Last season ultimately ended in disappointment for Northampton, losing in the semi-final of the Aviva Premiership play-offs to close rivals Leicester, whilst also suffering a heartbreaking loss in the Heineken Cup Final at the hands of Leinster. For the Saints, the season was an eye-opener. Not only were supporters and pundit’s eyes opened to the Saints marauding pack, dominating the majority of opposition in the scrum, but also eyes were opened to the side’s apparent lack of strength in depth – particularly in the centres and front-row. This season however, this issues have been addressed – or seemingly so. The addition of Paul Doran-Jones is perhaps the most important, along with the continued emergence of Alex Waller and Tom Mercey in the front row. It has often been said that the Saints over-reliance on their first-choice props Soane Tonga’uiha and Brian Mujati was a large contributor to their downfall last season – one look at the pair at halftime in Cardiff, and you can see what people meant. They were played into the ground – spent. The recruitment of Doran-Jones has certainly gone some way to addressing that issue, in no small part due to his ability to play convincingly on either side of the scrum.

Doran-Jones, however, was not the only astute signing by Mallinder during the off-season. Although the Saints may have lost the services of the ‘mercurial’ Shane Geraghty (my apologies to Carlos Spencer there), they gained the signature of the potentially equally ‘mercurial’, however somewhat more reliable some would say, Ryan Lamb. The former London Irish man is likely to make his debut from the bench on Sunday, with Stephen Myler still in possession of the No.10 shirt, having scarcely put a foot wrong at the latter end of last season. Lamb will of course, along with Doran-Jones, make his Saints debut against former employers Gloucester – Northampton’s opponents come Sunday. Many eyes will be cast on Lamb as he makes his debut in the Gold, Black and Green, with many hoping that he will flourish under the tutelage of Paul Grayson and force the best out of Myler, or potentially usurp him from his starting berth.  Add to Lamb the guile and experience of former Newcastle and Toulon utility back Tom May, and the Saints three-quarter line has a distinctly more creative feel to it, provided they can wrestle the shirts from the current occupants – no small feat considering the success and effectiveness of Myler, James Downey and Jon Clarke last season.

With the loss of Chris Ashton and Ben Foden to the World Cup, we are likely to see a new-look back three of fan favourite Paul Diggin, youngster Greig Tonks and Premiership Champion Noah Cato. Tonks performed with heart in the absence of Foden last season and scored some vital tries for the Saints in times of need – however, according to some, his defence left something to be desired. Hopefully, with a good, solid pre-season under his belt, Tonks will answer those critics; much in the same fashion that Noah Cato may be expected to – another with supposed defensive frailties. Defence aside, it cannot be argued that the back three still possesses lethal pace and acute running lines – after all, Diggin finished top try scorer last season. This season, Northampton will hope that Cato can pick up some of the slack left by Ashton in particular, with his blistering pace a lethal weapon in broken play. It is a pleasing thought that the Saints backline can possess such pace, size and strength, even without Ashton, Foden and new recruits Pisi and Artemyev – both of whom are away with Samoa and Russia respectively, competing at the World Cup. Add to that the speedy Spaniard Sempere, the athletic bulk and pace of Manoa and Craig in the tight, as well as a genuine challenge to Lee Dickson at 9 in the shape of Roberts, and the Saints strength in depth looks to have been addressed – and then some.

The Saints have enjoyed a particularly pleasing pre-season, with strong wins against Toulouse and Leinster away, coupled with a convincing victory over the Russian national side. In amongst these wins was a sobering loss to a powerful Castres side, who Northampton will meet again later this season in the Heineken Cup. Forward dominance, particularly in the scrum, has been a key feature of these victories, continuing on from last season. What is particularly pleasing for Jim and especially Dorian West is that this dominance has come without the bulk and strength of first choice loosehead prop Tonga’uiha, who is away with Tonga at the World Cup. In place of the affectionately dubbed ‘Tiny’ has been either Waller or Doran-Jones, with Mercey making a cheeky appearance there also. However it is like to be Doran-Jones that will start proceedings against his former employers, as he looks to prove to Martin Johnson that he has made a mistake in not taking him to the World Cup.

