Saints name team for Champions Cup opener at Glasgow

Northampton Saints kick off their Investec Champions Cup campaign at Glasgow Warriors this Friday (8 December, kick-off: 8pm), with Phil Dowson naming his side for the Round 1 clash. 

The men in Black, Green and Gold make the trip to Scotstoun in Europe for the first time since 2015; Saints ran out 26-15 winners that day as Ahsee Tuala claimed a brace of scores, while 11 points from Stephen Myler’s boot and a try from George Pisi sealed the victory. 

And Dowson rings the changes for the Round 1 clash, making seven changes to Saints’ starting XV from the side that claimed an 18-12 win at Saracens last weekend. 

Alex Waller, Curtis Langdon and Paul Hill form a new-look front row against Glasgow, with Alex Moon and Tom Lockett coming into the engine room – with the latter making his European debut in Scotstoun. 

Courtney Lawes packs down at blindside flanker for the fourth time this season, while Angus Scott-Young is preferred on Saints’ openside and Sam Graham completes the pack at No. 8. 

Alex Mitchell returns to Saints’ starting line-up after scoring the decisive try at StoneX Stadium last weekend, joining Fin Smith in the half-back berths as Northampton open their Champions Cup campaign. 

Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman man Saints’ centres for the fifth week running, while George Hendy is set to make his Champions Cup debut on the wing alongside Ollie Sleightholme.

George Furbank takes on the captain’s duties again this week as he starts at fullback to round off the starting XV. 

There are two welcome returns from injury amongst Saints’ replacements in Robbie Smith and Tarek Haffar, with the latter set to make his Club debut should he enter the action at Scotstoun. Meanwhile Trevor Davison, Temo Mayanavanua, Tom Pearson and Tom Seabrook are also amongst those hoping to make an impact from Saints’ bench. 

GLASGOW WARRIORS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Investec Champions Cup, Round 1
Friday 8 December, 2023
Scotstoun Stadium

Kick-off: 8pm

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

1 Alex Waller
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Paul Hill
4 Tom Lockett
5 Alex Moon
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Angus Scott-Young
8 Sam Graham

Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Tarek Haffar – Northampton Saints debut
18 Trevor Davison
19 Temo Mayanavanua
20 Tom Pearson
21 Tom James
22 Tom Litchfield
23 Tom Seabrook

Not available for selection:
Matthew Arden, Juarno Augustus, Alex Coles, Will Glister, Rory Hutchinson, Emmanuel Iyogun, Lewis Ludlam, Joel Matavesi, Chunya Munga, Burger Odendaal, James Ramm.

Referee: Luc Ramos (Fra)
Assistant referee: Vivien Praderie (Fra) and Jonathan Gasnier (Fra)
TMO: Thomas Charabas (Fra)