Premiership
Saints sign Tom Pearson ahead of 2023/24 season
Northampton Saints today confirms the signing of former London Irish back row Tom Pearson.The 23-year-old was left without a club side last week when the Exiles were placed into administration and suspended from the Gallagher Premiership, but now joins the men in Black, Green and Gold ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.Pearson initially joined London Irish’s Academy set-up following a stint at Cardiff Metropolitan University – where he made 28 BUCS Super Rugby appearances, 14 Welsh Championship appearances, and was named in the BUCS Super Rugby Team of the Year.The 6’3”, 114kg back row arrived at the Exiles ahead of the 2021/22 season, and went on to make 39 appearances in his first two years of professional rugby, scoring ten tries.He scooped London Irish’s Young Player of the Year award after his debut campaign, but began to really capture the headlines in 2022/23, with a season’s worth of standout performances seeing him named as the Premiership’s Breakthrough Player of the Season and the RPA’s Young Player of the Season.“From my very first conversation with Phil Dowson, he’s been extremely honest and clear on the direction he wants Saints to go as a Club,” said Pearson. “He really made me feel like I would fit in well in Northampton with the playing group and the style of rugby the team plays.“He’s also got clear ideas on where my game can improve, and I want to push on and develop as much as I can as a player.
Northampton Saints today confirms the signing of former London Irish back row Tom Pearson.
The 23-year-old was left without a club side last week when the Exiles were placed into administration and suspended from the Gallagher Premiership, but now joins the men in Black, Green and Gold ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Pearson initially joined London Irish’s Academy set-up following a stint at Cardiff Metropolitan University – where he made 28 BUCS Super Rugby appearances, 14 Welsh Championship appearances, and was named in the BUCS Super Rugby Team of the Year.
The 6’3”, 114kg back row arrived at the Exiles ahead of the 2021/22 season, and went on to make 39 appearances in his first two years of professional rugby, scoring ten tries.
He scooped London Irish’s Young Player of the Year award after his debut campaign, but began to really capture the headlines in 2022/23, with a season’s worth of standout performances seeing him named as the Premiership’s Breakthrough Player of the Season and the RPA’s Young Player of the Season.
“From my very first conversation with Phil Dowson, he’s been extremely honest and clear on the direction he wants Saints to go as a Club,” said Pearson. “He really made me feel like I would fit in well in Northampton with the playing group and the style of rugby the team plays.
“He’s also got clear ideas on where my game can improve, and I want to push on and develop as much as I can as a player.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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