Northampton recall Fin Smith for Bath Champions Cup quarter-final
England fly-half Fin Smith returns from concussion as Northampton Saints make six changes to face Bath in Friday’s Champions Cup quarter-final at the Rec.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell is named among the replacements after recovering from a hamstring injury that curtailed his Six Nations campaign.
Archie McParland starts in the number nine jersey alongside the returning playmaker, while Rory Hutchinson joins Fraser Dingwall in midfield.
Furbank leads reshuffled Saints side
Full-back George Furbank, whose end-of-season departure to Harlequins was announced on Wednesday, will captain the visitors.
The forward pack sees Curtis Langdon and Cleopas Kundiona selected in the front row.
Open-side flanker Tom Pearson is also drafted in to complete a new-look back row alongside Josh Kemeny and Henry Pollock.
Bath opt for power on the bench
The hosts have also rotated their starting XV heavily, with England pair Sam Underhill and Miles Reid joining Guy Pepper in the back row.
Head coach Johann van Graan has named a formidable six-two split of forwards and backs on the bench, bringing significant power in reserve through players like Alfie Barbeary and Thomas du Toit.
In the backline, Cameron Redpath replaces Max Ojomoh at centre, while Henry Arundell shifts to the right wing to accommodate Will Muir.
Recent history favours the visitors
The Premiership’s top two sides come into this knockout fixture following high-scoring victories in the previous round.
Phil Dowson’s men secured a thrilling 49-41 triumph over Castres last week, while the Somerset outfit overcame domestic rivals Saracens 31-22.
The East Midlands club triumphed 41-21 when these heavyweights last met in December, heavily aided by a Tommy Freeman hat-trick.
“We took quite a bit of learning a few months ago when we played Northampton here,” said Bath head coach Johann van Graan.
“It’s a completely different game and psychological remit, but we’ll try to replicate the things that went well that day,” added Saints boss Phil Dowson.
The victors of this tie will face either cup holders Bordeaux or six-time champions Toulouse in next month’s semi-finals.
