Payne to make 250th appearance
Tim Payne will make his 250th appearance for London Wasps in Friday night’s Aviva Premiership game against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.
Payne, in his 10th season at London Wasps, has won an array of domestic and European titles with the Club, and continues to be its first choice loose-head.
Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “Tim has been a tremendous servant to London Wasps and English rugby and he continues to perform at the very highest level for his Club. He has been an ever-present in the front row since I have been here and is one of the key leaders within the group we have here.”
In other changes to the side to play tomorrow night, winger James Bailey makes his London Wasps debut while there are also starts for Chris Bell, Tom Lindsay, Billy Vunipola and Nick Robinson while Joe Launchbury comes into the backrow in place of Jonathan Poff, who has picked up a knock.
Sam Jones is in line to make his first appearance this season with a place on the bench.
Ashley Johnson is unavailable this weekend for family reasons, while Stephen Jones has recovered in time from a stomach illness which has forced him to miss training this week, to take his place on the bench.
London Wasps team to play Northampton
1 Tim Payne
2 Tom Lindsay
3 Zak Taulafo
4 Tom Palmer
4 Marco Wentzel (c )
6 Joe Launchbury
7 James Haskell
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Joe Simpson
10 Nick Robinson
11 James Bailey
12 Chris Bell
13 Andrea Masi
14 Christian Wade
15 Tommy Bell
Replacements
16 T Rhys Thomas
17 Simon McIntyre
18 Fabio Staibano
19 Sam Jones
20 James Cannon
21 Charlie Davies
22 Lee Thomas
23 Elliot Daly
