Bristol Bears v Northampton Saints: Confirmed team news for Tuesday's game at Ashton Gate

Tom James will start for Saints for the first time when they travel to Bristol Bears on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.45pm).

Scrum-half James, a summer recruit from Doncaster Knights, lines up as part of another much-changed team.

Tom Jamesplaceholder image
Tom James

There is plenty of youth in the back-line, with 19-year-old Senior Academy full-back Tommy Freeman making his second Premiership start.

Ryan Olowofela comes in on the wing, with Taqele Naiyaravoro also starting out wide.

Tom Collins and Ahsee Tuala, who both started in the defeat to Exeter last Friday, are out with foot and groin injuries respectively.

Fraser Dingwall and Piers Francis replace Rory Hutchinson and Matt Proctor at centre, while James Grayson is in for Dan Biggar at fly-half.

The pack is also completely different to the one that faced Exeter, with Lewis Ludlam skippering the side from seven.

Youngsters Tui Uru, Reuben Bird-Tulloch and Josh Gillespie are among the replacements.

As for Bristol, they have named what may be considered close to their strongest available side, with the likes of Nathan Hughes and Semi Radradra starting.

Bristol Bears: C Piutau; O'Conor, Radradra, S Piutau (c), Leiua; Sheedy, Uren; Woolmore, Thacker, Sinckler; Attwood, Joyce; Vui, Earl, Hughes.

Replacements: Capon, Y Thomas, McCabe, Luatua, D Thomas, Cook, Malins, Morahan.

Saints: Freeman; Olowofela, Dingwall, Francis, Naiyaravoro; Grayson, James; Hobbs-Awoyemi, Haywood, Painter; Moon, Isiekwe; Gibson, Ludlam (c), Adendorff.

Replacements: Marshall, Auterac, Garside, Bean, Uru, Taylor, Bird-Tulloch, Gillespie.

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