Northampton Saints were defeated for the first time in the 2025/26 campaign, as the men in Black, Green and Gold fell to Glasgow Warriors 40-31 at Scotstoun Stadium. 

Phil Dowson’s side started their final preseason clash brightly sending back-row duo Callum Chick and Tom Pearson over early doors, but a second for Pearson and a first score of the term for George Hendy were sandwiched by four tries from the hosts and it was Glasgow who entered the break with a narrow two-point lead. 

Saints shot back in front after the turnaround and sent Hendy over again after just two minutes, but that lead was short-lived and Warriors would add two more scores to their tally before the final whistle handed them the 40-31 victory.

FIRST HALF:

Despite a couple of early handling errors, the Saints pack were able to convert the resulting scrums into penalties against the head and it was just a matter of time before No. 8 Callum Chick crashed through to open both his account in a Saints shirt and the scoring for the evening.

A second close-range effort – this time from flanker Pearson – again owed much to a set-piece shove and a quickly taken penalty.

Anthony Belleau converted both tries to take Saints 0–14 to the good, but after a quick break up the left, Warriors recycled well for Dan Lancaster to hit back almost immediately and stem the one-way traffic.

It was only a temporary reprieve, however. When the ball bobbled free in midfield, Archie McParland reacted quickest and his dart into the 22 was eventually finished off by Pearson again, the flanker taking multiple defenders over the line with him for good measure.

The scoreboard kept ticking for both sides, Warriors bagging a second when dangerman Fergus Watson – instrumental in their first score – broke free again and put Jack Oliver in for the hosts’ second.

Next over the whitewash was the returning Hendy, marking his first minutes in Saints colours since April with a simple dive over in the corner, but again Warriors replied, driving Gregor Hiddleston over from a maul.

Lancaster’s second success from the tee trimmed Saints’ lead to five and when Hiddleston burrowed through, Glasgow led for the first time with just 90 seconds left on the first-half clock, a 26-24 advantage they would take to the sheds.

SECOND HALF:

Having finished the opening 40 on the back foot, Saints returned fired up and Edoardo Todaro raced clear through midfield. Hendy again hugged the right touchline and while his path was this time blocked by a defender, the fullback blasted over to double his tally and regain the lead.

As had been the case in the first half, the score prompted a response from Glasgow. Though Saints held strong for the best part of 20 minutes, the pressure forced a yellow card for Luke Green and Johnny Matthews pounced from a lineout drive, Lancaster finding the mark with the extras.

This time, Warriors would not relinquish their lead, instead adding to it seven minutes from time through Josh McKay, who collected Oliver’s inside pass to coast behind the posts.

The final whistle wrapped up Saints’ preseason encounters, with the men in Black, Green and Gold now turning their attentions to the PREM Rugby Cup and the challenge of a trip to Saracens in a weeks’ time. 

LINE-UPS:

Warriors: 15 McKay, 14 Watson, 13 Johnston, 12 Yule, 11 Smith, 10 Lancaster, 9 Afshar; 1 McBeth, 2 Hiddleston, 3 Richardson, 4 Williamson, 5 Samuel, 6 Ferrie (C), 7 Duncan, 8 Dempsey.
Replacements: Matthews, Shearer, Talakai, Oguntibeju, Brown, Fraser, Oliver, Urwin, Salmon, Ventisei, Bhatti, Stephen, Cockburn, Jackson, Bryden.

Saints: 15 Ramm (c), 14 Todaro, 13 Hutchinson, 12 Thame, 11 Caqusau, 10 Belleau, 9 McParland; 1 Iyogun, 2 Wright, 3 Kundiona, 4 Prowse, 5 Lockett, 6 Pearson, 7 Graham, 8 Chick.
Replacements: Walker, Fischetti, Millar Mills , Scola, Green, Munga, Scott-Young, Benson, Brown, Weimann, Pater, Martin, Litchfield, Rowe, Hendy.