Saracens v Northampton Saints: Full team news for the season opener
Saints are set to dish out seven debuts in Saturday's PREM Rugby Cup opener against Saracens at StoneX Stadium (kick-off 3pm).
England Under-20s fly-half Hugh Shields is one of the debutants as he gets set to steer the ship from 10.
Under-18s centre Will Catley, who is set to make his first appearance in a Saints jersey at just 17 years and 250 days old, will mark himself as the club’s second youngest player of the professional era, behind Archie McParland.
Josh Taylor, who joined from Ealing Trailfinders during the summer, lines up in the seven shirt, with another close-season recruit, Italy tighthead prop Ion Neculai, wearing No.3.
There are three further potential debuts on Saints’ bench, with Lefty Zigiriadis and Sonny Goode both primed for their first action in a Northampton shirt alongside guest player Fergus Mainey, who is a young scrum-half who has been at Sale Sharks and has previously been called up by England Under-18s.
Chunya Munga is the man tasked with skippering Saints, who beat Asia Pacific Lions 59-42 in a pre-season fixture in Sri Lanka last Friday.
Saints defeated Saracens all four times they clashed with the Londoners last term, running out 49-34 winners in this fixture almost 12 months ago as Callum Chick crossed for a hat-trick and JJ van der Mescht also scored on his debut.
Chick is set to be involved again this weekend as he provides some experience from the bench.
Anthony Belleau, Amena Caqusau, Trevor Davison, Malik Faissal, Luke Green, Henry Lumley, Aidan Pugh, Ollie Sleightholme, Charlie Tamani and Edoardo Todaro are unavailable for this weekend's clash.
Saracens have named Tom James on their bench, with the scrum-half having moved to the club from Saints during the summer.
The Saracens starting line-up includes former Saints loanee Nick Isiekwe, who starts at six, and ex-Saints wing Rotimi Segun.
England forward Alfie Barbeary gets the nod at No.8 after arriving from Bath during the close-season.
Max Malins will start at fly-half as he skippers Saracens this weekend.
Saracens: 15 Jack Bracken; 14 Tobias Elliott, 13 Angus Hall, 12 Olly Hartley, 11 Rotimi Segun; 10 Max Malins (c), 9 Charlie Bracken; 1 Phil Brantingham, 2 Eoghan Clarke, 3 Marcus Street; 4 Olamide Sodeke, 5 Hugh Tizard; 6 Nick Isiekwe, 7 Nathan Michelow, 8 Alfie Barbeary.
Replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 Alex O'Driscoll, 18 Corne Weilbach, 19 Totoa Auvaa, 20 Toby Knight, 21 Tom James, 22 Finn Keylock, 23 Sione Va'enuku.
Saints: 15 James Pater; 14 Thomas Rowe, 13 Will Catley, 12 Toby Thame, 11 James Martin; 10 Hugh Shields, 9 Jonny Weimann; 1 Oliver Scola, 2 Robbie Smith, 3 Ion Neculai; 4 Tom Lockett, 5 Chunya Munga (c); 6 Archie Benson, 7 Josh Taylor, 8 Charlie Ulcoq.
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Lefty Zigiriadis, 18 Sonny Tonga’uiha, 19 James Bennett, 20 Callum Chick, 21 Fergus Mainey (guest player), 22 Sonny Goode, 23 Freddie St John.