Bringing club captain George Furbank straight back into Northampton’s starting line-up for Saturday’s Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Begles is a gamble admits director of rugby Phil Dowson.
Full-back Furbank has missed much of the campaign after breaking his arm in the away win over the Bulls at the end of last year.
Having had metal plates inserted in his arm, the 28-year-old made an initial return in Saints’ quarter-final victory over Castres in April, but suffered a setback in that match and it was feared his season might be over.
“It’s always a gamble,” said Dowson.
“Whenever you bring someone back from injury, there is always a point where they have got to hit somebody, make a cover tackle, or go flat out.
“There is always a risk there.”
However, Dowson insists that he saw enough in Furbank’s curtailed appearance against Castres to have confidence he can slot straight back into Saints’ gameplan.
“They were a good 52 minutes,” he said.
“I think what was impressive was his ability to drop back into our gameplan and still see space and make good decisions.
“Nothing quite replicates a game, but his ability to do that straight off the bat was very impressive.”
Curtis Langdon is also in the Saints’ starting XV after concerns that an injury picked up in last weekend’s win over Saracens may rule the hooker out.
Ollie Sleightholme is another to make a comeback on the biggest stage, with the wing named on the bench and set to make his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury on England duty in March.
Alex Coles is fit to take up a role as blindside flanker, while Henry Pollock plays at number eight with Ulster-bound South African Juarno Augustus ruled out.
Northampton, who will be captained on the pitch by England centre Fraser Dingwall, are seeking to lift the trophy for the second time, having won it 25 years ago against Munster.
Attack coach Sam Vesty says that Northampton, who reached the Champions Cup semi-final in addition to lifting the Premiership title last year, are determined not to be cowed by the occasion.
“It’s about playing our game when there’s a lot of pressure in such a massive final,” he told Rugby Union Weekly.
“It’s about still being committed to playing fast and making good decisions that might look risky but backing ourselves to do those things well.
“The most important thing when something goes wrong is to get back on track and that’s the thing I think the boys will be so much better at with the experiences they’ve had over the last 12-18 months.”
Exeter were the last English club to win the Champions Cup with victory in 2020 while Saints last reached the final in 2011, losing to Leinster in Cardiff.
Bordeaux-Begles, contesting their first Champions Cup final, have named an unchanged starting XV from the side that beat last year’s champions Toulouse in the last four.
Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert, both France internationals, are the half-back partnership, while Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are part of a dangerous backline.
Former London Irish lock Adam Coleman and Australia international Peter Samu feature in the pack.
