Northampton may not be hosting any World Cup matches, but don’t bet against the town playing a big part in the tournament in the coming weeks.

That is because Saints’ favourite sons are ready and waiting for the call to arms from their country.

From Alex Corbisiero to Calum Clark, Ben Foden to Dylan Hartley and Luther Burrell to Lee Dickson, Northampton have an embarrassment of riches 
from which England can choose.

And with injuries inevitable on the brutal battleground that is international rugby, more Saintsmen - Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood and Kieran Brookes are already involved - could soon get their chance.

There have already been whispers this week that Bath centre Jonathan Joseph could be out until the quarter-finals.

And if his injury is serious enough to throw his place in the squad into doubt, who better to replace him than Burrell, a starting centre in the past two Six Nations.

Should problems occur for the likes of hooker Tom Youngs or captain Chris Robshaw, where better to turn than to 66-cap Hartley, who is now free to play again after suspension, and Clark, two experienced campaigners with Premiership winners’ medals in their cabinet.

No one wants any of England’s chosen 31 to fall down, but if they do, Stuart Lancaster should know he need look no further than Northampton.

Because as it is, Saints’ squad for the start of the 
season will be simply incredible, considering the biggest international tournament in the game is currently going on.

They could easily select a team containing Corbisiero, Hartley, Clark, Dickson, Stephen Myler, Burrell and Foden in the Aviva Premiership curtain raiser at Worcester Warriors on October 16.

And as Foden pointed out last week, that would be a team that would strike fear into the hearts of many an opposition side.

Lancaster could head to the Gardens like a child carrying pocket money into a sweet shop for the first time, such are the selections he can make.

He may not have fancied a fizzing Burrell or a crackling Clark first time round as both missed the final cut, but it doesn’t mean they are not still on the shelf.

Those men have been rebuilt by the kind words of their colleagues and the 
supporters who know just how special they are as players.

And they will use pre-season matches against Saracens and Wasps to 
show they are in the right shape to perform if the call comes.

The waiting game continues for those men, but make no mistake - they have the ability and desire to be Saints for their country in this World Cup if they are given the chance.

A row has erupted between a Northampton cafe owner and a fellow borough councillor after the former chose to spread an outdoor seating area into Abington Park.

Leader of the Labour group on Northampton Borough Council, Councillor Danielle Stone, says the seating arrangement outside the Park Cafe in Abington Park is “unfair” on its competitors.

The popular business, owned by Tory councillor Tony Ansell (Con, Abington) has recently seen tables and chairs placed around the venue on the surrounding parkland in finer weather.

But Councillor Stone, whose county council ward is Abington and Phippsville, took to Twitter last week to post a picture of the seating area with the words: “How many tables and chairs should one park cafe have?

“Taking over all our green space!”

This week she continued to say: “My concern is that the chairs and tables appear to be spreading over more of the park. Where does it stop?

“The café has a loyal customer base I’m sure but it shouldn’t be taking up more and more green space.

She added: “I am not sure this is fair on other local restaurants and cafes as they are restricted to the number of chairs and tables they can put out. It’s unfair competition.”

But Councillor Ansell has delivered a swift response.

He said: “The fact is Delapré Abbey has the same seating arrangements, and Councillor Stone just wants to grab a headline wherever she can.

“What would she rather have people sitting on the floor?”

Councillor Ansell’s Park Cafe was voted as Cafe of the year by Chronicle & Echo readers in a recent poll and is set to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning this morning, from which he expects to raise around £1,500.

He added: “I could show you boxes of work I’ve done to help this park over the years, what has she done?”

A Frank’s Hamburger House is opening at The Castle Theatre in Wellingborough as part of a drive to bring in extra revenue at the venue.

In its annual report, the theatre said the bar, cafe and functions had seen a decrease in sales of about £16,000 in 2014-15.

This has mostly been attributed to a continued decline in daytime sales, and while the sale of alcohol and non-hot beverages in the evenings has grown, it is not as high as they felt it should be.

Director Darren Walter said they had to ‘take definitive action on the bar and cafe trading’ so they have been working with Tom Hewer Enterprises to take over the running of the bar and cafe and open a new on-site restaurant, Franks Hamburger House.

Mr Hewer already has several restaurants in Northampton and recently opened a new one in Towcester.

It is hoped the new initiative will mean the commercial trading operation returns to what it should be.

The theatre sold more than 71,000 tickets to events in 2014-15, an increase of 1,340 on the previous year.

It also saw an increase in the number of professional artistic events, community events, and functions, business and private events held there.

The figures were contained in a report on the theatre’s performance discussed by members of Wellingborough Council’s partnerships and performance committee this week.

It covered the theatre’s performance at the end of the financial year 2014-15, activity in the first months of 2015-16 and a forecast for the second half of the financial year.

Among the highlights was last year’s Christmas show, Pinocchio, which saw more than 75 young people from the borough involved in the show alongside the professional cast and the highest public ticket sales for a Christmas show to date.

The comedy programme is going from strength to strength, with acts including Lee Evans, Josh Widdicombe and Alan Carr driving sell-out audiences.

Contemporary dance is another area which the theatre would like to expand, and they have secured specific funding streams to support dance development.

A 62-year-old man has admitted growing more than £13,000 worth of cannabis in a former care home in Northampton.

Philip Keet appeared at Northampton Crown Court after he admitted producing cannabis in a former care home in Ardington Road, Northampton.

Keet, whose late wife was the owner of the care home, also admitted allowing the Class B drug to be produced in the premises.

The court heard that undercover police officers watched Keet go into the former care home on June 25, 2013.

Katya Saudek, prosecuting, said Keet was seen to come out of the premises with two packages and then drive off.

Officers then went into the Ardington House building and they found there were a number of the 17 rooms in the building being used to cultivate cannabis.

Ms Saudek said that a “sophisticated growing system” was being used with hydroponic lights.

Officers found cannabis plants in various stages of growth that had an estimated total value of £42,000.

The court heard that Keet admitted using only one room of the home to grow cannabis, in which a total of 1.37kg of drugs were found with an estimated street value of £13,716.

Keet’s basis of plea was that he only grew cannabis in one room of the home but allowed others people to cultivate drugs in different areas of the building.

Catherine Howell, mitigating, said he was “deeply ashamed” of his actions and had gone through a hard time after his wife’s death.

She said: “This is a man who will not trouble the court again.”

