The Northampton Saints skipper starts today's vital Guinness Premiership clash on the bench after a couple of below-par displays at full-back with Ben Foden slotting in at 15.

Foden may have come to Saints with the aim of cementing a scrum-half place to launch a tilt at an England spot, but Lee Dickson's form has seen him playing second fiddle for much of the season.

Now the man who Sale boss Philippe Saint-Andre described as 'a future international full-back' or he would eat his hat, makes his first start at 15 for Saints after a string of devastating performances for the Sharks last season.

It means Saints' two All Black trump cards in Reihana and Carlos Spencer sit on the bench, for Spencer it is his fifth game in a row as a replacement.

With Mark Robinson shifted to Wasps at the end of last season, it seems the New Zealand influence at Saints is coming to an end. Both Reihana and Spencer have another year left on their contracts, more than likely their last at the Gardens and with some vibrant young talent at the Gardens now this could be the beginning of the end for them.

Both have been great entertainers with Reihana being a revelation when he arrived, scoring 15 tries in all competitions in his first full season in 2003/04 to scoop the PRA Players' Player of the Year award, the Zurich Premiership Overseas Player of the Year and Chronicle & Echo Player of the Year award.

Reihana was also voted Chronicle & Echo Player of the Year last season.
It might just be a dip in form, but Foden could well sparkle enough today to keep Reihana out of the starting line-up for a while.