Premiership
Northampton Saints confirm playing squad for 2022/23 season
Northampton Saints have confirmed the Club’s first-team squad list for the 2022/23 season.
Director of Rugby Phil Dowson will lead a group of 60 players in total for his first season at the helm (up from 58 in 2021/22) with 19 new faces arriving at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens – including the likes of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Angus Scott-Young, James Ramm, Callum Braley and Ethan Waller.
Saints’ coaching group is reshaped for the upcoming campaign as Dowson moves into the Director of Rugby position and Sam Vesty also makes a step-up as Head Coach.
Former Saints lock James Craig also transitions from the Club’s Academy programme into the senior coaching group, joining first-team coaches Ian Vass and Matt Ferguson.
Former Director of Rugby Chris Boyd takes up a new advisory role with the Club, providing strategic counsel to the coaching group by both working remotely from New Zealand and visiting Northampton during the season.
An impressive 70% (42/60) of Northampton’s senior squad have come through the Saints Academy system, an increase of 3% from 2021/22. Mark Hopley (Head of Academy) continues to lead the Senior Academy group of 21 players and is supported by Jake Sharp, Will Parkin, and Jim Henry, as well as Alex O’Dowd (Academy Programme Manager).
PROPS
Oisín Heffernan
Paul Hill
Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
Emmanuel Iyogun
Ehren Painter
George Patten*
Alfie Petch
Ed Prowse*
Nick Tarr*
Alex Waller
Ethan Waller
HOOKERS
Callum Burns*
James Fish
Aston Gradwick-Light*
Mikey Haywood
Sam Matavesi
Robbie Smith
Craig Wright*
LOCKS & LOOSE FORWARDS
Emeka Atuanya*
Juarno Augustus
Alex Coles
Joseph Gaffan*
Sam Graham
Aaron Hinkley
Geordie Irvine*
Courtney Lawes
Tom Lockett*
Lewis Ludlam
Alex Moon
Brandon Nansen
David Ribbans
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
Angus Scott-Young
Kayde Sylvester*
Josh Weru*
Karl Wilkins
Duane RatuVilai Willemsen*
SCRUM-HALVES
Callum Braley
Jake Garside*
Tom James
Alex Mitchell
FLY-HALVES
Dan Biggar
James Grayson
Matthew Arden*
CENTRES
Fraser Dingwall
Ethan Grayson*
Rory Hutchinson
Archie Kean*
Tom Litchfield*
Joel Matavesi
Matt Proctor
Toby Thame*
WINGERS
Tom Collins
James Ramm
Courtnall Skosan
Frankie Sleightholme*
Ollie Sleightholme
FULLBACKS
Tommy Freeman
George Furbank
George Hendy*
* Senior Academy 2022/23
Premiership
INJURY UPDATE | George Ford
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
Premiership
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Gloucester
Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
Premiership
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Saracens
Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby