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Northampton Saints to face Leinster this September
By Ian Cameron
Northampton Saints will get an opportunity to exact revenge on Leinster when they face the Irish heavyweights in a preseason match this September.
Leinster squeezed by the Gallagher Premiership winners in a tense Investec Champions Cup match back in May, Leo Cullen's side scraping by on a 20-17 scoreline at Croke Park, despite dominating the first half.
The pre-season game will take place at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens and marks the first time Leinster has traveled to Northampton since 2019.
The teams have faced each other five times in the last five years. The match on Saturday, 7 September, will kick off at 2 pm and will serve as preparation for Saints ahead of their Gallagher Premiership title defence.
“We’re very excited to be welcoming Leinster to the Gardens for the first time in five years,” said Dowson, Northampton’s Director of Rugby. “It’s always vital to hit the ground running at the start of the season, and in Leinster we’re welcoming one of the very best sides in Europe so playing a team of their calibre is the perfect early assessment for us.
“Leinster are world-class opposition, so there aren’t many better sides to test ourselves against.”
“Our thanks go to Leinster for working with us to get this fixture arranged. We look forward to facing them in Northampton later this summer, and we’re also excited to welcome our supporters back to the Gardens for the first time in the 2024/25 campaign.”
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Latest Comments
Funny man.
Go to commentsWhile I thought Pollock and Willis played well and got through a ton of work, I am not sure their contributions deserved quite the level of praise they're getting. Australia were effective at the breakdown, especially in the first half, and their defence held firm against the forwards' assault. England's attack was more effective out wide (albeit with the forwards earning them the right to use that space).
For me, the most important performance for the senior England side - at least in the short term - was Will Porter. He was quick to the breakdown, made smart decisions under pressure, provided excellent support play and delivered the ball accurately. His afternoon was epitomised by his role in Langdon's try - tracking the move from Carpenter's catch, being on hand to pick up the loose ball after Carpenter missed the offload, then smartly changing direction to avoid a tackle long enough to make the long pass to Langdon and give him a walk in.
Given none of the other England scrum halves on display over the road have set the world alight, I think Porter should be given a chance against Japan, perhaps off the bench. He also has the huge advantage that England have finally committed to Marcus Smith, and Porter is now Quins' first choice 9. The understanding they have could make a material difference to England's attack.
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