Danny Cipriani and Matt Banahan will make their first competitive starts when Gloucester host Northampton at Kingsholm tomorrow (kick off 2pm), in their opening Gallagher Premiership Rugby game of the season.

The Cherry and Whites go into the game on the back of pre-season friendly victories over Ulster Rugby and the Dragons, although the Northampton Saints will be a far different proposition with league points at stake.

Banahan and Cipriani are joined as newcomers in the matchday squad by hooker Franco Marais, who is named among the replacements, in a Gloucester side skippered by Ed Slater.

With the hard work of pre-season behind them, head coach Johan Ackermann is pleased that the start of the season is almost here.

“I’m massively excited. Pre-season has flown by, but it’s great to be on the verge of the new Premiership competition and the players are itching to get going. Hopefully a lot of the hard work will pay off, starting this weekend.

“I can compliment the players on their commitment to their training this summer, they never complained and always kept giving their best even when they were tired. For me, it was good to be involved with the whole of pre-season, unlike last summer, and involved with everything.

“I feel the players are in a good place, the new arrivals slotted in nicely and fitted into the culture and the values we’re looking to instil. It’s great that everyone’s on the same page ahead of the start of the season.”

It will be a new look Northampton Saints side that comes to Kingsholm, changes on and off the field, but they will be a tough proposition says Ackermann.

“They’ve been a very good side over the past few seasons and they’ve done well,” he said. “If you look at their forwards, it’s going to be a massive pack. They’ve also got quality at the back, they’ve made sure they’ve recruited international players.

“They’ll bring a new flavour as there’s a new coach who is going to bring in new ideas and new philosophies. They were clinical and physical in their warm-up games, so it’s going to be a massive challenge.”

Meanwhile, Alex Waller will lead out Northampton for the first time as club co-captain tomorrow.

Fly-half Dan Biggar, flanker James Haskell and prop Ben Franks all make their first competitive appearances for the club, while hooker James Fish will run out for the first time in the Premiership after scoring six tries in three pre-season matches.

England captain Dylan Hartley headlines a bench packed with both experience and youth, as new director of rugby Chris Boyd goes in search of an opening league victory following pre-season wins over Ospreys, Dragons and Glasgow Warriors.

Ahsee Tuala continues his run at full-back after starting 11 of Saints’ last 12 matches last season, with dangermen Nafi Tuitavake and Tom Collins looking to cause the Cherry and Whites trouble on the wings.

There’s a familiar look to Northampton’s midfield with England internationals Piers Francis and Luther Burrell named in the centres, but British and Irish Lion Biggar will line-up alongside Cobus Reinach in the Premiership for the first time.

Waller, Fish and Franks pack down together again after an accomplished showing from the front three against Glasgow, while two towering locks in David Ribbans and Courtney Lawes provide plenty of height in Saints’ second row.

Teimana Harrison and Heinrich Brüssow join Haskell in the back row, to complete an unchanged pack from the side that beat the Scots 41-15 at Franklin’s Gardens last Friday.

Hartley, Api Ratuniyarawa, Francois van Wyk and Ken Pisi – who scored a crucial try the last time these sides met – provide experience from the bench, while four Saints Academy graduates in Lewis Ludlam, Ehren Painter, James Grayson and Alex Mitchell will also look to make their mark in the second half.

Director of rugby Chris Boyd said: “Johan [Ackermann] was a revelation in South Africa and did extremely well with the Lions; he introduced a new style of rugby, and I can see a lot of his traits in the way that Gloucester play – plus [Danny] Cipriani is a very good signing for them as he likes that style.

“So I think that makes them a very dangerous side, and a lot of people are expecting them to be successful this year.

“I’m probably too old to get nervous now, but I just want to make sure that when we get to Saturday as a coaching group we’ve done everything we can, left no stone unturned, and given the players all the preparation they need to go into the game. It’s up to them then to bring the performance.”

Gloucester: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Charlie Sharples, 13. Henry Trinder, 12. Billy Twelvetrees, 11. Matt Banahan; 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Callum Braley 1. Val Rapava Ruskin, 2. James Hanson, 3. Fraser Balmain; 4. Ed Slater (capt), 5. Mariano Galarza; 6. Ruan Ackermann, 7. Lewis Ludlow, 8. Ben Morgan. Replacements: 16. Franco Marais, 17. Josh Hohneck, 18. Ciaran Knight, 19. Freddie Clarke, 20. Jake Polledri, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Tom Hudson, 23. Owen Williams. Unavailable for selection: Ruan Dreyer, Willi Heinz, Jaco Kriel, Tom Marshall, Paddy McAllister, Tom Savage, Ollie Thorley.

Northampton: 15 Ahsee Tuala; 14 Nafi Tuitavake, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Piers Francis, 11 Tom Collins; 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Cobus Reinach; 1 Alex Waller (co-captain), 2 James Fish, 3 Ben Franks, 4 David Ribbans, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 James Haskell, 7 Heinrich Brüssow, 8 Teimana Harrison. Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley (co-captain), 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Ehren Painter, 19 Api Ratuniyarawa, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 James Grayson, 23 Ken Pisi. Unavailable for selection: Dom Barrow, Alex Coles, James Craig, Paul Hill, Rory Hutchinson, Reece Marshall, Samson Ma’asi, Alex Moon, Toby Trinder and Tom Wood.