Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Northampton Saints welcome back trio of internationals

PA

Northampton Saints have welcomed back a trio of internationals into their starting XV for Friday evening’s visit of Bordeaux-Bègles in the Heineken Champions Cup.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wales fly-half Dan Biggar, Fiji hooker Sam Matavesi, and England flanker Courtney Lawes all return to DoR Chris Boyd’s line-up for the first time this season, as the men in Black, Green and Gold look to kick-off their European campaign with a win in front of 2,000 supporters at Franklin’s Gardens.

This will be only the third meeting between Northampton and Bordeaux – the sides clashed twice in the 1997/98 Challenge Cup, each winning their home matches – while Saints have won nine of their last 11 home games against Top14 opposition in the Champions Cup.

Video Spacer

Zebo lashes out at World Rugby:

Video Spacer

Zebo lashes out at World Rugby:

Tom Wood will lead out the hosts from flanker, with Lawes (making his first appearance since sustaining an ankle injury in September) on the other side of the scrum, and Shaun Adendorff completes the back row in the No.8 jersey.

Hooker Matavesi, who started Fiji’s only Autumn Nations Cup clash against Georgia last weekend, comes straight into the starting line-up while Nick Auterac and Owen Franks pack down either side of him in the front row.

David Ribbans and Nick Isiekwe are selected in the engine room for Saints, with Biggar returning at fly-half after five weeks with Wales and partnering No.9 Alex Mitchell in the half-back berths.

Rory Hutchinson and Matt Proctor are selected together in Northampton’s midfield for the first time this term, while wing Taqele Naiyaravoro gets his first start of the season and Ahsee Tuala and fullback George Furbank round off the back three.

ADVERTISEMENT

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs BORDEAUX BÈGLES
15 George Furbank
14 Ahsee Tuala
13 Matt Proctor
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 Dan Biggar
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Nick Auterac
2 Sam Matavesi
3 Owen Franks
4 David Ribbans
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Tom Wood (c)
8 Shaun Adendorff

Replacements:
16 James Fish
17 Francois van Wyk
18 Paul Hill
19 Api Ratuniyarawa
20 JJ Tonks
21 Henry Taylor
22 Fraser Dingwall
23 Ryan Olowofela

Not available due to injury:
Alex Coles (shoulder), Teimana Harrison (calf), Mikey Haywood (knee), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (achilles), Lewis Ludlam (shin), Reece Marshall (concussion), Alex Moon (ankle), Ollie Sleightholme (ankle), and Kayde Sylvester (Achilles).

MATCH DETAILS:
Heineken Champions Cup, Round 1 (Pool A)
Friday 11 December 2020
Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 5.30pm

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 23 minutes ago
Scott Robertson reflects on the All Blacks’ Freedom Cup loss to Springboks

Razor was untouchable in a club competition that favours the AB's with no real competition. The Crusaders has been the main feeding trough for the ABs for a long time. Easier to stay strong and win against weaker club teams like Super Rugby Pacific. A great club coach doesn't make for a winning test coach. Rassie took over a Bok team that got flogged by everyone. He changed them around and created a winning team and culture. Razor took over a team that barely lost in a WC final. Massive difference between the 2 coaches and teams during transition phases. The question have to be asked...Is the problems in NZ rugby deeper than the team? Are they growing weaker due to coaching or competition? This 2 tests the AB's had it but lost it against a team that is swapping and changing continuesly. Changing that many players, no matter how good they are, you lose a lot of little things. In attack the Boks struggle to gel, they play in short bursts and currently is a team who rescue themselves through sheer power or broken play. Their mental strength is one of the biggest changes in the team. They find a way to win. They believe that they are the best but they are not letting it make them complacent. They know they are hard to beat and at any given day can lose. They are not the polished product and far from reaching their end goal. Rassie keeps shifting the goal posts. Making it harder for every player to keep their spot on the team. Fozzie was seen as the worst AB's coach, but he got them to the WC final. The NZRU would have been very happy that the AB's lost that final. What would it have looked like if they fired a coach they mocked, gave a hard time and fired long before the WC, if he won the WC? They are not good at their jobs. Just like with the Aussie board, this NZ board is failing upwards. How long before the AB's become the Wallabies? The players are trying hard, but they can do only so much. Razor is a coach of habit. He has his favourites. Is the current AB's team the best players in each position in the country? Or is there better players that don't get a look in? These players are not bad. The best though? Imagine what an Aki Bundee would have been able to do, and other players the AB's throw away for fun. Now they gain residency and play for other countries or go back to their Island nations and play for them. No matter how I look at it, NZ rugby is going backwards. I don't blame the players. NZ still produce world class players, but a lot of questions is left to answer. More than just a losing team. Razor should not have walked in as head coach. He should have been assistant to learn the ropes of international rugby. There is a vast difference between club and international rugby. Is the NZRU setting up Razor to fail?

4 Go to comments
J
JW 52 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks | The Rugby Championship

Yeah he might, I only saw the one angle where it looked cheek on cheek, and I didn't see what you're referring to today at all. Did either incident change the play SB, did they have any affect on the game?


Um, I don't think you're right in that 'fact' about foul play SB. I just sounds like the typical moaning SA fans did after Sam Cane's red in the world cup final, after there own captain had done the same or worse, taken out Frenchmen the previous game, and lost domestic titles due to their own nations offences. Don't you think it is hypocritical to talk about New Zealanders? Or is that in fact why you are trying to put Kiwi's in the same boat as others?


I would venture you've fallen into the media hole. It's easy to look at things like number of cards in isolation, for someone to cherry pick data and others to swallow it whole. I would need to do some research to see a problem developing with NZ rugby.


To me, on the surface without digging into it, they have mostly felt hard done by, so I'd suggest to anyone that they simply haven't adapted to the changing laws rather than having changed (their rugby style) themselves. I think if you did look you would find all sanctions were mitigated down to the most minimal suspensions possible. The only bad act I recall was Sonny-Bill Williams in Lions 2 with his league tackle. For him, it would just go down into the 'stupid' category.


So if you don't wont to look stupid throwing around the word 'fact', you should at least be able to back it up when you do try it ;)

41 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Springboks-All Blacks takes: Double banking dishonesty, Fassi the weak link, undercooked selections Springboks-All Blacks takes
Search