Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers all-time combined XV

One of the most storied rivalries in world rugby, the East Midlands derby is always one of the biggest days on the Gallagher Prem calendar.

The two sides have faced off in vital matches on numerous occasions, including the famous 2013 Premiership final, which saw Leicester Tigers defeat their rivals to lift their 10th league title.

Northampton Saints have had their share of success in this fixture too, defeating the Tigers in their 2014 play-off semi final en route to their first Premiership title.

Both sides will renew their fierce and famous rivalry in this season's Gallagher Prem play-off semi final, as both sides look to give themselves a shot of reaching the showpiece at Twickenham.

With that in mind, let's take a look at our all-time combined XV for the East Midlands derby.

Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers all-time Combined XV

15 - Geordan Murphy

HM: Ben Foden & Tim Stimpson

Kicking off the team with a Leicester Tigers pick, Geordan Murphy takes the starting spot at 15.

The former Leicester full back was all-action, blending a world class skillset with great leadership and a high rugby IQ, going on to make 322 appearances for the Tigers as a one-clubman.

Both Ben Foden and Tim Stimpson had strong cases to make this squad, but the longevity and success of the Irishman gives him the edge.

14 - Chris Ashton

HM: George North & Ben Cohen

Having been one of the few players to represent both Leicester and Northampton to a good standard, all-time top Prem try scorer Chris Ashton is the obvious choice on the right wing.

Spending much of his career at Northampton, Ashton made 110 appearances for the Saints between 2007 and 2012, scoring 85 tries and winning two trophies.

The former Saracens and Toulon bagsman then moved to Leicester in the twilight of his career, scoring 13 tries in 27 appearances across two seasons, helping the Tigers to lift the 2021/22 Premiership title.

He was also involved in one of the most iconic East Midlands derby moments with the next player in this team, more on that later.

13 - Manu Tuilagi

HM: George Pisi

Who else?

One of the most famous rugby players of all time, Manu Tuiliagi's career was defined by it's early days, as injuries ultimately prevented the England international from becoming an all-time great.

Not only in this team for his exceptional time with the Tigers, Manu Tuilagi is also infamous for his incident with Chris Ashton in 2011, which saw both players be sent to the sin bin, after Tuilagi landed three punches directly on Ashton's jaw.

While his peak may have been young, there is zero doubt that a prime Manu Tuilagi starts for almost every team in the world.

12 - Luther Burrell

HM: Dan Hipkiss, Anthony Allen & Pat Howard

Partnering Manu Tuilagi in an extremely powerful midfield is rugby league convert Luther Burrell.

An England international himself, Burrell epitomised everything that Northampton Saints were about in the early 2010s, as they looked to establish themselves amongst the big boys in the Premiership.

In one of the most competitive positions on the field, a number of Leicester greats miss out, with Pat Howard particularly close to selection.

11 - Alesana Tuilagi

HM: Rory Underwood & Ben Cohen

The second member of rugby's most famous and iconic family to feature, Alesana Tuilagi is one of Leicester's all-time greats.

The Samoan international was a unique profile of winger during his playing days, coupling pace and agility with the strength usually saved for the forwards in the team.

All of this is before mentioning that Alesana also had a confrontation with Chris Ashton in an East Midlands derby, ending up in a one-sided brawl with the rugby league convert due to a hair pull.

10 - Stephen Myler

HM: Joel Stransky, Toby Flood & George Ford

A position which strangely doesn't have any stand-out options, the fly half shirt was one of the toughest decisions in this team.

We've given the nod to Stephen Myler, with the Northampton Saints man having lead the club to their first ever Premiership title in 2014 and scored 2,655 points in 330 matches for the Saints.

Surprisingly only a one-cap England international, Myler played a key role in establishing the Saints as a Premiership force.

9 - Ben Youngs

HM: Austin Healey, Matt Dawson & Cobus Reinach

Arguably the hardest choice in the team, Ben Youngs takes the number nine shirt in this XV.

