Baxter says Saints did not need to influence EPCR decisionNorthampton since allowed to sign Alex Seville as coverRob Baxter backed the decision to allow Northampton to draft in Gloucester’s Alex Seville for the European Champions Cup quarter-final at Exeter on Sunday with the club’s four senior loosehead props all injured, but he accused the Saints of playing mind games to swing the decision.
Northampton lobbied European Professional Club Rugby after two loosehead props sustained season-ending injuries at Bristol last week and made another appeal after Francois van Wyk’s knee injury at Leicester on Sunday left them with the 19-year old Manny Iyogun, a recent convert from No 8, as their only loosehead option. They were given permission to register Seville on Thursday morning.