ENGLAND HALF-BACKS BENCHED AS STEVE DIAMOND’S BAN BEGINS AGAINST NEW-LOOK NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Northampton Saints have made 13 changes to the side that progressed to the Champions Cup semi-finals as they return to Premiership action against Newcastle Falcons.

Burger Odendaal will take on the captaincy duties on Friday, as the men in Black, Green and Gold make major alterations for the clash with the league’s bottom side.

The 32-year-old centre skippers Saints for the first time as he makes his 17th appearance – leading the side as they go after their sixth league win of the campaign.

Just two remain in XV

Captain Odendaal and full-back James Ramm are the two who stay on from the match, while Tom West, Tom Lockett, Tom Pearson, Tom James and Rory Hutchinson all shift into the starting XV after featuring on the bench last time out.

Wingers Tom Seabrook and Tom Litchfield both start at Kingston Park, with full-back Ramm completing the back three – while skipper Odendaal partners Scotland international Hutchinson in the centres.

Scrum-half James starts his 13th appearance for Northampton this term, while Charlie Savala takes over at fly-half to wear the number 10 shirt in Newcastle.

Loosehead prop West joins hooker Craig Wright and tighthead prop Luke Green to form a new-look front-row for Northampton this week, while Chunya Munga and Tom Lockett partner up in the engine room behind them.

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And Saints round off the starting XV with a back-row of flankers Angus Scott-Young and Pearson, plus number eight Iakopo Mapu.

Meanwhile, Northampton name a bench full of experience for the clash – with the likes of Temo Mayanavanua, Juarno Augustus, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith all set to enter the action at Kingston Park.

This game is the first of Newcastle director of rugby Steve Diamond‘s six-match suspension as he will watch Friday’s Premiership clash with the Saints from the stands.

Murray McCallum returns for the Falcons and the Scottish prop comes in as one of two changes from the side which was narrowly beaten at Exeter Chiefs last time out.

Sam Stuart returns at scrum-half as a hamstring strain sidelines Joe Davis, while there could be a Premiership debut for 20-year-old lock-forward Finn Baker.

Max Pepper returns to the bench after missing the last two months through injury, with Sammy Arnold also back in the match-day 23 having recovered from a head knock.

The teams

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Max Clark, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart, 8 Callum Chick (c), 7 Cameron Neild, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 4 John Hawkins, 3 Murray McCallum, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Adam Brocklebank

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Micky Rewcastle, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Finn Baker, 20 Ollie Leatherbarrow, 21 Max Pepper, 22 Sammy Arnold, 23 Oli Spencer

Northampton Saints: 15 James Ramm, 14 Tom Litchfield, 13 Burger Odendaal (c), 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tom Seabrook, 10 Charlie Savala, 9 Tom James, 8 Iakopo Mapu, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Angus Scott-Young, 5 Tom Lockett, 4 Chunya Munga, 3 Luke Green, 2 Craig Wright, 1 Tom West

Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Tarek Haffar, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Will Glister

Venue: Kingston Park

Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)

Referee: Luke Pearce

Assistant Referees: Hamish Smales, James Clarke

TMO: Andrew Jackson

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2025-04-17T13:13:14Z