Judge Lynn Tayton sentenced Keet, of Upper Harlestone, to a 12-month community order and he must complete 180 hours unpaid work.

Cobblers boss Chris Wilder wants his team to lay down a Sky Bet League Two marker when they take on leaders Leyton Orient at Sixfields.

Town go into Saturday’s game in high spirits, having claimed back-to-back victories over Oxford United and Morecambe, and Wilder is keen for them to maintain their momentum against the stuttering Os.

Managed by former Cobblers right-back Ian Hendon, Orient got off to a flying start, winning their first five league games, but they have managed just two draws and a win in their past three games, and haven’t won since August 29.

They still sit top of the pile thanks to that stunning start though, and Wilder can’t wait to see his team go toe to toe with a team he believes shouldn’t even be in league two.

“We are playing the team at the top of the league, let’s take the handbrake off and go for it,” said the Cobblers boss.

“We have had two fantastic performances and results, and we are looking to make it three on the spin.

“Leyton Orient have started the season off in fine form under a new manager, and they are a club that should never have got relegated.

“We played them pre-season last year, and their ambition was to go one better than the season before when they lost in the play-off final to Rotherham. I went to that game and they should have won that game and gone up into the Championship.

“Last season obviously wasn’t a great one for them because they should never have gone down in a million years, but there is high expectations there.

“Of the teams that got relegated, they are definitely the ones that will be expected to bounce straight back, and they have got off to a great start. It is up to us to put a dent in their promotion charge, and enhance our recent form and points tally.

“Orient heavily invested in some quality players from the championship, and they have still got a few of them in their group now.

“Ian (Hendon) has brought a few more players in, and it is a group that should be going well, is going well, and there is always that pressure on them.

“They seem to be handling it, but they are there to be shot at and we will do our best to go and get another three points.

“We are desperate to be consistent, we want to play against and do well against the better teams in the league, and this is a great opportunity for us.”

The Cobblers were in stunning form last Saturday as they destroyed in-form Morecambe 4-2 on their own patch.

Wilder admitted it was a win he massively enjoyed, but that his thoughts were quickly on to putting together the right team to see off the Os.

“We look to the next game straight away, it is always with you as a football manager,” said Wilder.

“You always have to enjoy the victories, because everybody works extremely hard and it is a competitive league.

“Three points are very valuable for any team, so we 
were delighted with our result and performance last Saturday.

“But as a manager you are always looking forward and thinking about your next opponents, and Alan (Knill) and I had a car journey home on Saturday night and we were already talking about what we need to do, how our week should be planned out, and looking towards Saturday.

“You can enjoy a victory, but you have to move on quickly, and that’s what we do.”

Stephen Myler says Saints will be bothered about the result when they face Saracens on Saturday (kick-off 2pm).

Although the match at Allianz Park is only a friendly, Myler insists his men are keen to pick up the victory.

The two teams will be meeting for the first time since Saints were beaten in last season’s Aviva Premiership play-off semi-final at Franklin’s Gardens.

And Myler said: “We always want to win.

“There’s probably not as much emphasis on opposition and analysis going into this game because it’s not a league game or a cup game, but we still want to win.

“We still want to do everything we can and we want to do it well.

“That will lead into the following week and the game at Wasps, and then into the season.”

The 29-24 defeat to Saracens was the last time Saints played.

And Myler said: “Last season seems way in the distance.

“It has been a long pre-season, a lot of weeks’ training, but we’ve got a lot of work done conditioning wise.

“We’ve just started to put the rugby elements to training in the last few weeks so the boys are all really excited to get playing again.

“These games come thick and fast and even though it’s essentially a friendly, we want to play as well as we can.

“Saracens are going to be a really good test for us. We know what they’re about and they know a lot about us as well.

“It will be a good test for us but we’re looking forward, we’re excited to get playing again and getting some of the new lads up to speed with how we do things to improve this year.”

Stephen Myler was speaking in support of Aviva Premiership Rugby First Timers, a joint initiative from Premiership Rugby and Aviva to give 2,000 new rugby fans their first taste of the Aviva Premiership. First Timers can apply for free tickets this season at premiershiprugby.com/avivafirsttimers.

The conversation with former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan did go down an unexpected path.

I spoke to him on the phone ahead of his latest theatrical performance in the musical Hairspray coming to the Royal and Derngate in Northampton. And in a lunch break, he shared his thoughts on appearing in the show, the unintended consequences of health and safety legislation and his passion for looking after women before, during, and after childbirth.

And yet one couldn’t help but agree with him as we chatted to him about his role in Hairspray, the musical coming to the Royal and Derngate.

Peter said: “The show is set in 1960s Baltimore and tells the story of Tracy who is a girl with a big heart and big hair.

“I play Wilbur who is happily married to Edna who is played by a man normally and it is a traditional musical theatre.

“But it is something that has a lot of depth and is very much of the period.

“We have a very young cast and you have to match their energy and enthusiasm. There are a lot of actors of my age who would limit themselves but I am not like that. I want the young people in the cast to think I am a lot younger than I actually am.

“I was speaking to Tony who plays my wife and he thought I was his age which I was very pleased about.

“I was actually very lucky. I auditioned for the part and got offered it. I was told that no one else had auditioned for it so I felt I should say yes. But I am very happy to be here and am enjoying it.”

He was also looking for a different challenge when taking on another role.

“I have been doing a lot of very serious theatre and thought it would be nice to do something a little lighter.

“It is a huge cast made up of 29 people and am loving been part of it.

He is best known for his time hosting much loved children’s television show Blue Peter. And he hopes children have his same spirit of adventure.

Peter said: “Blue Peter came about because I had been doing a children’s television series called King Cinder all about Speedway and I thought this would be a nice fun job to do.

“In a way I took over from John Noakes and doing all the adventure things. I suspect that a lot of the things I did on Blue Peter you could not do because health and safety.

“One of the unintended consequences of the health and safety legislation, especially when you are working with young people, is that children can not do some of the things over worries about what would happen if one of those young people were involved in the accident.

“There is a fine line between keeping young people safe and giving them experiences which they will remember.

He is also passionate about the welfare of women who are giving birth, a subject he casted doubt that would be written about when the article was published.

Peter added: “My wife is now involved in Neighbourhood Midwives and I will be doing some fundraising not for that but for the mother’s fund.

“It is a charity which helps women while they are pregnant but also afterwards as well and is about ensuring women know who their midwives are.

