Northampton Saints vs Gloucester Prediction: Hendy can help Saints surge

Northampton Saints have been the talk of English rugby union over the last week following their record-breaking score last time out. Phil Dowson’s men racked up a huge 94 points last time out and now face a Gloucester team that has won just four of their 16 league games this season (Saturday - 3pm kick-off, TNT Sports 2).

Saints have won their last 10 home matches in all competitions and another success at the weekend will further cement their place at the top of the Premiership.

Rugby Union Odds

Team News

Luke Green comes into the Northampton front row in place of Elliot Millar Mills, while Tom Pearson joins Henry Pollock and Callum Chick in the back row with Josh Kemeny missing out altogether.

With Alex Mitchell potentially our for the rest of the season with a hamstring problem. Archie McParland keeps his place at scrum-half in an unchanged back line, with Rory Hutchinson set to make his 200th appearance for the club.

Ciaran Knight replaces Val Rapava Ruskin in the Gloucester front row, while Deian Gwynne comes into the back row with Freddie Thomas moving to lock and Matias Alemanno dropping out.

There are two changes in the back three too with Ollie Thorley and Ben Redshaw replacing George Barton and Will Joseph.

Northampton Saints vs Gloucester Odds

With 42 points separating the two teams in the table, it’s no surprise that Northampton are 1/12 favourites to take the victory on Saturday.

Gloucester, who lost the reverse fixture 35-37 back in October, can be backed at 7/1 while the draw is available at 33/1.

Handicap - Northampton Saints -19 @ 4/6

This is Northampton’s final home match of the regular season and the Saints know a victory will put them in pole position to secure a home tie in the knockout stages.

The hosts have had an impressive home record this term and have averaged 57 points across their last four league fixtures at Franklin's Gardens.

A 94-33 win over Bristol last time out will give them renewed confidence, in stark contrast to a Gloucester team currently second-from-bottom in the table.

The Cherry and Whites fell to a 16-point defeat at Saracens last time out and head into this fixture having lost their last two games on the road.

You only have to go back two years to remember a heavy Gloucester Premiership defeat at Franklin's Gardens, when the visitors were thumped 90-0.

Anytime Tryscorer - George Hendy @ 2/5

Saints’ Tommy Freeman has taken a lot of the headlines this season, with the Lions winger having run in 15 tries so far this term.

Full-back George Hendy is not far behind him though, with the England A international crossing the whitewash nine times in the Prem.

Four of those tries came in the mauling of Bristol, while the 23-year-old also scored in the defeat at Leicester earlier this month.

It’s also worth noting that Hendy was on the tryscoring list when these two teams met at Kingsholm earlier in the season.