Northampton Saints name team to take tilt at three in a row at Ashton Gate

Northampton Saints Director of Rugby Chris Boyd has named a matchday squad full of youth for Tuesday evening’s Gallagher Premiership visit to the West Country to face Bristol Bears.

The men in Black, Green and Gold have won four of their last six away matches in all tournaments, and have been victorious on their last two visits to Ashton Gate – but will face a stern test against Pat Lam’s in-form outfit.

Piers Francis and Fraser Dingwall line up together again in Saints’ midfield, with Taqele Naiyaravoro and Ryan Olowofela on the wings and 19-year-old fullback Tommy Freeman completing the back three.

Scrum-half Tom James – signed this summer from Doncaster Knights – will start for Northampton for the first time and will hope to pull the strings alongside James Grayson, who wears the No.10 jersey.

A homegrown front row sees props Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and Ehren Painter pack down alongside Mikey Haywood.

Alex Moon and Nick Isiekwe are selected in the second row with flanker Lewis Ludlam leading out the side in Bristol as captain – the England international is joined in the back row by Jamie Gibson and Shaun Adendorff.

A young bench sees wing Josh Gillespie primed for his league debut if he enters the action, with Senior Academy prospects Karl Garside, Tui Uru, and Reuben Bird-Tulloch also hoping to grasp an opportunity with both hands in the West Country.

Northampton Saints team:

15 Tommy Freeman

14 Ryan Olowofela

13 Fraser Dingwall

12 Piers Francis

11 Taqele Naiyaravoro

10 James Grayson

9 Tom James

1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi

2 Mikey Haywood

3 Ehren Painter

4 Alex Moon

5 Nick Isiekwe

6 Jamie Gibson

7 Lewis Ludlam (c)

8 Shaun Adendorff

Replacements:

16 Reece Marshall

17 Nick Auterac

18 Karl Garside

19 Lewis Bean

20 Tui Uru

21 Henry Taylor

22 Reuben Bird-Tulloch

23 Josh Gillespie

Not available due to injury:

Alex Coles (ankle), Tom Collins (foot), Harry Mallinder (knee), Ollie Sleightholme (hamstring), Ahsee Tuala (groin), Connor Tupai (wrist), Alex Waller (achilles), and Tom Wood (illness).

Referee: Tom Foley

Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace and Simon McConnell

TMO: Wayne Barnes

No.4: Neil Chivers