“The Western model of being hospitalised is a flawed model and it is not just me saying that. There are maternity reviews in place which have stated this.

“My wife has been a midwife and it is from when we have had our children is why we have got involved in this.”

It can be seen from Monday September 28 to Saturday October 3. For tickets call on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk.

Northampton Borough Council has given Northampton Town three weeks to pay back £10.25 million that has been loaned to the club or face legal proceedings, the Chronicle & Echo can reveal.

Following investigations by the Chron into negotiations between the club and the borough council, the council issued a statement to confirm that the club had missed the last two repayments and that the council “does not have confidence in the club’s ability to pay these and later repayments”.

In response, chairman of the club, David Cardoza, said the club intended to meet the three-week deadline set by the borough council to repay the £10.25 million deal.

A spokesperson for the council told the Chron: “We can confirm that Northampton Borough Council has issued legal notices to Northampton Town Football Club requiring the repayment of the £10.25 million pounds that has been loaned to the club.

“The notices give the club three weeks to repay the loan in full. If the sum is not repaid, then the council will begin legal proceedings to recover the debt. The chairman has repeatedly informed us that the council will be repaid in full when the club is sold, but the sale does not seem to be proceeding at this point.

“The last two repayments have been missed and the club has not given the borough council confidence in their ability to pay these and later repayments.

“The council is also aware that there is a petition to wind up County Developments Northampton Limited, the company working on the development around the club, in the High Court.

“This step was not taken lightly but is the proper process to protect the public purse and collect the debt in these circumstances.

“We continue to support the club and remain open to discussion on ways to deal with the debt owing to the council,” the spokesperson said.

In a statement issued by the club, chairman David Cardoza said he appreciated it was alarming news for fans.

“I understand the news today is alarming for supporters but it is a deadline we intend to meet,” he said.

“Talks regarding the takeover are taking longer than anyone would have hoped but they are progressing and are close to being concluded but it is a complex, legal situation that takes time,” he said.

“That is frustrating for everyone but that is the situation. We fully intend to complete the takeover with the proposed new owners but there is significant other interest in the club should things change.

“We completely understand the urgency to bring matters to a conclusion and it is our intention to have the debt repaid.

“I would like to thank supporters for their patience, we have a big game at Sixfields on Saturday and the players and Chris Wilder need their support in what will be a tough game against the league leaders.”

Charley Hull’s brilliance in the Solheim Cup couldn’t prevent the European team losing by a single point to the USA in Germany.

The Kettering golfer was the top scorer on either team as she won her foursomes and fourballs matches on both days, before going down in the final day singles to Cristie Kerr.

Hull gave Europe the perfect start on Friday morning as she joined fellow English golfer Melissa Reid to beat Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome by holing a birdie putt from off the 17th green.

The 19-year-old fired a barrage of birdies in the afternoon fourballs as she combined with Gwladys Nocera to defeat Alison Lee and Angela Stanford 3&2 to give Europe a two point lead going into the final day.

Arguably Hull’s most impressive display came with Suzann Pettersen in the foursomes on day two as they fought back from four holes down to snatch victory with a fourth successive birdie on the 18th.

With the duo being paired together again in the afternoon fourball, the match carried over into the last day as they trailed by one hole to Lee and Lincicome.

Despite leveling the match on the 16th, the teenager was then dragged into the most controversial moment of the entire match on the next hole as their rivals picked up a short putt that had not been conceded.

With Europe claiming the hole and then closing out victory down the 18th to give the team a four point advantage going into the singles, both Lee and Hull were left in tears due to the unfortunate conclusion to the match.

Pettersen later apologized for her actions, stating that she had learnt a valuable lesson about sportsmanship and what is ‘truly important in this great game’.

After such an emotional end to the morning, it was hardly surprising that Hull couldn’t raise her game one more time in the afternoon as Kerr hit the youngster with a barrage of birdies in a 3&2 victory.

With a fired up away side dominating the majority of the other games, USA grabbed a remarkable victory as Caroline Masson missed a putt to retain the Solheim Cup for Europe.

Junior League Final

Collingtree Park’s B team used their extra shots wisely in the Junior League final at Whittlebury Park as they defeated Staverton Park 4-0.

Mason Geddes overcame Josh Dennison 4&3 in game one, Jensen Parfitt defeated Matthew Simmonds on the 16th hole, before Harry Hemmings wrapped up the win by beating Fraser Quinn 4&3.

Tom Goodenough completed the perfect day for Collingtree as he secured the final point against Oliver Cadle with two holes to spare.

Intermediate League

Wellingborough and Northampton will meet in the Intermediate League final after recording last four victories against Overstone Park and Kingsthorpe respectively at Cold Ashby GC.

After finishing top in the group stages, Wellingborough were given a real fright by fourth seeds Overstone as they were taken the distance in all-but-one of the eight games.

Dean Smith’s 2&1 success, plus narrow wins for Mark Coleman, Damian Magill, Mike Gilbrook, Rob Charter and Oliver Tilley, and a half for James Musson, earned Wellingborough a slightly flattering 6½-1½ victory.

There wasn’t much to choose between the two sides in the other semi-final as early Northampton points from Lawrence Ryan and James Cox were matched by wins from Kingsthorpe’s Kris Spence and Steve Jackson.

Although the fifth tie was halved, Northampton sealed a 5½-2½ victory thanks to points from Brad Jarvis (2&1), Sam Gilkes (6&5) and Darren Matthews (2&1).

The final will take place on Sunday, October 11th.

Scratch League

Division 1

Northants County moved within touching distance of retaining their Scratch League title after beating overnight leaders Northampton 6-2 at home.

Fergus Robinson bagged the opening point for the hosts with three holes to spare, before Lloyd Skidmore and Alex Izzard replied with victories on the 17th hole.

With County’s Tom Bullough and Matt Myers in control of the final two matches, the result came down to games three, five and six as the home trio of Nick Beal, James Dunkley and Harry Larkins all triumphed down the last.

County went into the match in confident mood after four convincing wins from Michael Chambers, Danny Roberts, Bullough and Sam Henfrey helped them secure a 4½-3½ away success at Brampton Heath a few days earlier.

Although the already-relegated hosts were under strength, they put up a real fight as Adrian Milward, Stephen Field and Matthew Smith collected points.

Brampton, who didn’t play their final away match at Peterborough Milton, couldn’t grab a draw as Ben Jones halved his match with Northamptonshire boys team-mate Myers.

