The hottest team in the Prem right now are Northampton Saints. Phil Dowson’s men are sitting pretty at the top of the table after nine rounds of play with 38 points, two ahead of reigning champions Bath in second spot. The rivalry between the two clubs does not stop at the domestic league, it extends to the jostling for places in Steve Borthwick’s England squad at the Six Nations.
For every Guy Pepper there is a Henry Pollock, for every Ben Spencer an Alex Mitchell. The friction could become especially acute in the centres, where Rec men Max Ojomoh and Ollie Lawrence will be scrapping tooth and nail with Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman for minutes.
It should come as far less of a surprise to see Freeman’s name bracketed with that trio – plus Exter’s 74-cap veteran Henry Slade – in Borthwick’s squad after Northampton’s thumping 41-21 victory at the Rec just after Christmas. The champions played their first teamers and the Midlanders arrived 10 cards short of a full hand, but they still came away with a resounding win, scoring six tries to three in the process.
Freeman grabbed a hat-trick and that outcome will have moved him significantly closer to England selection at outside centre for the first-round game against Wales. Freeman has now started three of his past four games for club and country in that position and the prospect of a more permanent shift to number 13 is becoming increasingly attractive.
As the man himself declared: “There’s a bit more of a focus on 13 [in 2026]. It’s definitely an option, as it was last year, but the onus is on me to get some more training minutes in there. If I can do that and be trusted in the midfield then I’ll go for it.
“England and Saints are pretty aligned and they’ll give each other lots of feedback. Saints have me signed as a wing and if they want me to play there then I’ll play there – it’s as simple as that. Last year I think they probably would have liked to have had me in the middle a bit more but because of injuries I was on the wing.
“For now, I’m a wing and a 13 but then as we get on [more] 13 who can go on the wing. As you get a bit older and your legs get a bit slower, I’ll probably have to come in one [spot]. Having different strings to your bow does help but I just want to be on the pitch, representing the country, as much as possible.”
George Hendy, a team-mate of Freeman’s in the Franklin’s Gardens back three and a man with Red Rose aspirations of his own, is understandably eager to see the 2025 Lions’ Test starter make the move inside.
“I’d definitely say he’s capable after watching what he did for the majority of last season at 13 for us. I think he’s got the skill-set and the frame for it… The more games you play, the more you pick up and the better you get, so if England are looking at him as a 13 option, he is probably going to have to start putting in some shifts at 13 in a Saints shirt but I think he can do it.”
Hendy’s comment is significant. The 6ft 3 ins, 95kg wing/full-back is one of many talented tall redwoods in the Prem, part of a plethora of English riches in the back three. Whether you look towards Hendy and Freeman at Northampton, Tom Roebuck at Sale, Noah Caluori at Saracens or Bath’s own Will Muir, all are 6’3 or more and well-suited to the aerial acrobatics demanded by the modern kick-chase, so it makes sense to shift at least one of them inside to create room for the others to grow, and Freeman is likeliest lad of the lot to make the move.
Freeman could be the logical beneficiary at outside centre whether Borthwick goes with George Ford or Fin Smith as his starting 10. If he picks Ford for his pinpoint kicking, there could be at least three big athletes chasing the ball in Freeman, Roebuck and Freddie Steward. If he veers towardsSmith and the running game, there is every chance of club cohesion going national with an ‘All Saints’ midfield of Fraser Dingwall and Freeman in the centres serviced by Alex Mitchell at scrum-half.
The last possibility suggests Freeman may well find himself in competition for the 13 jersey with Lawrence rather than picked alongside the Bath man. Bath and Northampton prefer to complement the power of that pair with a ball player at 12, in the shape of either Ojomoh or Cameron Redpath at the Rec, and Dingwall or Rory Hutchinson at Franklin’s Gardens.
There is a sense of complementary functions with one of Slade, Dingwall or Ojomoh providing the bullets [more passes than runs] and either Lawrence or Freeman to fire them, each with more than twice the number of runs made to every pass they deliver. Neither Dingwall nor Ojomoh has the quality of kicking game to match Slade and that element will count in the Chief’s favour.
The Bath-Northampton game at the Rec may crucially have moved Freeman ahead of Lawrence in the pecking order judged purely on his effectiveness as a ball runner.
Freeman has enjoyed a sensational attacking start to his career in midfield, scoring four tries against Bath and Harlequins in two games where Saints racked up over 100 points, home and away. Lawrence has recently returned from injury and Atkinson has had little chance to showcase his talent at Kingsholm with the ailing Cherry and Whites. If you want a power runner in your midfield, it is hard indeed to look past the Northampton man. Freeman may be riding the zeitgeist all the way into the England midfield in 2026.
Twelve and 13 are fluid rather than fixed numbers in the modern game, and coaches will cheerfully swap players around to achieve the impacts they want. Lee Blackett and the England brains trust switched Lawrence and Dingwall over to score the decisive try of the game against the All Blacks in November.
