Much-changed Saints hand debut to summer recruit

Northampton Saints have handed a debut to England U20 international George Makepeace-Cubitt, who was playing in National League One last season for Rams Rugby.

Once part of the London Irish academy, the versatile back was picked up by Saints over the summer and is now set for his first senior outing for the club six games into the Gallagher Premiership season.

Makepeace-Cubitt, who becomes Saints #2045, has been handed the No.10 jersey for Friday's trip to Bristol, as the defending champions look to sign off from the first block of leagues fixtures on a high.

The 20-year-old is one of 10 new starters for Saints across the line-up from last week, as Director of Rugby Phil Dowson rings the changes while several England internationals are away with the national side for a training camp ahead of the Autumn Nations Series.

Saints got back to winning ways last time out with a resounding 47-17 win over Sale Sharks, moving the men in Black, Green and Gold up to fifth in the Gallagher Premiership table, and they now travel to Ashton Gate in search of their first away victory of the season – and a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

Lock Alex Coles will skipper Saints in Bristol in the absence of club captain George Furbank, taking on the role for the third time in his career from Saints’ second row, while being joined in the engine room by Fiji international Temo Mayanavanua.

Tom West starts at loose-head prop for Saints, with hooker Curtis Langdon and tighthead prop Elliot Millar Mills – who was named in Scotland’s squad for the Autumn Nations Series yesterday – also returning to Saints’ starting XV to form a fresh-look front row.

Josh Kemeny is handed the blindside flanker role  to make his sixth appearance in his debut season at Saints, while Tom Pearson and Henry Pollock retain their places at openside flanker and No.8 respectively.

Makepeace-Cubitt joins in-form scrum-half Tom James in Saints’ half-back berths, while centres Rory Hutchinson – who was also named in Scotland’s squad yesterday – and Tom Litchfield form Northampton’s midfield partnership outside them.

Saints call on a new-look back three for the clash with Bears, as George Hendy shifts to fullback with Tom Seabrook making his first appearance of the season on Northampton’s wing, and James Ramm – who assisted two of Saints’ tries last week while scoring one of his own – also comes into the starting line-up.

Craig Wright, a 20-year-old hooker, is set to make his Premiership debut should he enter the action at Ashton Gate.

Northampton: 15 George Hendy; 14 James Ramm, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tom Seabrook; 10 George Makepeace-Cubitt, 9 Tom James; 1 Tom West, 2 Curtis Langdon, 3 Elliot Millar Mills, 4 Temo Mayanavanua, 5 Alex Coles (c), 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Henry Pollock. Replacements: 16 Craig Wright, 17 Emmanuel Iyogun, 18 Luke Green, 19 Gavin Thornbury, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Archie McParland, 22 Charlie Savala, 23 Jake Garside.