TEAM UPDATE: Max Evans has not fully recovered from the stinger he picked up last weekend against New Zealand that brought the game to a close. Hotly tipped Saints utility man Joe Ansbro has been brought straight into the side to earn his first cap. His now vacant wing place in the A Team results in giant Jack Cuthbert coming in at full back and Thompson swapping in for Ansbro. Congratulations to Joe and we wish him all the best for Saturday.
JOE ANSBRO (Northampton Saints)
Centre. Born 29.10.1985 in Glasgow. Height 6ft (1.83m). Weight 14st 7lbs (92kg).
Joe Ansbro played for Cambridge in two University match wins against Oxford. His debut for Northampton Saints was as a replacement against Moseley in 2007, and that was followed with a try-scoring first start against Rotherham at Franklin’s Gardens. The Glasgow-born centre opted for the country of his birth when he accepted selection in the Scotland A team for the IRB Nations Cup tournament in Romania in June 2009. Scotland A won that tournament, with Joe making his debut as outside centre in the win against Uruguay
Joe was educated at Gatehouse Primary School (Dumfries and Galloway) and Stonyhurst College (Lancashire), and he went on to take a natural sciences degree at Cambridge. While living near Gatehouse-of-Fleet, he played youth rugby with Stewartry, the Castle Douglas club. He has now played more than 50 games for Northampton Saints. Joe becomes the first black player to play international rugby for Scotland.
International record: uncapped.
