Northampton Saints vs Cardiff Rugby prediction: Champions Cup, 18 October 2026
Northampton Saints beat Cardiff Rugby 28-12 in the Champions Cup on Sunday 18 October 2026. The match was played at Franklin's Gardens in Northampton.
Match recap: Northampton Saints 28-12 Cardiff Rugby, Champions Cup, 18 October 2026
Northampton Saints beat Cardiff Rugby 28-12 in the Champions Cup on Sunday 18 October 2026. The match was played at Franklin's Gardens in Northampton.
Score period by period
| Period | Northampton Saints | Cardiff Rugby |
|---|---|---|
| First half | 14 | 0 |
| Second half | 14 | 12 |
Northampton Saints led 14-0 at half-time, and the second half finished 14-12.
Prediction and analysis
Our prediction
No clear favourite emerges for Northampton Saints vs Cardiff Rugby, Sunday 18 October 2026.
Who is favoured for Northampton Saints vs Cardiff Rugby?
No clear favourite emerges for Northampton Saints vs Cardiff Rugby, Sunday 18 October 2026.
When and where Northampton Saints vs Cardiff Rugby is played
Northampton Saints host Cardiff Rugby in the Champions Cup on Sunday 18 October 2026. The venue is Franklin's Gardens. It is Matchday 1. Both sides are drawn in Pool 4 of the European Rugby Champions Cup, and this fixture opens their pool campaign.
Key facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Competition | Champions Cup |
| Round | Matchday 1 |
| Date | 18 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | 17:30 (UK time) |
| Venue | Franklin's Gardens |
| City | Northampton |
End of 2025/26 season form: Northampton Saints and Cardiff Rugby
Neither side has played yet this season, so the figures below come from the end of the 2025/26 season, more than three months before this fixture, and cover Northampton Saints' matches in the Champions Cup and Premiership Rugby between Sunday 18 January 2026 and Saturday 20 June 2026.
Northampton Saints won 9 and lost 1 of 10 matches, scoring 431 points and conceding 304, and finished that run with four wins in a row. They won all 7 home matches and 2 of 3 away, and their last result was a 26-17 win over Exeter RC Chiefs in Premiership Rugby.
9W 0D 1L in 10 games43.1 scored · 30.4 conceded per gameHome 7W-0D-0L · Away 2W-0D-1L
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/06/2026 | Exeter RC Chiefs | Home | 26-17 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 12/06/2026 | Leicester Tigers | Home | 45-31 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 15/05/2026 | Bristol Bears | Home | 94-33 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 25/04/2026 | Bath Rugby | Home | 41-38 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 10/04/2026 | Bath Rugby | Away | 41-43 | L | Champions Cup |
| 03/04/2026 | Castres Olympique | Home | 49-41 | W | Champions Cup |
| 28/03/2026 | Saracens FC | Away | 21-17 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 21/03/2026 | Newcastle Red Bulls | Home | 28-27 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 24/01/2026 | Sale Sharks | Away | 43-29 | W | Premiership Rugby |
| 18/01/2026 | Scarlets | Home | 43-28 | W | Champions Cup |
Northampton Saints and Cardiff Rugby squads
Northampton Saints squad (60 players)
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iyogun, Emmanuel | Prop |
| 2 | Langdon, Curtis | Hooker |
| 3 | Kundiona, Cleopas | Prop |
| 4 | Coles, Alex | Lock |
| 5 | Prowse, Ed | Prop |
| 6 | Kemeny, Josh | Flanker |
| 7 | Pollock, Henry | Back row |
| 8 | Chick, Callum | Back row |
| 9 | McParland, Archie | Scrum-half |
| 10 | Smith, Fin | Fly-half |
| 11 | Hendy, George | Full-back |
| 12 | Dingwall, Fraser | Centre |
| 13 | Hutchinson, Rory | Centre |
| 14 | Freeman, Tommy | Wing |
| 15 | Pater, James | Half-back |
| 16 | Smith, Robbie | Hooker |
| 17 | Fischetti, Danilo | Prop |
| 18 | Neculai, Ion | Prop |
| 19 | Lockett, Tom | Lock |
