'He's got to be in the mix': Untapped England talent likened to Dupont

Alex Mitchell has got the nod over his young understudy Archie McParland for Northampton’s game against Exeter on Saturday, but ex-England international Andy Goode believes there is very little to choose between the two scrum-halves at this moment in time.

Before Saints DoR Phil Dowson opted to go for experience over youth for the Sandy Park clash, McParland had started five straight games, scoring four tries, while Mitchell continued to rehab the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the final two rounds of the Six Nations.

Mitchell, England’s first-choice nine, returned to action off the bench in last Friday’s 43-41 Champions Cup quarter-final defeat at Bath, which featured another sublime display from McParland, including a brilliant piece of skill in the build-up to Fraser Dingwall’s try, Saints’ second of the night, which left Goode drooling.

Speaking on the Rugby Pod, Goode said: “Imagine if Antoine Dupont had done what Archie McParland did? That set phase play from the lineout where he has just tipped it on with one hand. There’d be four million views by now.”

“It is absolutely ridiculous from @SaintsRugby!” 🎙️

Fraser Dingwall finishes a beauty for their second try in just six minutes 🤯#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/v1v7Z9qnYm

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 10, 2026

When asked about 21-year-old McParland’s England credentials, Goode thinks he deserves to be in the selection conversation,

“He’s got to be in the mix. Obviously there’s a few lads there. Mitchell came off the bench, Ben Spencer … they’re number one and two now.

“But McParland’s definitely up there. His performances over the last few weeks while Mitchell has been injured, have made you think, ‘we haven’t missed Mitchell from a Saints point of view.”

Mitchell for McParland is one of eight changes to the Saints XV, as the PREM table-toppers bid to put their harrowing Champions Cup exit behind them.

Tom Litchfield and George Hendy, at outside centre and wing, are the other changes to the backline, with Rory Hutchinson dropping out of the matchday 23 and Tommy Freeman placed on the bench.

Fin Smith stays on at fly-half for the clash in Exeter while winger Ollie Sleightholme and Dingwall start once again for Northampton, with George Furbank captaining Saints from fullback.

Cleopas Kundiona is the only front rower that remains from Saints’ outing at Bath last week as he starts at tight-head prop, with loose-head prop Emmanuel Iyogunt, who excelled off the bench last weekend, and hooker Craig Wright coming into the starting line-up to complete the front row.

Ed Prowse partners Tom Lockett in the second row in Exeter, while Josh Kemeny is joined by returning Sam Graham and No.8 Callum Chick in the back row for Saints.

Northampton:

15 George Furbank (c)
14 George Hendy
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Fraser Dingwall
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell

1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Craig Wright
3 Cleopas Kundiona
4 Ed Prowse
5 Tom Lockett
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Sam Graham
8 Callum Chick

Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Tom West
18 Elliot Millar Mills – 50th Saints appearance
19 JJ Van Der Mescht
20 Henry Pollock
21 Archie McParland
22 James Pater
23 Tommy Freeman