Tommy Freeman\u00a0brings up a century of appearances in Black, Green and Gold on Saturday,\u00a0as Derby Weekend arrives at cinch Stadium at Franklin\u2019s Gardens with Northampton Saints taking on East Midlands rivals\u00a0Leicester Tigers.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old winger first ran out in a Saints shirt against Sale Sharks in the PREM Rugby Cup back in 2019, and has gone from strength to strength since \u2013\u00a0now calling himself an England and British & Irish Lions starter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Freeman will run out for\u00a0his seventh East Midlands Derby on Saturday, as\u00a0one of seven changes to Phil Dowson\u2019s\u00a0side in Round 3 of the Gallagher PREM.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fellow British & Irish Lions Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith partner up in\u00a0Northampton\u2019s half-back berths against Leicester, as they both make their first appearances of the new term.<\/p>\n
Fraser Dingwall returns\u00a0to the starting XV in Saints\u2019 centres, alongside last weekend\u2019s\u00a0player of the match Rory Hutchinson \u2013 whose stellar performance against Gloucester saw him secure\u00a0four jackal turnovers and assist two tries as Northampton stayed unbeaten in the league.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Freeman brings up his 100th appearance on Saints\u2019 right wing, with fellow winger Edoardo Todaro and fullback George Hendy \u2013 who already have three tries between them in the PREM so far \u2013 completing the back three against Tigers.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Iyogun is the only remaining face from last weekend\u2019s front row, as Trevor Davison returns at tighthead prop and hooker Robbie Smith starts his first match in Black, Green and Gold in almost an entire year.<\/p>\n
Alex Coles shifts into the back row for this weekend\u2019s clash,\u00a0allowing\u00a0Tom Lockett to move into the starting line-up after featuring off the bench last time out \u2013 he\u00a0joins JJ Van Der Mescht in the engine room\u00a0against Leicester.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coles starts alongside fellow flanker Tom Pearson in the back row, while Callum Chick takes on the captain\u2019s duties for the third time in his Saints\u00a0career as he starts at No.8 this weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saints\u2019 bench also holds some returning faces, with Henry Pollock making his first appearance since touring with the Lions over the summer, and Josh Kemeny recovering from injury to feature in his first match of the season.\u00a0The likes of Danilo Fischetti, Archie McParland, Anthony Belleau and Tom Litchfield are all also named\u00a0amongst Saints\u2019 replacements and will hope to make an impact if they enter the action.<\/p>\n