Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Scotland centre recalled as Saints bid to do the double over Prem Champs

By Sam Smith
Rory Hutchinson /PA

Scotland centre Rory Hutchinson has been recalled to the Northampton Saints starting line-up for their final home game of the season, against Exeter Chiefs, a side they have already beaten on the road this season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hutchinson is one of two changes from the side who beat Wasps last weekend, with prop Ehren Painter being named in the starting side. Hutchinson, who has three caps to his name for Scotland, has overcome a calf strain to be included.

Boyd’s charges head into Round 21 in fifth place in the Gallagher Premiership table, and will look to complete a season’s double over reigning champions Exeter Chiefs in front of a sold-out crowd of almost 4,000 supporters.

Video Spacer

How do players from 4 rival countries become teammates | Spirit of Rugby | EP 4 | RugbyPass

Video Spacer

How do players from 4 rival countries become teammates | Spirit of Rugby | EP 4 | RugbyPass

Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme and Taqele Naiyaravoro form an unchanged back three for Saints, with Matt Proctor retaining his spot in the centres to partner the returning Hutchinson, while Tom James and Dan Biggar continue in the half-back berths for the second week running

Club co-captain Alex Waller joins Sam Matavesi – who this week extended his stay in Northampton with a new contract – and Painter in the front row, while David Ribbans and Api Ratuniyarawa remain in an unchanged engine room behind them.

Courtney Lawes starts again at flanker and partners Saints’ co-captain Lewis Ludlam, while Tom Wood continues in the No. 8 shirt after his match-winning score last weekend.

Emmanuel Iyogun, Alex Moon and Alex Coles will all look to make an impact off Northampton’s bench, meanwhile Alex Mitchell returns to the side from injury for the first time since April to take his place amongst the replacements.

ADVERTISEMENT

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS:
15 Tommy Freeman
14 Ollie Sleightholme
13 Matt Proctor
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 Dan Biggar
9 Tom James
1 Alex Waller (co-capt)
2 Sam Matavesi
3 Ehren Painter
4 David Ribbans
5 Api Ratuniyarawa
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Lewis Ludlam (co-capt)
8 Tom Wood

REPLACEMENTS:
16 Mike Haywood
17 Emmanuel Iyogun
18 Paul Hill
19 Alex Moon
20 Alex Coles
21 Alex Mitchell
22 James Grayson
23 Fraser Dingwall

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Storm clouds gather over Biarritz with owner poised to bail out Storm clouds gather over Biarritz with owner poised to bail out
Search