Northampton Saints v Bedford Blues: Full team news for Friday's pre-season clash

New club captain George Furbank skippers the side from full-back, with Ollie Sleightholme, Fraser Dingwall, Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell also in from the off.

Summer signings Tom West and Luke Green line up in the front row, alongside Scotland hooker Robbie Smith, while Callum Hunter-Hill and Josh Kemeny keep their places in the second row and back row respectively.

Another recent recruit, Fyn Brown, who joined from Championship side Doncaster Knights, starts at No.8.

Alex Coles and Tommy Freeman are not involved as yet, while Emeka Atuanya, Juarno Augustus, George Hendy, Tom Litchfield, Tom Lockett, George Makepeace-Cubitt, Burger Odendaal and George Smith are on the injured list.

There are several familiar faces in the Bedford Blues squad for this game, with Saints hooker Nathan Langdon starting for the Championship side.

Archie Benson, Jake Garside, Will Glister and Toby Cousins are on the bench against their current employers, while former Saints aces Joel Matavesi and Jamie Elliott are also waiting in the wings.

Saints: George Furbank (c); Ollie Sleightholme, Fraser Dingwall, Rory Hutchinson, James Ramm; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Tom West, Robbie Smith, Luke Green; Callum Hunter-Hill, Angus Scott-Young; Henry Pollock, Josh Kemeny, Fyn Brown.

Replacements: Curtis Langdon, Tarek Haffar, Trevor Davison, Elliot Millar Mills, Ed Prowse, Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Kieran Perkins (guest player), Craig Wright, Reuben Logan, Tom James, Archie McParland, Charlie Savala, Rafe Witheat, Sione Va’enuku (guest player), Toby Thame, Tom Seabrook.

Bedford Blues: Matt Worley; Alfie Garside, Lucas Titherington, Michael Le Bourgeois, Dean Adamson; Will Maisey, James Lennon; Joey Conway, Nathan Langdon, Oisin Heffernan; Rory Ward, Alex Woolford; Luke Frost, Jac Arthur, Cameron King.

Replacements: Jamie Jack, Tommy Herman, Bryan O’Connor, Shay Kerry, Archie Benson, Fred Tuilagi, Jake Garside, Will Glister, Joel Matavesi, Jamie Elliott, Toby Cousins, Louis James.