County will seal their second successive crown if they avoid defeat over the next two weekends in their away or home matches with Peterborough Milton, who can snatch top spot with two wins.

Division 2

Overstone Park clinched promotion into the top flight with a solid 6-2 home success against Staverton Park in their final match.

Needing a draw to secure first place, Overstone got off to the ideal start as Decklyn Cooke romped to a 6&5 victory in game one, before Luke Barney and Matt Evans added further home points.

Although Staverton halved the second tie and won game five 3&2, the hosts sealed victory when Taylor Sargeant triumphed down the 18th.

Overstone, who won six of their eight matches, completed the scoring with a half for Adam Print and a 3&2 success for Harry Woan.

Division 3

Kettering ended Priors Hall’s hopes of completing a perfect season as they beat their local rivals 5½-2½ at home.

The Corby club, who secured promotion the previous weekend, made a positive start as Matt Goode won 2&1 and Darren Buchan grabbed a half.

Ryan Genner also collected an away victory in the penultimate tie, but it was Kettering who dominated the other matches as Marcel Aarts, Andy Lilly, Rob Stevenson, Dean McIntyre and Michael Campbell bagged the points.

Ladies Scratch League

Northants County maintained their perfect record with a 2-1 victory against Northampton at Whittlebury Park to set up a winners-takes-all clash with Wellingborough.

Although Hannah Mulliner took the opening tie for Northampton, Angela Duck beat Alison Irvine 3&2, before Millie Billson romped to a 7&6 success in the final game.

In the other match, Overstone Park collected their first win of the season as they edged past Peterborough Milton by a single point.

Gill Hodgson clinched the first game for Overstone by a comfortable margin, while Margo Lerin beat Rachael Fisher on the 18th hole. Gill Preston grabbed Milton’s point with a 3&1 win.

Overstone will be the venue for the final match of the campaign later this month as defending champions Wellingborough chase a 3-0 victory over County that will guarantee top spot.

European Tour qualifying

Collingtree Park will see professional and amateur golfers from across the world attempt to master their course this week as it hosts the first qualifying stages for the 2016 European Tour.

Wellingborough’s Kyson Lloyd and home club pro David Poolton will fly the flag for Northamptonshire as they compete over three rounds, before a cut is made for the final day. Former Brampton Heath member Michele Forgione is also taking part.

Cantrell Cup

Northampton pro Andy Myers combined perfectly with his younger brother Matt to win the Cantrell Cup at a damp Peterborough Milton.

The duo carded a betterball tally of 64 in the morning, before shooting 70 in the foursomes to take the plaudits by three shots.

Kettering pro Dan Ashcroft took second alongside Callum Farr as they finished level with first round pacesetters Dan Wood and Ben Jones (both Brampton Heath).

Shires Junior Golf Tour

Free tickets to watch some of the world’s best players compete in the British Masters at Woburn next month will be up for grabs in the last event on 2015 Shires Junior Golf Tour at Cosby GC on Sunday.

The winner of the three 18-hole Order of Merit divisions will have the chance to see the likes of Luke Donald, Graeme McDowall, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter show their skills.

Several players have an opportunity of claiming the top prize as a single point separates the leading three players in the Gold, while four points is the difference between first and third in the Silver.

With 12 golfers still having a realistic chance of a podium place in the Bronze, a player’s best seven rounds go towards their overall total.

Frazer Jones (Forest Hill) has already won the Copper, but the second and third prizes have yet to be claimed.

Overstone Park

Luke Barney was a model of consistency in the Junior Club Championships as he carded 16 pars and a birdie on the ninth hole in a winning score of net 69. Baylie Pyke, who was played with a borrowed set of clubs after recently having her clubs stolen, finished runner-up.

Matt Wake was successful in the Medal Winners Salver as an excellent round of net 66 earned a one shot victory from Gill Osborne.

Wayne Cockerill was also in great form in the September Midweek Yellow Tee Stableford as his total of 44 points kept him three ahead of Alistair Adams.

Kingsthorpe

Nick Fowkes gained a countback victory from Mark Bazeley in the September Medal after both players finish one clear of David Garfield and Brian Mace with a net 67 apiece.

The second division following the same pattern of scoring as Paul Dawes edged out Max Collins (both net 68), with Barry Crowl and Tosh Kerr one off the pace in third and fourth respectively.

Brampton Heath

Paul Lovesey was successful in the September Midweek Stableford as his tally of 40 points lifted him one ahead of Michael Cope.

A single point was also the margin of victory in the September Weekend Stableford as Ian Haynes (41) nudged in front of Matthew Smith, James Butcher, Robert Fairless and Keith Pickering.

Silverstone

Dave Makepeace edged a tight contest with Les Bone in the Summer Singles KO final as he triumphed on the 18th hole.

Three points was the margin of victory in the Pro Shop Stableford as Pete Jeskins (38) got the better o Paul Jordan and Colin Knibbs, who were second and third respectively.

Northampton

A birdie two on the 16th hole helped seal victory for Ian Tarry in the eighth round of the Summer Series Stableford as he finished two points ahead of Brian Twiselton (40).

Charlie Astbury dropped just one stroke in the last 11 holes in the Ladies September Stableford as she claimed a one point success from Helen Brownless (38).

Cold Ashby

Gross birdies on the 11th and 13th holes from Stephen Bull went a long way to securing the top prize in the September Medal as the 19-handicapper carded a net 66.

Runner-up Jamie Underwood clinched the second division by one from John Bott, while Richard Green edged out Iain Kerr on countback in the top category on 68.

Collingtree

Trevor Bright enjoyed a five point success in the sixth event of the Seniors Stableford Series. The 16-handicapper carded an excellent tally of 40 point to finish clear of Brian Jones, Capper Rose and David Stewart.

Scott Moffat beat Chris Malton on countback in the September Midweek Stableford after both posted 38 points.

Hellidon Lakes

High-handicapper Michael Clea coped best in the difficult scoring conditions in the September Medal as he compiled the best score of net 72.

Craig Cotterill (73) won the top division by one from Roy Trim, while Steve Trotman and Brian Jones also carded a net 74 apiece.

Delapre

Nobby Clarke, Jamie Cordiner, Martin Cordiner and Clive Gifford were the quartet to beat in the Eddie Barber Team Challenge as they finished with 130 points.

A distant second were Brian Jones, Julian Brockwell, Timothy Brockwell and Rob Moakes.

