The high-flying Northampton Saints are eyeing up an unprecedented Champions Cup and Premiership double this season, as Phil Dowson’s men are sat atop of the Premiership table as we approach the final few weeks. The Saints are looking to shift this winning momentum to the Champions Cup for tomorrow’s fixture, as they take on the Vodacom Bulls for a first-time meeting at Franklin’s Gardens.
The Saints cruised to the knock-out stages after taking pole position in Pool C. They progressed out of the group with fellow Premiership club Exeter Chiefs, who are all set for a scintillating Sunday fixture away against five-time Champions Cup winners Toulouse. The Saints recorded a quartet of wins to take top seat in the group, which saw them hand defeats to Glasgow, Toulon, Bayonne and Munster.
Northampton then pushed on into the Round of 16, and repeated the favour with a second victory ovcer Munster, with two late scores from George Hendy sealing a dramatic 24-14 win. Questions marks were asked around the reason for the two consecutive fixtures against the Irish province, yet the East Midlanders were not phased by the tournament draw, with the EPCR lining up the opponents, and the Saints have so far been able to knock them down. Northampton now face a home quarter-final against the Bulls, who are the sole South African side left in the competition.
Looking at the visitors, and the Bulls currently sit at third in the United Rugby Championship, and battered their Round of 16 opponents for a spot in the last eight. The Bulls handed Lyon a heavy 59-19 defeat last weekend in Pretoria, as Sebastian de Klerk and Embrose Papier both crossed over for two tries each. Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Vermaark, Willie Le Roux, David Kriel and Chris Smith also got on the scoreboard, and the South African side ran away with the match in the second half.
The Bulls have been on the receiving end of some recent criticism, after naming their squad to play Northampton tomorrow evening. A total of 10 match-fit Springboks remain at Loftus Versfeld and will not travel to Northampton; Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Elrigh Louw, the co-captains Marcell Coetzee and Ruan Nortjé, Wilco Louw and Gerhard Steenekamp. This cohort of South African capped players will all follow the match on Saturday night through the TV broadcast, with question marks raised around how sincerely the Bulls are approaching this fixture.
The injured flanker Marco van Staden brings the vacant Springbok count up to eleven for the Bulls, whilst other first choice players David Kriel, Ruan Vermaak and Johan Grobbelaar also remain in South Africa, instead of touring to the East Midlands of England. There has been recent speculation around the status placed on the Champions and Challenge Cups by the South African nations, with this selected starting line-up from the Bulls only adding fuel to the fiery argument. The precedence seems to be on succeeding in the URC, with the Saints expected favourites following the squad announcements.
Northampton DoR Phil Dowson has made three changes to his Saints side, from the one that secured the victory over Munster. Juarno Augustus, Alex Mitchell and Hendy mark the changes to Saints’ side, with all three coming into the starting line-up after beginning last week’s match on the bench.
Last weekend’s match-winner Hendy starts alongside wing Ollie Sleightholme and fullback James Ramm in Northampton’s back three, while England international Tommy Freeman shifts into Saints’ centre, to partner up with fellow England capped talent Fraser Dingwall. Northampton name an unchanged tight five, as Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon and Trevor Davison retain their places in Saints’ front row, and Alex Moon and Alex Coles partner up in the engine room.
Courtney Lawes captains Saints from the back row, and is joined by Sam Graham and incoming No.8 Augustus to complete the starting XV. Northampton feature in their first quarter-final in the competition since 2020, when Saints travelled to Exeter Chiefs behind the closed doors of the Covid pandemic. This defeat to the Chiefs came on the road to Exeter’s sole Champions Cup triumph, as the Chiefs recorded a historic Premiership and Champions Cup double; a feat that the Saints wish to emulate some four years later.
There’s a welcome return among Saints’ replacements as George Furbank makes his comeback from injury, with the likes of Sam Matavesi, Alex Waller, Lewis Ludlam and Tom James also named on Saints’ bench.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs VODACOM BULLS – Investec Champions Cup, Quarter-Final
VENUE: cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens (Kick-off: 8pm)
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
15. James Ramm 14. George Hendy 13. Tommy Freeman 12. Fraser Dingwall 11. Ollie Sleightholme 10. Fin Smith 9. Alex Mitchell 1. Emmanuel Iyogun 2. Curtis Langdon 3. Trevor Davison 4. Alex Moon 5. Alex Coles 6. Courtney Lawes (c) 7. Sam Graham 8. Juarno Augustus
REPLACEMENTS: 16. Sam Matavesi 17. Alex Waller 18. Paul Hill 19. Temo Mayanavanua 20. Angus Scott-Young 21. Lewis Ludlam 22. Tom James 23. George Furbank
VODACOM BULLS: 15. Devon Williams 14. Sebastian De Klerk 13. Henry Immelman 12. Harold Vorster 11. Stravino Jacobs 10. Chris Smith 9. Zak Burger 1. Simphiwe Matanzima 2. Akker van der Merwe 3. Mornay Smith 4. Jank Swanepoel 5. JF Van Heerden 6. Nizaam Carr 7. Mpilo Gumede 8. Cameron Hanekom
REPLACEMENTS: 16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17. Dylan Smith 18. Francois Klopper 19. Merwe Olivier 20. Reinhardt Ludwig 21. Kaegan Johannes 22. Jaco Van Der Walt 23. Cornal Hendricks