Barnes gets the gig as Saints square up to Tigers

Barnes has taken charge of some hugely controversial East Midlands derbies in years gone by.

In the 2011 Premiership play-off semi-final, Saints wing Chris Ashton and Leicester’s Manu Tuilagi were sin-binned by Barnes after the Samoan centre landed a series of punches on his opponent.

In another league meeting later that year, Saints flanker Tom Wood and Leicester’s Alesana Tuilagi were red-carded for fighting after Ashton pulled Tuilagi’s hair.

And there was to be a further talking point in that game, with Saints unhappy that Horacio Agulla’s late try was allowed after Geordan Murphy appeared to block Ben Foden in the build-up.

But the most discussed incident came in May 2013 when Barnes sent off Dylan Hartley in the Premiership final at Twickenham, with the Saints skipper subsequently banned for 11 weeks for verbally abusing the Gloucestershire official.

It didn't end there though as Barnes was back in charge of an East Midlands derby in March 2014, when he was followed down the Franklin's Gardens tunnel by a furious Jim Mallinder, who felt the referee has called time on the game prematurely, consigning Saints to another defeat.

Barnes, who will be assisted by Sara Cox and Paul Dix, will hope for a quieter affair this weekend, and it certainly will be in the stands as rugby continues to be played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.