While Rugby World Cup winning scrum half Matt Dawson was an option, Ben Youngs' longevity on the club and international stage - holding the record for the most England appearances of all time - just give him a slight edge.

Surprisingly, South African Cobus Reinach was a genuine contender for this squad, but due to a lack of time in the English top flight, he just misses out.

1 - Marcos Ayerza

HM: Graham Rowntree, Alex Corbisiero & Ellis Genge

As we move onto the forward pack, an area of the field synonymous with the Tigers, loosehead prop sees three Tigers as the main competitors.

World Cup winner Graham Rowntree was certainly extremely close to making this squad, but we've gone with Argentinian legend Marcos Ayerza.

Completely shifting what it meant to be a Leicester loosehead prop, Ayerza is arguably the best in his position that the Premiership has ever seen.

2 - Dylan Hartley

HM: Tom Youngs & Dorian West

On pure ability alone, there is a more than fair argument that Tom Youngs is robbed of completing an iconic all-Leicester Tigers front row.

However, the leadership displayed over the course of Dylan Hartley's career gave him a real shot at making this team.

Despite all of this, just like Ashton and the Tuilagis before him, Hartley makes this XV based on an iconic East Midlands derby moment.

The at-the-time Saints captain was famously sent off in their 2013 Premiership final defeat to the Tigers, having used some unsavoury language towards referee Wayne Barnes, ultimately costing his side their first title.

He would then go on to redeem himself, playing a key role in the 2014 title win, and even went on to captain England in 2016 to their first Grand Slam since 2003.

3 - Dan Cole

HM: Martin Castrogiovanni, Brian Mujati & Darren Garforth

One of the easiest choices in the team, legendary English tight head Dan Cole is chosen at tighthead in this team.

A 118-cap England international, Cole made 343 appearances for the Tigers, helping them to four Premiership titles across his glittering 18 year career.

4 - Martin Johnson (c)

HM: Christian Day

Captaining this side, arguably England's greatest ever player Martin Johnson is chosen at second row.

The World Cup winning England captain was a stalwart for both club and country across his career and, while Christian Day was a good player, almost no one would have dislodged Johnson from this position.

A trophy cabinet featuring five Premiership titles, two Champions Cups and two Prem Rugby Cups signifies the dominance that Johnson displayed throughout his 16-year career with the Tigers.

5 - Ben Kay

HM: Geoff Parling

Partnering Johnson in the second row, Ben Kay is chosen as the second lock in the team.

As Johnson's partner for club and country, Ben Kay was a key part of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003 and had a trophy laden stint with the Tigers.

6 - Courtney Lawes

HM: Tom Croft, Lewis Moody, Tom Wood & Martin Corry

Another heavily contested position, Courtney Lawes is chosen as the blindside flanker over Lewis Moody, Tom Croft, Tom Wood, Martin Corry and many others.

The Saints icon is regarded among their fanbase as one of - if not - their greatest ever players, consistently performing as a dominant, hard hitting flanker.

Set to head to Sale Sharks ahead of next season, Lawes made 280 appearances over 17 years at the Saints, lifting two Premiership titles, an Anglo-Welsh Cup and two EPCR Challenge Cup titles.

7 - Neil Back

HM: Phil Dowson & Budge Poutney

The next choice in a Leicester heavy forward pack is Neil Back.

Another member of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad, Back made a significant contribution to Leicester Tigers over the course of his 15 years at Welford Road.

A key part of the Tigers golden era in the late 90s and early 2000s, Neil Back currently holds the club record for most tries by a forward, with a mesmerising 125 tries in 339 games.

8 - Dean Richards

HM: Jasper Weise, Louis Picamoles & Samu Manoa

Capping off the side is legendary Leicester Tigers number eight Dean Richard, beating some modern heroes to this XV.

Weise, Picamoles and Manoa all had strong contributions to their respective clubs over the course of shorter stints in the Premiership, but Dean Richards is held as Leicester royalty.

A one-clubman as a player, Richards made 314 appearances for the Tigers between 1982 and 1997, winning numerous trophies with the club.