Northampton Saints v Vodacom Bulls: Full team news for Saturday's quarter-final clash

George Furbank will be back on the bench for Saints when they take on Vodacom Bulls in the quarter-finals of the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday night (kick-off 8pm).
George Furbank (photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)George Furbank (photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
George Furbank (photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Furbank has recovered from the calf problem he picked up in the final match of England's Guinness Six Nations campaign.

Alex Mitchell also suffered an injury in that game against France, but he returned to action as a replacement last weekend and will now start against the Bulls as Tom James drops to the bench.

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George Hendy will start after his two-try super-sub appearance in the 24-14 win against Munster.

Tommy Freeman moves from the wing to 13 as Burger Odendaal has been ruled out with the hamstring injury he sustained last Sunday.

Courtney Lawes will skipper Saints this weekend as Juarno Augustus comes in for club captain Lewis Ludlam, who will be among the replacements.

Saints remain without Tom Pearson as he is on an injured list that also contains Odendaal and Callum Braley.

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As for the Bulls, they have made 13 changes to the team that beat Lyon 59-19 at Loftus Versfeld last weekend.

The likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie Le-Roux won't be involved but the entire bench from last Saturday’s victory will start, with flanker Nizaam Carr named captain.

Saints: Ramm; Hendy, Freeman, Dingwall, Sleightholme; F Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison; Moon, Coles; Lawes (c), Graham, Augustus.

Replacements: S Matavesi, A Waller, Hill, Scott-Young, Ludlam, James, Furbank.

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Vodacom Bulls: Williams; de Klerk, Immelman, Vorster, Jacobs; Smith, Burger; Matanzima, van der Merwe, M Smith; Swanepoel, van Heerden; Carr (c), Gumede, Hanekom.

Replacements: Wessels, D Smith, Klopper, Olivier, Ludwig, Johannes, van der Walt, Hendricks.