Whittlebury

Consistency was the key to victory in the September Midweek Stableford as Richard Braybrook grabbed top spot with 40 points. David Castle (38) finished second by one point from fellow single-figure handicappers Jack Henfrey and Sam Dummer.

Staverton

Forty one points was the leading score in the Vets Atkinson Cup as Mike Ratcliff claimed the honours by two from Peter Thorne. A couple of points further back in third was Richard Harris.

Farthingstone

Two points was the difference between first and second positions in the latest Weekend Bash as John Bridgwood (39) claimed the plaudits ahead of Andy Morgan. One point further adrift were Martyn Smith, Lewis Reynolds, Michael Barnett and Michael Albone.

Cherwell Edge

Jackie Beare compiled the best gross (84) and net (72) scores in the Ladies September Medal as she finished clear of Sharly Busuttil.

Express BC youngster Cauly Swift is celebrating after the winning the under-15 singles in the Northamptonshire Bowls Youth Development Scheme (NBYDS) Finals.

Played at Wellingborough, Swift beat Harvey Johnson of Rushden Town BC 21-20.

Swift also had to come from behind, going 5-0 down early on. He also trailed 11-8 and then 19-12.

Three times he saved the match with his last bowl, and on the 26th end Swift held match himself with threee well drawn shots.

Johnson, with his last bowl, tried a trailing weight bowl which just missed its target and the title was Cauly’s.

In the open pairs, Kingsthorpe’s Conor Bryan teamed up with Abby Woodward of Desborough Town to beat Kyle Buckley and Adam Pitfield of Rushden 25-14.

After a tight start, Bryan and Woodward pulled away to claim victory.

Express celebrate with Northants win

EXPRESS Bowls Club celebrated the official opening of their new home at the former British Timken green in Duston with a match against a Northants select team.

Express’s new home has a very good playing surface, changing rooms on site, and a set of very good floodlights.

Following the opening ceremony, a 16-end match was played, and Express won 89-68. The highest scoring rink for the Express team was that skipped by Ian Bland, with a plus score of 11 shots, and the only winning rink for the County side was that skipped by John Church, which had an advantage of 13 shots.

Final score Bowls Northamptonshire 68 Express 89. Rink details, Bowls Northamptonshire 
names first:

Rink 1: Harvey Fruish, Steve Munton, Geoff Hunt & John Clipston 11 – Tony Ellis, Pete Letts, Peter Galbraith & Chris Bland 12

Rink 2: Laurie Harrison, Neville Bodily, Brian Jones & Michael Moulton 8 – Tony Lemon, Tony Warren, John Carter & Richard Lemon 17

Rink 3: Alison Dring, Brian Hunt, Ken Court & George Willmott 10 – Peter Hoad, Albert Allen, Glenn Munns & Paul Green 17

Rink 4: John Ruff, Brenice Willmott, John Cooper & Richard Somerton 6 – Mick Swift, Bill Ellis, Richard White & Ian Bland 17

Rink 5: Colin Barnes, Birthe Hunt, Peter Kneeshaw & Terry James 14 – Steve Lemon, Janet , Rob White & Dominic Graham 20

Rink 6: Roger Summers, John Chester, Martin Cinato & John Church 19 – John Moore, Dave Room, Pete Rainbow & Wayne Stanley 6

NORTHANTS Ladies travelled to Hertfordshire for a friendly and lost 108-94.

Final score: Northamptonshire 94 shots – Hertfordshire 108 shots. Rink details, Herts skips only

Rink 1: Marlene Armitage, Val Scott, Pat Mattinson & Audrey Height 7 – H Chandler 16.

Rink 2: Jan Hunt, Linda Warren, Joan Sidebottom & Brenda Bishop 26 – G Pearce 11

Rink 3: Joyce George, Pam Page, Shirley Ongley & Barbara Haseldine 22 – C Moodey 12

Rink 4: Brenda Lawrence, Heather Lack, Ann Stewart & Eleanor Winters 10 – R Avery 23

Rink 5: Velda Cooper, Betty Tilley, Pat Starsmore & Jill Welch 13 – M Hedger 24

Rink 6: Margaret Cave, Sylvia Downer, Chris Cross & Val Betts 16 – L Schlatter 22

NORTHANTS men travelled to Corby Forest BC to to play a trophy match against Northamptonshire Vice Presidents BA.

The County men came out on top with five winning rinks from six , and an 
overall advantage of 30 shots .

Rink scores, Northants names first

Rink 1: Colin Barnes, Dave Chambers, John Chester & George Warren 23 – Richard Pitts, Vic Wallace, Mike McKeown & Dave Stewart 9

Rink 2: Don Scott, Trevor Tilley, Stewart Laxton & John Church 16 – Ollie Pearson, Charles Longstaff, Dave Williamson & Dick Howell 26

Rink 3: Eddie Chapman, Will Clelland, Malcolm Pell & George Willmott 25 – Pete Woodhams, Dick Lovesay, Will Keeney & Colin Incles 11

Rink 4: Tony Warren, Jonathan George, Dave Lovell & Geoff Hunt 15 – Ron Chambers, Roly Smith, Jeff Chambers & Trevor Wright 14

Rink 5: Ray Ward, Brian Hunt, Neville Bodily & John Cooper 21 – Brian Robbins, Jim Walvin, Paul Cooke & Bob Tingle 11

Rink 6: Laurie Harrison, Steve Munton, Richard Somerton & John Haines 16 – Albert Julyan, Peter Byworth, Richard Dyball & Dave Betts 15

Fixture: Northampton Town v Leyton Orient, Sky Bet League Two

Date/time: Saturday, September 26, 3pm kick-off

Venue: Sixfields

Forecast: 15C, cloudy

Outs and doubts: Cobblers: Zander Diamond (leg), Ricky Holmes (back strain), Brendan Moloney (knee), Evan Horwood (groin), Paul Corry (knee), Jason Taylor (suspended – 2 of 4).

Betting: Northampton 17/10, draw 12/15, Orient 6/4

Form guide: Cobblers WWLWDL, Orient DDLLWW

Likely line-ups: Northampton: (4-4-1-1): Smith; Furlong, Cresswell, Brisley, Buchanan; D’Ath, Watson, Byrom, Adams; Hoskins; Richards. Orient (4-1-2-1-2): Cisak; Clohessy, Baudry, Essam, Shaw; Payne; Moore, Pritchard; Cox; Simpson, Palmer.

