Northampton Saints v Newcastle Falcons: Tom Vickers' big match preview

Competition: Gallagher Premiership

Venue: cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton

Date and kick-off time: Saturday, October 15, 2022, 3pm

Weather forecast: 14c, showers

Live television coverage: PRTV Live

Referee: Jack Makepeace

Saints: Furbank; Collins, Dingwall (c), Hutchinson, Sleightholme; Grayson, Mitchell; A Waller, Matavesi, Hill, Ribbans, Moon; Coles, Hinkley, Augustus.

Replacements: Smith, E Waller, Petch, Salakaia-Loto, Ludlam, Braley, Proctor, Hendy.

Newcastle Falcons: Penny (cc); Radwan, Stevenson, Lucock, Carreras; Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, McGuigan (cc), Palframan; Dalton, de Chaves; Robinson, Collett, Lockwood.

Replacements: Blamire, Mulipola, Tampin, Merrick, Pepper, Young, Schoeman, Wacokecoke.

Not considered for Saints selection: Matthew Arden, Dan Biggar, Callum Burns, Tommy Freeman, Joseph Gaffan, Aston Gradwick-Light, Mike Haywood, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Courtney Lawes, Courtnall Skosan, Karl Wilkins.

Not available for Newcastle selection: Callum Chick, Sam Clark, Trevor Davison, Nathan Earle, Carl Fearns, Gary Graham, Matias Moroni, Matias Orlando, Josh Peters, Greg Peterson, Oliver Spencer, Philip van der Walt, Will Welch.

Most recent meeting: Saturday, June 4, 2022: Saints 65 Newcastle Falcons 26 (Gallagher Premiership)

Tom's preview: These must be head-spinning times for Gallagher Premiership players up and down the land.

Things are obviously at their nadir for members (or previous members) of the Worcester Warriors and Wasps squads, with those clubs now suspended from top-flight action.

The Worcester squad has since gone its separate ways, with one of those men, Fin Smith, having joined Saints earlier this week.

Worries will continue for the Wasps players, who just last Sunday were taking to the Coventry Building Society pitch under a black cloud of financial uncertainty.

Their anguish was added to when Saints snatched a late win, but it is one that may not prove to count for much when the dust settles due to Wasps' potential absence from the league picture.

That means players put their bodies on the line - Dan Biggar suffered a knee injury, while Tommy Freeman and Courtnall Skosan are also out this weekend - for what may prove to be a result that didn't count towards the end-of-season tally.

So you could forgive players for feeling a bit hollow, though many will be more concerned for their mates at the other clubs previously mentioned.

Even though the Saints squad have received excellent communication from CEO Mark Darbon and Co, it won't stop the worries about the state of the league in general as English rugby struggles under the weight of financial issues.

Saints, thankfully, have been managed well and supported well by their fans, putting them in what head coach Sam Vesty recently described as 'a good place' financially.

But with home games against Worcester and Wasps potentially going out of the window - the loss of the Worcester fixture alone leaves a shortfall of approximately £350,000-£400,000 in Saints' financial forecast - you can't ignore the knock-on effect of what is unfolding in England's top flight.

Saints have done some fine work to organise a Barbarians match on the weekend they were supposed to host Worcester (November 26) and it is more of this outside-the-box thinking that is needed.

Darbon and the Saints staff are doing an excellent job in coming up with ways to boost revenue at a time when the whole nation is feeling the squeeze.

And the Saints players, who have to go out there this weekend and every other weekend to focus solely on winning, will be comforted by the work that is being in put in behind the scenes.

But there is no doubt that they can't just shut off and ignore what is happening, so it will be to their credit and the credit of every other club's players this weekend if they are able to perform anywhere close to their peak.

In such turbulent times, as we saw when Covid took such a toll, rugby can be a truly great distraction.

On this occasion, it actually has to be a distraction from itself, with games at least allowing everyone involved to focus on what happens on the field rather than off it - for 80 minutes at least.

It won't be lost on Saints and Falcons fans at this weekend's game just how fortunate they are to be watching this encounter, when you consider the same right has been taken away from Worcester and Wasps supporters so recently.

Saints and Wasps put on a stunning show last Sunday - and more of the same would be extremely welcome this weekend.

Tom's prediction: Saints have been forced into making several changes for this game and it will be interesting to see how quickly they can click. Newcastle will feel they have a point to prove after being blown away at the Gardens in June, but I'm backing Phil Dowson's side to get the job done. Saints 37 Newcastle 20.