Northampton Saints v Newcastle Falcons: Big match preview

Competition: Gallagher Premiership (round 12)

Venue: cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton

Date and kick-off time: Saturday, January 27, 2024, 2pm

Weather forecast: 8c, cloudy

Live television coverage: TNT Sports

Referee: Sara Cox

Assistant referees: Adam Leal and Jamie Leahy

No.4: Veryan Boscawen

TMO: Andrew Jackson

Saints: Hutchinson; Hamer-Webb, Odendaal, Litchfield, Sleightholme; Savala, James; A Waller, S Matavesi, Davison; Mayanavanua, Munga; Lawes, Ludlam (c), Graham.

Replacements: R Smith, Haffar, Millar Mills, Moon, Augustus, Scott-Young, Braley, J Matavesi.

Newcastle Falcons: Obatoyinbo; Radwan, Moroni, Hutchison, Stevenson; Johnson, O’Sullivan; Brantingham, Byrne, McCallum; Hawkins, de Chaves; Cross, Pepper, Chick (c).

Replacements: van Vuuren, Brocklebank, Bello, Cardall, Lockwood, Stuart, Jennings, Carreras.

Not available for Saints selection: Curtis Langdon (suspended),George Hendy, James Ramm, Tom Seabrook.

International duty: Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Alex Mitchell, Tom Pearson, Fin Smith (all England).

Most recent meeting: Sunday, October 29, 2023: Newcastle Falcons 14 Saints 16 (Gallagher Premiership)

Saints assistant coach Matt Ferguson: “I personally have huge respect for (interim Falcons boss) Micky Ward, one of the scrum coach gurus who is now leading the group. He’s a proper Geordie and I am absolutely delighted that they got the result away last weekend. It’s a tough place to go away to France and get that result. We have got enough links with Newcastle with this squad, from the boss Dows (Phil Dowson) right down to Robbie Smith, we know exactly what they’ve got. They have a real sense of pride, the passion they have in each other. Yes they might be winless in the Prem but some of those games have been pretty close. We had a proper ding-dong up there as well, so I think we know exactly what’s coming. I am not sure if the change of coaching has made a difference to that. I think when you play Newcastle, you know you’re going to get a very dangerous back three, you know you’re going to get hugely challenged up front with the set piece and you know the breakdown is going to be absolutely ferocious. I am expecting absolutely nothing different this weekend.”

Newcastle Falcons interim boss Micky Ward: “Dows (Saints boss Phil Dowson) is a great bloke who was a team-mate of mine for a number of years up here, and he’s a top coach. He’s done a great job down at Northampton and we’ll have a bit banter no doubt before the game, but it’ll be great to go up against him and hopefully stick one on them. Northampton look to throw the ball around which gets the crowd behind them, and it gets a bit loose. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t let them get their offloads away and have that quick ball that they thrive off. It’s about putting pressure on them, keeping them in a box and not allowing them that front foot. It’s a massive challenge because they’re a top side, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t go down there and get something.”

Opposition dangerman: Mateo Carreras is capable of causing havoc from the bench but his fellow winger Adam Radwan will look to do the same from the start. Radwan has so much pace and talent, and he has already scored away to Saracens this season. He is a real threat.

Tom Vickers’ prediction: With so many players away for Saints and with Newcastle coming into the match on the back of an impressive away win in Europe, this will undoubtedly be a tough game. But Saints’ squad has stepped up on so many occasions so far this season, and I’m backing them here. Saints 34 Newcastle 22.