Man in the middle: Michael Bull will be taking charge of his first game of the Football League season this weekend. The 46-year-old dished out two red cards the last time he refed a Northampton game when Ivan Toney and Hayden White were both sent off in Bury’s 3-2 win over the Cobblers on Boxing Day last year.

Last time out: Morecambe 2 (Barkhuizen, Byrom OG) Northampton 4 (D’Ath, Hoskins, Byrom, Calvert-Lewin); Leyton Orient 1 (Simpson) Wycombe 1 (Bloomfield)

Most recent meeting: November 11, 2014, JPT quarter-final – Leyton Orient 2 (Simpson, Bartley) Northampton 0.

Chris Wilder’s view: “We are playing the team top of the league, the handbrake will be off and let’s go for it. We’ve had two good performances and results and we want to make it three on the spin.

“Leyton Orient have started the season on fine form and I’d think out of all the teams that came down they would definitely be the one expected to bounce back straight away. They have got off to a great start and it’s up to us to put a dent in their promotion charge. I’m sure there will be another good crowd in and looking at it I’d say it’s probably one of the stand out games of the day in our division.”

Opposition view: Orient striker Ollie Palmer spoke ahead of the game: “I played against Northampton last season with Mansfield and a couple of times before. They are a good side and I know they are not top of the table at the moment, but I am sure come the end of the season they will be there or there abouts so it will be a difficult match for us. We are away from home, but if we can get back to winning ways that will be great.”

Manager Ian Hendon added: “What formation we go with depends on the game and personnel. We can play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 like we did on Saturday against Wycombe or the diamond formation. We can even play three at the back if we want. We can put out any system.”

Cobblers connection: Striker Scott McGleish has strong connections with both Northampton and the O’s having had a number of spells at the two clubs. His first spell at Orient lasted for just one season in 1996 when he netted seven times in 36 appearances. That was followed by longer stints at Barnet and then Colchester before he signed for Northampton where he scored 42 goals in 111 games between 2004 and 2007. The following two years were spent at Wycombe before he had loan spells at both Sixfields and Orient in the 2008-09 season. He then secured a permanent return to the O’s, scoring a further 24 goals in 81 matches. McGleish is currently on the management committee of the Professional Footballers’ Association.

James Heneghan’s preview: Saturday’s home clash with high-flying Leyton Orient presents an in-form Cobblers side with a real opportunity to lay down a marker and confirm themselves as genuine promotion contenders in Sky Bet League Two.

Northampton have shown in glimpses what they can be capable of this season but Chris Wilder’s side are yet to display the consistency required to challenge for a top seven spot.

However, after two wins in two and with the league leaders in town, Saturday’s game is an opportune time to gauge exactly where the Cobblers are at this early stage and if the home side were to come away with all three points, they could find themselves as high as second place come 5pm.

Orient are looking to bounce straight back to League One following relegation last season and they’ve made a bright start with five wins from their opening eight games enough to put them one point clear at the summit, although they are without a win in four games this month.

Meetings between these two clubs are few and far between in recent times with only three games in six years. The overall record swings narrowly in Northampton’s favour with the Cobblers winning 29 of the 77 meetings to Orient’s 28.

With no injury concerns, O’s boss Ian Hendon is likely to make two changes from his side’s draw against Wycombe last weekend with Ollie Palmer and Bradley Pritchard set to come in for Paul McCallum and Lloyd James respectively.

Despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s impressive showing at Morecambe, fit-again skipper Marc Richards should come straight back into the Northampton starting XI having recovered from a minor side strain that kept him on the bench last week.

However, while the current vibe at Sixfields is positive given recent results, injuries continue to plague Chris Wilder and co. with midfielder Paul Corry the latest addition to an ever-growing list.

Ricky Holmes, Zander Diamond, Brendan Moloney and Evan Horwood are also sidelined while Jason Taylor will miss the second of his four-game suspension.

With the exception of Richards, Wilder will surely be tempted to persist with the same team that performed so impressively at Morecambe. How he’d dearly love a repeat performance and result.

Prediction: Northampton 2 Orient 2

Heathens claimed a 19-14 victory at Long Buckby IIs in their opening Youngs Bitter merit fixture of the season.

A bruising match at Long Buckby’s Station Road ground saw joint man of match performances from Heathens winger Sam Berry and full-back Wayne Stride.

Heathens opened the scoring through centre Mark Allison and their lead was extended by Terry Wooldridge.

The conversion was made by Romanian hooker Vio Marin, to leave the score at 12-0 to the away side at the interval.

Long Buckby narrowed the gap to five points after the break, but No.8 Dan Stonehouse dotted down soon after, with flanker Ash Brown adding the extras.

Long Buckby did grab a late converted try, but Heathens saw the game out.

Next Saturday, Heathens remain in merit table action when they take on Vauxhall Motors at home on The Racecourse with a 3pm kick-off.

Salisbury 32

Towcestrians 22

Towcestrians suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of fired-up Salisbury.

Salisbury scored first and Tows were soon hit with a yellow card as Callum Threlfall was sent to the bin.

A penalty try made it 14-0 lead to the home side before Wesley Roberts found Chrissie George, who reduced the deficit.

Fly-half Scott Browne followed this with a penalty to get the Tows back in the game at 14-8, but Lane added two penalties to give Salisbury 12-point half-time lead.

Tows responded at the start of the second half with Liam Wilkinson scoring, but again indiscipline proved costly, with two more quick penalties going the way of Salisbury.

James Falvey nipped in to narrow the gap to four points, but another yellow card was to hit hard as Salisbury secured a late penalty.

That denied Tows a losing bonus point and they will now look to bounce back against Leighton Buzzard at Greens Norton Road on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a young Tows IIs side cruised to a 62-3 victory at home to Kettering and the IIIs beat Casuals IIs.

Old Northamptonians 3

Old Halesonians 41

Old Northamptonians had taken the lead against Old Halesonians but were eventually well beaten at Billing Road.

Rory Seymour’s successful penalty got the home side off to a good start, but Chris Hooper levelled the scores.

Hooper’s effort was quickly followed by a Carl 
Robinson try before Guy Fields stretched the visitors’ lead.

The ONs lost Lewis Barker when he limped off with a leg injury and Richard Blank moved to scrum half.

Matt Love went to full-back, Seymour to the wing and James Grayson, son of Saints legend Paul, emerged from the bench to make his senior debut at fly-half.

