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Five members of England's Six Nations squad out for Saints' Euro tie
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Anthony Belleau will start at fly-half for Northampton Saints on Friday when they host Castres in the round of 16 in the Investec Champions Cup.
The Frenchman will come back into the Saints’ squad for the clash at Franklin’s Gardens after Fin Smith picked up a head injury in the victory over Saracens last week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Smith was one of three members of England’s Guinness Six Nations squad who were casualties in the win, with Trevor Davison picking up a knee injury and Emmanuel Iyogun suffering a back spasm.
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While Smith and Iyogun are expected to return soon, Davison’s season is over after undergoing an operation. He will be sidelined alongside Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles, though director of rugby Phil Dowson said the pair are “both improving” this week.
There have been six changes in total from the starting XV that ran out against Saracens, with JJ van der Mescht returning to the second-row after a cameo from the bench, which saw him held up over the line twice in the 21-17 win.
Player of the match in London, flanker Tom Pearson, has dropped down to the bench this week, with Callum Chick starting instead. Chick’s return to the starting XV at No.8 has, in turn, shifted Henry Pollock to openside flanker.
Fraser Dingwall will also return to the starting side at inside centre, swapping roles with Rory Hutchinson.
George Furbank, who deputised at fly-half following Smith’s injury, will captain the side from full-back as Saints look to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Northampton Saints XV
15 George Furbank
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Fraser Dingwall
11 James Ramm
10 Anthony Belleau
9 Archie McParland
1 Danilo Fischetti
2 Craig Wright
3 Luke Green
4 Tom Lockett
5 JJ Van Der Mescht
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Henry Pollock
8 Callum Chick
Replacements
16 Curtis Langdon
17 Tom West
18 Cleopas Kundiona
19 Ed Prowse
20 Chunya Munga
21 Tom Pearson
22 Jonny Weimann (Champions Cup debut)
23 Rory Hutchinson
