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Lynn Howells makes five changes to the side that started last weekend for this week’s top of the table clash at Northampton. The league’s two unbeaten sides will be playing before an expected 12,000 crowd at Franklin’s Gardens in a match that will for the first time this season give Howells some understanding of how good his Knights squad actually is. Although they have won all six games to date, five have been against the current bottom five sides – only Nottingham in sixth spot can be viewed as having been demanding opposition. The Saints have mostly played mid table teams to date and have dispatched fourth and fifth placed sides (Pirates and Plymouth) with ease.
Betfred put the gap between the sides at 16 points and none of the bookmakers give the Knights a chance. Justin Bishop has played there several times in his London Irish days and expects the bigger stage to raise his players’ game even beyond the excellent form they have been playing away from home. It will be a big ask to come home with anything other than the experience of such an occasion but if that is the outcome, it won’t be for the lack of trying.
In the pack, Simon Grainger who was rested last week returns for Ollie Cook. Sean Tomes starts for Bryn Griffiths; and homegrown Tom Davies starts for the rested Simon Bunting. The surprise is that Antoine Nicoud starts at scrum half with former Saint Ben Jones on the bench – Jones played his first game of the season last weekend after injury and can be expected to come off the bench against his old club at some stage. In the backs, Wes Davies returns at full back with Anthony Carter on the bench.
Listen to Justin Bishop's thoughts on the game at http://www.doncast.net/knights/bishop111007.mp3
Team: W Davies, J Bishop, B Hunt, S Davey, D Van Vuuren, M Woodrow, A Nicoud, T Davies, S Boden, N Tau, S Tomes, G Kenworthy, S Grainger, S Gray, G Wilson.
Bench: J Rawson, R List, B Griffiths, O Cook, B Jones, T Luke, A Carter
Referee: D Pearson (RFU)
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