Gloucester have enjoyed a decidedly more surprising pre-season to the 2011-2012 campaign, with an underwhelming loss against Championship outfit London Welsh putting a damper on their demolition of the Russian national side. The Cherry and Whites have lost not only a number of players to the World Cup, but also a number of players to other clubs. Aside from Doran-Jones move to Northampton, Gloucester also lost Dave Attwood to Bath and Nicky Robinson to London Wasps. However, that is not to say that they have been weakened by those losses. In recent years, head coach Bryan Redpath has brought through a raft of talented youngsters into the Gloucester first team, most notably Charlie Sharples (who many consider unlucky to not be on the plane to New Zealand), Freddie Burns (who will be the first choice No.10 for the side) and Jonny May – May having almost single-handedly won the fixture for Gloucester last season. Sharples, Burns and May are likely to be joined in the backs division by James Simpson-Daniel and Olly Morgan – both vastly experienced Premiership players with International exposure also. Add in the bulk of Tim Molenaar and Gloucester have a backline riddled with pace, strength and youth that may well set the Premiership alight this season. If the Saints are to win on Sunday, they must starve this pacey backline of as much ball as possible.

The first game of the season is always something of an unknown. For many, the performance counts more than the result, with the game usually laying down a marker for what can be expected from the team for the rest of the season. However, in front of a near sell-out Franklins Gardens, the Saints will be expected to win. How to do it? That’s up to Messr’s Mallinder, West and Grayson. However if last season was anything to go by, we can be expecting a battle at the breakdown with a potential dominance in the scrum, coupled with hard running from the centres to get us over the gain-line in order to unleash the pace of the back three. Win the ball at the set pieces and dominate the breakdown – simples. Right? Maybe not so. Gloucester’s ability to make something out of nothing is a concern for the Northampton management. It only takes one momentary lapse of concentration and Simpson-Daniel and Co can tear you apart – the next thing you know you’ve conceded a seven-pointer with Jonny May dotting down between the sticks. Underestimate the Cherry and Whites at your peril – they have a backline to scare the living daylights out of any Premiership side, and that’s without Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu!

How do I think the Saints will fare personally? I think we’ll win. Maybe not by a shed-load of points (no pun intended), but we should win. I expect our forward dominance to continue, even without Tiny, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood. Hopefully we will have learnt from last season’s dip in form, and more of the pack will step up to replace Dylan’s tenacity, aggression and leadership, with Manoa in particular filling the physical and athletic gap left by Lawes. Calum Clark and Phil Dowson will pick up where they left off, winning ball on the floor, making tackles and supporting backs whilst Roger Wilson continues to punch holes in the midfield with James Downey. I would hope that Christian Day will step up his leadership, not allowing the heads of the ‘quiet’ front-row to ever drop, no matter what happens. Mooj will be Mooj – as dynamic, strong and aggressive as ever, driving the scrum forward for solid ball for the backline. So long as Brett Sharman hits his man in the lineout, Jimmy Downey and Sergeant Wilson get us over the gain-line and Myler kicks his goals, we should have the beating of Redpath’s men.

Sun 4 Sept, 3.30pm: Gloucester Rugby
DaventrySaint’s Predicted Team:

15 Greig Tonks
14 Paul Dggin
13 Tom May
12 James Downey
11 Noah Cato
10 Stephen Myler
9 Lee Dickson
1 Paul Doran-Jones
2 Brett Sharman
3 Brian Mujati
4 Samu Manoa
5 Christian Day
6 Calum Clark
7 Phil Dowson (Captain)
8 Roger Wilson

Replacements:
16 Andy Long
17 Alex Waller
18 Tom Mercey
19 Mark Sorenson
20 James Craig
21 Martin Roberts
22 Ryan Lamb
23 Cesar Sempere

Saints by 10.