Hardly had the ONs settled into their new positions, when a strong drive helped Owen Jones go over.

Andy Robinson extended the lead after the break and Tom King then took the try count to five.

Luke Smith added a sixth to round off the scoring for Old Hales.

Meanwhile, ONs IIs thrashed Luton IIs 71-12.

Chris McKee scored twice with the other tries coming from Zac Draper, Wayne Clarke, Ollie Spencer, Mike Bellamy, Rhys Evans, Scott Mathis, Ben Hammersley, Simon Portwain and Ben Briddon. Ben Dawson added eight conversions.

ONs IIIs went down 24-22 in their EMRU Merit Table game against Old Scouts IIs.

Kettering 53

Scouts 8

Scouts were well beaten by an in-form Kettering side that had comfortably won their previous two matches.

The hosts were soon a try ahead although Adam Frost slotted a penalty for Scouts soon after.

Kettering scored twice more before the break and and although full-back Dean 
Lake responded, spirited Scouts were comfortably defeated.

Daventry 26

Dunstablians 16

Daventry secured their second win of the season to maintain their 100 per cent record.

They saw off Dunstablians at Stefen Hill thanks to tries from Kelsey Mytton, Russ Robinson and Jason Mills.

The chairman of Northampton Town has vowed to meet the three-week deadline set by the borough council to repay the £10.25 million deal.

The Chronicle & Echo exclusively revealed this morning that the council had issued legal papers to the club calling for the loan to be repaid within 21 days or face legal action. The council said the club had missed the last two payments and the council had lost confidence in the club’s ability to pay back the loan.

In a statement issued by the club, chairman David Cardoza said he appreciated it was alarming news for fans.

“I understand the news today is alarming for supporters but it is a deadline we intend to meet,” he said.

“Talks regarding the takeover are taking longer than anyone would have hoped but they are progressing and are close to being concluded but it is a complex, legal situation that takes time,” he said.

“That is frustrating for everyone but that is the situation. We fully intend to complete the takeover with the proposed new owners but there is significant other interest in the club should things change.

“We completely understand the urgency to bring matters to a conclusion and it is our intention to have the debt repaid.

“I would like to thank supporters for their patience, we have a big game at Sixfields on Saturday and the players and Chris Wilder need their support in what will be a tough game against the league leaders.”

The supporters’ trust of Northampton Town Football Club say it is “very worrying news” a £10.25 million loan made to the club now has to be paid back in full within three weeks.

This morning, after investigations by the Chronicle & Echo, Northampton Borough Council revealed it has given the football club three weeks to pay back the money loaned to the club in 2013 to pay for the East Stand development, or face legal proceedings.

James Averill, press spokesman for the Northampton Town Football Club Supporters’ Trust, said the trust was very concerned by the announcement and had been planing a further protest. He said the group would be seeking an urgent meeting with the borough counil to discuss the matter.

He said: “This is very worrying news.

“The board had held a meeting last night where it discussed the next stage of the We Want Answers campaign.

“Central to those discussions were two aims.

“One was contacting the fans about issues we felt the chairman needed to address.

“The second was to ask for a meeting with the council so that we seek some clarity from them.

“But following this news, we will be urgently seeking that meting, we will also be getting in contact with Supporters’ Direct, to discuss our next move.”

Supporters Direct is a national organisation which works with supporters of football clubs in England and Wales, to give “tactical and campaigning advice,” among other duties.

It is understood the next stage of the #WeWantAnswers campaign, which was started by Cobblers fans to demand more information on the proposed takeover of the club and the stalled East Stand development, was due to take place at the home game against Hartlepool on October 10.

A man indecently exposed himself to a teenage girl who was walking home from school yesterday afternoon.

The 16-year-old was walking through Hunsbury Hill Park between 4.40pm and 5pm on Thursday, when the man exposed himself to her.

He was white, in his mid-20s to early 30s, around 6ft tall, with a round, clean shaven face, of large build and was wearing a black baseball cap. He also wore a dark coloured hooded top and jogging bottoms.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have any information regarding it.

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Chairman David Cardoza is appealing to the Cobblers supporters to put the club’s increasing off-field problems to one side and fully support the team in Saturday’s crucial Sky Bet League Two clash with Leyton Orient at Sixfields.

Cardoza understands the fans’ frustration and anger at the ongoing lack of progress on the proposed sale of the club, and Friday’s dramatic news that Northampton Borough Council has given the Cobblers just three weeks to repay the £10.25 million that has been loaned for redevelopment of the stadium.

The chairman expects criticism to come his way, but continues to insist that the sale to an unnamed Indian-led consortium is still on track, and that the loan will be repaid to NBC on time.

He also says he is aware the latest development is ‘alarming’ for the fans, but he wants the supporters, for two hours on Saturday at least, to concentrate their efforts on what is happening on the pitch at Sixfields, rather than off it.

The Cobblers have won their past two games, and on Saturday host the Os hoping to make it three in a row.

The most recent home game, against Oxford United two weeks ago, saw a section of the Cobblers support make a #WeWantAnswers protest against Cardoza.

But there was no disruption to the backing for the players as 10-man Town battled to a 1-0 win, and Cardoza wants the fans to rally behind the team again on Saturday.

“I would like to thank supporters for their patience,” said Cardoza, who didn’t attend the win over Oxford.

“We have a big game at Sixfields on Saturday, and the players and Chris Wilder need their support in what will be a tough game against the league leaders.”

Cardoza issued a statement in response to the Borough Council that confirmed the club had missed the past two repayments on the loan, and that the council “does not have confidence in the club’s ability to pay these and later repayments”.

A spokesman for the council said: “We can confirm that Northampton Borough Council has issued legal notices to Northampton Town Football Club requiring the repayment of the £10.25 million pounds that has been loaned to the club.

“The notices give the club three weeks to repay the loan in full. If the sum is not repaid, then the council will begin legal proceedings to recover the debt. The chairman has repeatedly informed us that the council will be repaid in full when the club is sold, but the sale does not seem to be proceeding at this point.

“The last two repayments have been missed and the club has not given the borough council confidence in their ability to pay these and later repayments.

“This step was not taken lightly but is the proper process to protect the public purse and collect the debt in these circumstances.

“We continue to support the club and remain open to discussion on ways to deal with the debt owing to the council.”

In response, Cardoza is adamant that matters are in hand, and that the council ultimatum is ‘a deadline we intend to meet’.

