New role for hat-trick man Tommy Freeman as Saints visit Bear country

Tommy Freeman has been moved fo full-back for Northampton’s trip to Bristol on Saturday, replacing James Pater, his fellow hat-trick scorer in last weekend’s 59-26 win against Newcastle, in the No.15 jersey.

Freeman, 25, made his Saints debut at full-back in September 2019 and played frequently there in his first two seasons as a pro. But outings at 15 have been few and far between since he established himself as a Test winger/outside-centre, with his last appearance in the specialist role coming away to Newcastle in October last year.

With Freeman deployed at full-back, it allows DoR Phil Dowson to accomodate the return of Ollie Sleightholme on the wing, as one of two changes to his starting XV from the one that beat the Red Bulls. George Hendy retains his place on the other wing.

Club captain Fraser Dingwall and Scotland’s Rory Hutchinson start in the centres for the second week running, while an unchanged half-back partnership of Archie McParland and Fin Smith continue on at scrum-half and fly-half respectively in Bristol.

Northampton remain completely unchanged in the tight five, with loosehead prop Emmanuel Iyogun, hooker Curtis Langdon and tighthead prop Cleopas Kundiona forming the front row, with locks Alex Coles and Ed Prowse behind them in the engine room.

Josh Taylor marks Saints’ second change to the starting XV, as he makes his first PREM start alongside Josh Kemeny and Henry Pollock in Northampton’s back row.

Saints name a standard 5-3 bench for the Ashton Gate clash, with the likes of Italians Danilo Fischetti and Ion Neculai and England internationals Callum Chick and Alex Mitchell among those set to enter the action in Bristol.

Last term Saints sealed a record-breaking win when Bears were the visitors to Northampton, scoring an impressive 14 tries in a 94-33 victory, on their way to securing a home play-off last term.

But the men in Black, Green and Gold are without a win at Ashton Gate in their last five outings there, most recently claiming victory on Bristol soil back in 2021 – when a Freeman brace secured a 36-20 win.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol

07:05

3 Oct 26

Northampton

All Stats and Data

Bristol have named an unchanged backline from last weekend’s win at Sale Sharks, but are forced into a change at prop due to Ellis Genge’s wrist injury. The club’s most-capped PREM player Jake Woolmore replaces the England international.

Club centurion Steven Luatua returns to the Bears’ back row.

Northampton team vs Bristol, kick-off 3.05pm, Ashton Gate, Saturday, 3 October:

15 Tommy Freeman
14 Ollie Sleightholme
13 Rory Hutchinson
12 Fraser Dingwall (c)
11 George Hendy
10 Fin Smith
9 Archie McParland

1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Cleopas Kundiona
4 Alex Coles
5 Ed Prowse
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Josh Taylor
8 Henry Pollock

Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Danilo Fischetti
18 Ion Neculai
19 Tom Lockett
20 Callum Chick
21 Alex Mitchell
22 Anthony Belleau
23 James Pater