many don't.. so the above may be pointless!)
I think both Corbus and Eadie will have points to prove.Good to see both Ribbans and North back in the mix.
A must win for Saracens and dare I say for us, not to progress in the league but to take some pride back from the two hammerings Sarries have subjected us too. Lets see how much of the corner has been turned !
I might invest £5 on a saints win
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:01:19:13:51:39 by Deesaint.
With the exception of Lawes we haven't picked a forward with much hope of carrying into contact and breaking through their back row.
With Clark at 7 and Itoje at 6 there isn't a team in the world that would find it easy to maintain fast ball without several big ball carriers breaking the line - and once they've started knocking you back over the gain line in the tackle you're toast
Sorry if that seems negative but that's my honest reaction. I suspect the way each side plays and the relative strengths and weaknesses mean they are going to be a bogey side for us for a while yet.
The best I hope for looking at the team sheets is that we can deny them their 4 tries and keep the losing margin down under 14 points.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:01:19:14:05:24 by MarchingIn.
So Saracens played within themselves against the Ospreys, strange observation as I'm pretty sure that their front five didn't enjoy their struggle against a better opponent.
A bit like the strange observation you made Eif when you said that Foden only had a couple of not too pacey forwards to beat to score his try last week?
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