Premiership Rugby 2026/27 · Round 1
Northampton Saints
Newcastle Red Bulls
DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Championship Standings
The 2026/27 league opens this weekend. No current-season table advantage is awarded; the empty rows avoid presenting last season’s standings as current. Previous league results are assessed separately under form.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|
Northampton Saints
W4, D0, L1Premiership Rugby only: 5 completed matches, 2026-05-15 to 2026-06-20; 232 points for and 151 against. The 26–17 final win capped a four-win finish in five league games. Saints also conceded 38 at Harlequins, so the 94–33 Bristol result must not become the whole picture of their level.
Newcastle Red Bulls
W1, D0, L4Premiership Rugby only: 5 completed matches, 2026-04-24 to 2026-06-06; 114 points for and 293 against. Newcastle’s one win in the five-game league window was a 45–42 thriller against Sale. Heavy defeats elsewhere expose the old side’s defence, but seven starting debutants make a direct carry-over of those numbers unreliable.
Head-to-head: retrieved recent sample
6 – 0 – 0
Northampton Saints wins · Draws · Newcastle Red Bulls wins; 6 Premiership Rugby meetings, all venues, 2023-10-29–2026-03-21
Northampton Saints (6)Saints won all six retrieved league meetings. Newcastle pushed them to 28–27 in March and 35–34 in April 2025, so dominance in the win column has not always meant a comfortable afternoon. This is the retrieved recent sample, not an all-time record.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-21 | Premiership Rugby | Northampton Saints 28–27 Newcastle Red Bulls |
| 2025-10-17 | Premiership Rugby | Newcastle Red Bulls 19–36 Northampton Saints |
| 2025-04-18 | Premiership Rugby | Newcastle Red Bulls 34–35 Northampton Saints |
| 2024-12-28 | Premiership Rugby | Northampton Saints 61–0 Newcastle Red Bulls |
| 2024-01-27 | Premiership Rugby | Northampton Saints 38–13 Newcastle Red Bulls |
| 2023-10-29 | Premiership Rugby | Newcastle Red Bulls 14–16 Northampton Saints |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Sample mean, rounded: Northampton Saints 35.7 – Newcastle Red Bulls 17.8. Team orientation is fixed regardless of venue.
Extended Form
Northampton SaintsW16, D1, L3
Retrieved Premiership Rugby sample within 25 September 2025–24 September 2026 (20 matches; not asserted to be a complete season): 2026-06-20 Northampton Saints 26–17 Exeter Chiefs; 2026-06-12 Northampton Saints 45–31 Leicester Tigers; 2026-06-06 Harlequins 38–31 Northampton Saints; 2026-05-30 Northampton Saints 36–32 Gloucester; 2026-05-15 Northampton Saints 94–33 Bristol Bears; 2026-05-09 Leicester Tigers 41–17 Northampton Saints; 2026-04-25 Northampton Saints 41–38 Bath; 2026-04-18 Exeter Chiefs 28–35 Northampton Saints; 2026-03-28 Saracens 17–21 Northampton Saints; 2026-03-21 Northampton Saints 28–27 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2026-01-24 Sale Sharks 29–43 Northampton Saints; 2026-01-03 Northampton Saints 66–21 Harlequins; 2025-12-27 Bath 21–41 Northampton Saints; 2025-12-20 Northampton Saints 47–21 Sale Sharks; 2025-11-29 Bristol Bears 46–12 Northampton Saints; 2025-10-24 Northampton Saints 43–31 Saracens; 2025-10-17 Newcastle Red Bulls 19–36 Northampton Saints; 2025-10-11 Northampton Saints 32–26 Leicester Tigers; 2025-10-05 Gloucester 35–37 Northampton Saints; 2025-09-28 Northampton Saints 33–33 Exeter Chiefs
Only Premiership Rugby results are counted in this extended window; other competitions and friendlies are excluded. The 26–17 final win capped a four-win finish in five league games. Saints also conceded 38 at Harlequins, so the 94–33 Bristol result must not become the whole picture of their level.
Newcastle Red BullsW2, D0, L16
Retrieved Premiership Rugby sample within 25 September 2025–24 September 2026 (18 matches; not asserted to be a complete season): 2026-06-06 Gloucester 54–21 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2026-05-30 Newcastle Red Bulls 45–42 Sale Sharks; 2026-05-16 Bath 69–12 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2026-05-10 Newcastle Red Bulls 17–76 Harlequins; 2026-04-24 Newcastle Red Bulls 19–52 Bristol Bears; 2026-04-18 Leicester Tigers 62–3 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2026-03-27 Newcastle Red Bulls 14–38 Exeter Chiefs; 2026-03-21 Northampton Saints 28–27 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2026-01-24 Saracens 73–14 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2026-01-02 Newcastle Red Bulls 25–19 Gloucester; 2025-12-27 Bristol Bears 36–27 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2025-12-21 Newcastle Red Bulls 14–50 Bath; 2025-11-28 Newcastle Red Bulls 17–39 Leicester Tigers; 2025-10-25 Harlequins 52–14 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2025-10-17 Newcastle Red Bulls 19–36 Northampton Saints; 2025-10-10 Sale Sharks 57–5 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2025-10-04 Exeter Chiefs 38–15 Newcastle Red Bulls; 2025-09-26 Newcastle Red Bulls 17–39 Saracens
Only Premiership Rugby results are counted in this extended window; other competitions and friendlies are excluded. Newcastle’s one win in the five-game league window was a 45–42 thriller against Sale. Heavy defeats elsewhere expose the old side’s defence, but seven starting debutants make a direct carry-over of those numbers unreliable.
Northampton Saints XV
Confirmed 24 September. Pollock reaches 50 Saints appearances; McParland starts with Mitchell available from the bench. Dingwall captains and Pater starts at fullback.
Newcastle Red Bulls XV
Confirmed 24 September. Christie leads a side with seven starting debutants. Harris and Wade add experience outside Connon; Sotutu is among the replacement options.
Key Matchups
Fin Smith can make Newcastle’s new combinations defend repeated changes of direction. Christie and Harris give the visitors experienced organisers, while Sotutu could change the carrying contest from the bench. Newcastle need to keep the first quarter controlled enough for those additions to matter.
Match Forecast
Saints are a strong home pick because the champions retain a recognizable spine and can add Mitchell later. Newcastle’s recruitment improves the personnel comparison but does not instantly prove defensive cohesion. The forecast respects their potential without assuming it is already delivered.
The last league meeting was a one-point game, which should stop anyone treating this as a procession. Harris, Wade and Sotutu give Newcastle ways to punish complacency. Saints still need accurate exits and disciplined possession to turn their advantage into the projected margin. The margin band is an editorial range, not a statistical confidence interval.
Northampton Saints by 15 — the selected sides and verified results set the case.
Northampton Saints points for–against in the 5-match Premiership Rugby form window.
Newcastle Red Bulls points for–against in the 5-match Premiership Rugby form window.
Northampton Saints wins–draws–Newcastle Red Bulls wins in the explicitly scoped H2H sample.
Seven-dimension house score from the home perspective; positive favours the home team before the model intercept.