The proposed sale of the club was initially announced back on June 24, but the process is still ongoing and unresolved 93 days later.

Inititally, Cardoza spoke of a possible timeframe of six weeks, and he says he is as frustrated as everybody else at the delay.

He also revealed that other parties are now interested in buying the club.

“I understand the news today is alarming for supporters, but it is a deadline we intend to meet,” said Cardoza.

“Talks regarding the takeover are taking longer than anyone would have hoped but they are progressing and are close to being concluded but it is a complex, legal situation that takes time.

“That is frustrating for everyone but that is the situation. We fully intend to complete the takeover with the proposed new owners but there is significant other interest in the club should things change.

“We completely understand the urgency to bring matters to a conclusion and it is our intention to have the debt repaid.”

Canadian post-rock favourites Godspeed You! Black Emperor kick off their autumn UK tour with a headline gig in the region next month.

In March, the band returned with their first single LP-length record since the late 1990s.

Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress clocks in at a succinct 40 minutes and is arguably the most focused and best-sounding recording of the band’s career.

Working with sound engineer Greg Norman at studios in North Carolina and Montreal, GYBE slowly and steadily put the new album together through late 2013 and 2014.

They emerged with a mighty slab of superlative sonics, shot through with all the band’s inimitable signposts and touchstones including huge riffs, savage noise, oscillating overtones, inexorable crescendos and scorched-earth transitions.

Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress follows 2012’s ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! which marked the band’s return from a long hiatus.

Recent shows by the band have been described as “a triumph of sound and vision” that “straddled the line between grandiosity and chaos”.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor play Warwick Arts Centre on Thursday, October 22. Support is by Tashi Dorji.

Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets cost £25 before fees.

For more information and to book, visit http://goo.gl/IinTJy and http://cstrecords.com/gybe

A man seen walking along a busy railway track in Northamptonshire was detained by police and taken to hospital.

The incident happened yesteray evening and a passenger on the 1815 Kettering to Corby service took a video showing a man walking along the train tracks as a police helicopter circled above him.

Police say the man was riding a push bike along the tracks, which he later disposed of, with all trains stopped until 6.40pm.

The man was found and officers detained him before taking him to hospital.

Fans deserve a “full and honest explanation” as to why the Northampton Town Football Club loan repayments were not being met, according to the leader of the borough’s Labour group.

This morning Northampton Borough Council revealed it has asked Northampton Town Football Club (NTFC) for the repayment of the £10.25 million loan, made to pay for the club’s East stand development, within three weeks.

It has threatened the club with legal action of it does not do so.

Among the reason for demanding the money back, the borough council said the football club had missed two repayments of the loan and the council said it was also concerned takeover of the club, “does not seem to be proceeding at this point.”

Leader of Labour group on the borough council, Councillor Danielle Stone, has called on the club’s chairman David Cardoza to give a full explanation as to why it missed loan repayments.

She said: “It is really disappointing and shocking that NTFC have missed their last two repayments.

“It seems patience has now finally snapped and there is now a demand for the loan to be repaid in full.

“Work on the East Stand has been repeatedly delayed and the take-over negotiations were dragging on and on. People are now asking where the money has gone.”

She said that the Labour group generally supported the decision to loan Cobblers the money back in 2013, but added that she had concerns about the “credibility of the East Stand development a the time.

But she said the deal has now gone “badly wrong,” and fans need to know why.

“Northampton town Football Club must now be open and transparent and give a full explanation as to why repayments were missed, work delayed and the secrecy around the sale.

“Fans deserve a full and honest explanation.”

She said Labour only discovered the two loan repayments had been missed when it was announced in the Chronicle & Echo this morning and said the Conservative administration should have kept opposition councillors more informed about how the loan repayment was progressing.

She finished by saying; “The loan deal between the Borough Council and Northampton Town has gone badly wrong and it is taxpayers’ money which is at stake. It is now obvious there is not going to be a more modern and bigger stadium for some time.”

In a statement, leader of Northampton Borough Council, Councillor Mary Markham said: “This is a financial contract and we wouldn’t intend to give a running commentary on it. Opposition councillors have been kept informed throughout and had they requested further information on the status of repayments they would’ve been updated in confidence.

“However, at the Council meeting on Monday Labour Councillor Les Marriott stated clearly that he did not want to ask any questions regarding the repayments on the loan. His other questions relating to Northampton Town Football Club were answered fully and he accepted the responses.”

Dylan Hartley and Luther Burrell are among a strong 32-man squad named for Saints’ pre-season game at Saracens on Saturday.

Calum Clark, Lee Dickson, Alex Corbisiero and Lee Dickson are also included for the first friendly ahead of the new season.

Hartley had been hit with a ban for headbutting Saracens hooker Jamie George in May’s Aviva Premiership semi-final play-off at Franklin’s Gardens.

But the hooker, who has decided to call time on a six-year stint as Saints captain, was free to play again on September 21 and is set to play a part at Allianz Park.

Burrell, Clark, Dickson, Corbisiero and Stephen Myler were all cut from England’s World Cup squad.

But they will add valuable power and panache to Saints’ group as they build up to the Premiership opener at Worcester Warriors on October 16.

So too will a number of new recruits, with JJ Hanrahan, Pat Howard Luke Eves, Tom Kessell Paul Hill and Jamie Gibson in line to make first Saints appearances on Saturday.

Saracens also have several top players available and they have selected a team that includes the likes of Jim Hamilton and former Saints wing Chris Ashton.

The game at Allianz Park will kick-off at 2pm and Saints will be keen to start their pre-season campaign with a win ahead of the friendly at Wasps eight days later.

Saints squad: Backs: Burrell, Collins, Dickson (c), Elliott, Eves, Foden, Hanrahan, Howard, Hutchinson, Kessell, Myler, Packman, Stephenson, Tuala. Forwards: Clark, Corbisiero, Day, Denman, Dickinson, Fisher, Gibson, Harrison, Hartley, Haywood, Hill, Ludlam, Nutley, Parkins, A Waller, E Waller, Williams, Woolford.

Saracens team: Morris; Streather, Tompkins, Ellery; Kerr, Spencer; Joubert, Fraser, Rhodes; Itoje (c), Hamilton; Du Plessis, Saunders, Gill.

Replacements: Porecki, Barrington, Alo, Gower, Brown, Wray, De Kock, Mordt, Griffiths, Earle, Gallagher, Morris.