Northampton are set to face Bristol after both suffered losses in the last round. Saracens beat Bristol, contributing to a tightly contested race for the play-offs. Just three rounds remain, and six teams are still vying for the top four spots.
Northampton’s Line-Up Changes
Northampton have made six changes as they look to bounce back from a bruising defeat by neighbours Leicester when they welcome Bristol. The league leaders, who have not lost at Franklin’s Gardens in more than a year, welcome back England lock Alex Coles, who has not featured since the Six Nations due to an ankle injury. Coles is partnered by Ed Prowse in a new-look second row, with prop Elliot Millar Mills and flanker Henry Pollock also coming into the forward pack. Centre Tom Litchfield and scrum-half Archie McParland are the other two changes.
Northampton: Furbank (c); Freeman, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Hendy; F Smith, McParland; Iyogun, R Smith, Millar Mills; Coles, Prowse, Kemeny, Pollock, Chick
Replacements: Walker, Fischetti, Green, Van der Mescht, Pearson, Graham, Mitchell, Dingwall
Bristol’s Team News and Injuries
Bristol’s injury crisis shows no sign of slowing as they saw wing Gabriel Ibitoye ruled out for the remainder of the season following last weekend’s defeat by Saracens. Louis Rees-Zammit returns from a knock and then sickness that has ruled him out for the past three games to take Ibitoye’s place. Rich Lane is also back from a hamstring issue to start at full-back, while James Williams and Harry Randall start in the centre and at scrum-half.
Bristol: Lane; Rees-Zammit, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ravouvou; Jordan, Randall; Genge, Thacker, Kloska; Dun, Batley, Owen, Harding (c), Grondona
Replacements: Gwilliam, Woolmore, Lahiff, Taylor, Ivanishvili, Marmion, Moroni, Heward
Premiership Play-Off Race Intensifies
- Seven points separate Exeter in fourth and Saracens in sixth.
- Only five points separate Saints in first and Leicester in third.
- The top two places and the crucial home semi-final spots are still very much undecided.
With Northampton and Bath both losing in the last round as well as Saracens beating Bristol, the race for the play-offs shows no sign of reaching an early conclusion.
Coverage of all of the matches can be found on BBC DAB and FM local radio, via BBC Sounds or the BBC Sport website and app.