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) January 5, 2026
The threat of Lawrence pulls the attention of Beauden Barrett and Quinn Tupaea in midfield and Billy Proctor outside them is caught in no man’s land when the Northampton man receives a short pass from his Bath brother-in-arms.
Freeman was also nominally wearing the 13 jersey for Saints when he ran straight through the tail end of the Bath lineout defence to score in only the third minute.
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) January 5, 2026
The Northampton 10 and 12 are out of the play as Freeman picks the perfect ‘unders’ line between two Bath front-rowers, hooker Tom Dunn and prop Beno Obano. Freeman’s ability to see the right running line well before the opportunity materialises is as uncanny as it is world-class and it is the hallmark of a great centre.
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) January 5, 2026
Freeman sees instantly his Bath opposite number Lawrence is taking away the width of the field and ‘shading’ him towards the inside, so he makes necessity the mother of invention with a bust straight up the middle of the park.
His ability to spot opportunities before they have begun to unfold was also in evidence in Saturday’s thrashing of Quins.
— William Bishop (@RPvids1994) January 5, 2026
Mitchell is running in ever-decreasing circles but Freeman picks up on the possibilities in support before anyone else – even before the Saints’ scrum-half has thought of them himself. That is a reading of the game well beyond the astute, it is positively prophetic.
Bath and Northampton are two best sides in the Prem, they are the champions of the past two years and sit at number one and two in the table. Many of their players will rightly be contesting England spots, and the rivalry will be nowhere hotter than in the centres.
The potential of Freeman as an international number 13 is the most intriguing option of all, and arguably the choice with the highest ceiling for England’s 2027 World Cup campaign.
Freeman fits the bill whether Borthwick decides to go to the skies with Ford at 10, or keep the ball at sea level with Smith. Wherever England supporters light their votive candles, they should not be surprised if it is All Saints Day for the Red Rose backline.
I think UBB vs Saints has got to be the pick of the ties this weekend.
If they attack like they have been over the last 2 games, they will put up a massive fight. If F Smith guides them to another impressive AWAY victory at UBB, I do start to wonder at what point you can no longer avoid the difficult question - When does Fin Smith get the ENG 10 shirt back?
It does look like Lee Blackett has stopped the Marcus Smith to 15 escapade - he’s capable of filling in there but I think we have better options at 15 (Furbank or Hendy).
Actually, the more I think about this, the more it’s a decision of game plan and who England play at 10 - that really does drive the backline selection.
Let’s just say you play Fin Smith, it basically suggests the following;
Mitchell (9), Fin Smith (10), Freeman (11), Dingwall (12), Lawrence (13), IF-W (14) & Furbank (15). That’s probably your 1st choice Fin Smith backline, unless you put Freeman (13) and create a space for Daly, Caluori, or Hendy on the wing.
However, to maximise the attack, you may think about starting Henry Pollock (8), so he does his runs off Finn Smith and that will change the ENG style of attack.
However, if you go with George Ford, it keeps Ben Earl as starting (8) and would be the following backline;
Mitchell (9), Ford (10), Freeman (11), Atkinson (12), Lawrence (13), IF-W (14) & Steward (15).
It’s a taller, more defensively solid back line, set up for a tactical kicking game.
Given what we are seeing and hearing, I very much think it will be the George Ford option, which may not be the best attack to watch but is delivering results, so is hard to argue for change at present.
Careful PM, you haven’t made the case for some of those selections! 😂
Whilst the Saints backline has played like this for the last couple of years, I’ve actually started to realise how much added dimension Henry Pollock gives them in attack.
Pollock usually positions himself on the blind side of Fin Smith, running as a ghost 12, which is why he hits so many of those lines. In attack, he basically has the handling skill of a top level 12 (and the acceleration), so just gives Fin Smith an alternative option all the time,
Those two playing together probably have more influence than the 10/13 combo together. They are the heart of so much of the Saints attack and I wonder if they try and incorporate more of that into the ENG attack.
Always helps to have a B/R who can play like a centre, ABs have used Ardie like that for years!
https://youtu.be/GSkGaCqrEvQ?si=xaoyJUKCOJg_TyVV&t=245
I can’t say I was impressed by Freeman at 13 for England. He has a lot to work on to become a threat at 13 for England by 2027.
Which is all meaningless anyway since the boks are going to win it anyway. Sh.t it must suck not being a Bok fan.
Discuss
It’s OK not being a Boks fan HH - the dark nights have drawn in, it’s cold wet and miserable, so we are in the perfect mindset to endure. 🤣🤣
It’s pretty hard to impress as a centre outside George Ford, given it’s mostly running D drills and ball chase from kicks but with Saints distribution style of play, with Fin Smith moving the ball quickly, he creates much more space for others.
Freeman has been electric for Saints but I think he works better with Fin Smith at 10, which will be the true test.
Why so? There are prob three teams out there capable of beating the Boks.
If he plays, then this weekends game against European Champions Bordeaux might give you a clearer idea of how Freeman is progressing at centre.