| 20 | Taylor, Josh | Back row |
| 21 | Mitchell, Alex | Scrum-half |
| 22 | Belleau, Anthony | Prop |
| 23 | Sleightholme, Ollie | Wing |
| Ainsworth-Cave, Aiden | Back row | |
| Alexander, Ben | Hooker | |
| Bennett, James | Back row | |
| Benson, Archie | Back row | |
| Buxton, Noah | Prop | |
| Caqusau, Amena | Wing | |
| Catley, Will | Centre | |
| Davison, Trevor | Prop | |
| Els, Jordan | Prop | |
| Faissal, Malik | Wing | |
| Goode, Sonny | Half-back | |
| Green, Luke | Prop | |
| Lewis, Jack | Back row | |
| Litchfield, Tom | Centre | |
| Lumley, Henry | Centre | |
| Mainey, Fergus | Scrum-half | |
| Martin, James | Wing | |
| Mead, Alex | Lock | |
| Munga, Chunya | Lock | |
| Pearson, Tom | Back row | |
| Pugh, Aidan | Scrum-half | |
| Reid, Aiden | Prop | |
| Rowe, Tom | Wing | |
| Scola, Ollie | Prop | |
| Shields, Hugh | ||
| St John, Freddie | Centre | |
| Tamani, Charlie | Wing | |
| Thame, Toby | Centre | |
| Todaro, Edoardo | Centre | |
| Tonga'uiha, George | Lock | |
| Tonga'uiha, Sonny | Prop | |
| Ulcoq, Charlie | Flanker | |
| Walker, Henry | Hooker | |
| Weimann, Jonny | Scrum-half | |
| Wright, Craig | Hooker | |
| Zigiriadis, Lefty | Prop | |
| van Der Mescht, Juan John | Lock |
Cardiff Rugby squad (47 players)
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barratt, Rhys | Prop |
| 2 | Belcher, Liam | Hooker |
| 3 | Assarratti, Keiron | Prop |
| 4 | McNally, Josh | Lock |
| 5 | Thornton, Rory | Lock |
| 6 | Botham, Jim | Flanker |
| 7 | Thomas, Daniel | Back row |
| 8 | Basham, Taine | Flanker |
| 9 | Johan, Mulder | Scrum-half |
| 10 | Sheedy, Callum | Fly-half |
| 11 | Bowen, Tom | Wing |
| 12 | Thomas, Ben | Fly-half |
| 13 | Adams, Josh | Wing |
| 14 | Beetham, Jacob | Fly-half |
| 15 | Winnett, Cameron | Full-back |
| 16 | Lloyd, Evan | Hooker |
| 17 | Southworth, Danny | Prop |
| 18 | Wainwright, Sam | Prop |
| 19 | Nott, George | Lock |
| 20 | Lawrence, Alun | Back row |
| 21 | Bevan, Ellis | Scrum-half |
| 23 | Lloyd, Ioan | Fly-half |
| Cabango, Theo | Wing | |
| Cowell, Joe | Prop | |
| Davies, Aled | Scrum-half | |
| Dawin-Lewis, Osian | Centre | |
| De la rua, Lucas | Back row | |
| Edwards, Ryan | Wing | |
| Emanuel, Ioan | Prop | |
| Emanuel, Steffan | Centre | |
| Evans, Elijah | Centre | |
| Evans, Jarrod | Fly-half | |
| Faletau, Toby | Back row | |
| Grady, Mason | Centre | |
| Howe, Tom | Wing | |
| Hughes, Dafydd | Hooker | |
| Lloyd, Ethan | Scrum-half | |
| Malan, Le Roux | Centre | |
| Mann, Alex | Flanker | |
| Millard, Harri | Centre | |
| Paea, Semisi | Lock | |
| Rees, Evan | Back row | |
| Sebastian, Javan | Prop | |
| Sio, Scott | Prop | |
| Stephens, Iwan | Wing | |
| Williams, Teddy | Lock | |
| Young, Matty | Full-back |
Key data
Northampton Saints and Cardiff Rugby meet on Matchday 1 of Pool 4. Northampton Saints won 9 of 10 matches at the end of the 2025/26 season. They scored 431 points and conceded 304 in that span. Their final five results brought 12 points.
Frequently asked questions
How did Northampton Saints finish the 2025/26 season?
Northampton Saints won 9 and lost 1 of 10 matches between Sunday 18 January 2026 and Saturday 20 June 2026. They ended with four wins in a row. The last was a 26-17 win over Exeter RC Chiefs in Premiership Rugby.
What was Northampton Saints' home record in the 2025/26 season?
Northampton Saints won all 7 of their home matches across the Champions Cup and Premiership Rugby in that window. Away from home they won 2 of 3. Their only loss in 10 matches came on the road.
Which pool are Northampton Saints and Cardiff Rugby in?
Both sides are in Pool 4 of the European Rugby Champions Cup. Their meeting at Franklin's Gardens is Matchday 1. It is the first pool fixture for each side in this edition of the Champions Cup.
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