Northampton happy to be scalp every team wants in bid to end decade-long wait
Northampton Saints can enjoy some time knowing their place at the top of the Premiership isn't under threat whilst the Six Nations takes centre stage.
After losing their opening two matches, away at Sale and then at home to Bristol, the Saints have been on a roll. A run of nine wins in ten games has seen them rise to the top of the pile, where they currently enjoy an eight-point lead over Harlequins in second.
Northampton though are there to be shot out and their prolific winger Ollie Sleightholme knows they are now the team everyone wants to beat. Since late October though the only team to halt the Saints momentum has been Leicester Tigers, who secured a win at Welford Road.
Sleightholme said: "I think when you're at the top we're the scalp everyone wants and you've got to be prepared for that. Every team who plays you wants to win."
Saints have reached the semi-finals for the past two years but failed to overcome that hurdle. Successive defeats in their opening Premiership rounds fed a narrative of a hangover from last season, but their response since has been testament to their mindset with the squad sticking to their beliefs.
"I don't think we made changes, but we had a new defensive coach so we had to get used to that," said their winger. "We've just trusted and believed in our game as a group and we believe if we keep doing what we do we will come out with the win and we trust that. We trust our game and we trust, if we do it well, whatever the score, we'll have good outcomes and it is a really nice team to play in."
The arrival of Lee Radford, bought in as defensive coach, has proved to be an inspired signing. Ex-rugby league players have found themselves transitioning impressively into union coaches and Radford looks to be the next name on a long list.
Keeping points out, not scoring them, has been Northampton's main problem in recent years. Last year they had the second best attack and the second worst defence. That defence looked set to cost them at Exeter last month when they found themselves 26-0 down after 22 minutes.
Northampton Saints are sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership
This new Northampton though refused to go into their shell with their attacking philosophy helping to inspire one of the great Premiership comebacks. Sleightholme bagged himself a hat-trick and confessed it was their defensive leader who got stuck into them before a sensational second 40 minutes.
He said: "A lot of it came from Rads, we hadn't really fronted up or put our game on them. As soon as we got our heads together and decided to play the end of the first-half and the second-half spoke for themselves."
Saints rounded out the first-half of the Premiership season with a comprehensive win over Newcastle, Sleightholme scoring one of their six tries. Franklin's Gardens was treated to another display of Premiership Rugby as sponsors Gallagher launches a campaign to get more fans at games with the opportunity to win 6,600 tickets to watch every team and attend the Premiership final later this year.
Northampton have continued to prosper from a loyal fan base with their reach continuing to grow. "I think we are a massive community club, we have a small town that is rugby based, although there is a football team, but we are a dominant-based town," said Sleightholme, who joined the club's academy in his teens and is one of a number of graduates in the first-team.
Defensive leader Lee Radford has been credited with making a huge difference
"We do a lot of work in the community, we do festivals at clubs and stuff like that. We try to do as much as we can to get people coming down because there's nothing better than a full stadium. We're a homegrown team. The way I look at it is you've got lads whose bases are in Cambridge, Norfolk and that is the reach the team now has. You've got a wide reach of people that now seem to be Saints' domain."
One of their greatest academy products, Courtney Lawes, has been present more than usual having called time on his England career after the World Cup. His performances since have seen many comment on how the versatile forward has retired far too soon, producing some of his best rugby this season.
"Courts is just another level. It is scary how good he's been, I don't know what it is," commented Sleightholme. "He's always been unbelievable but maybe we're seeing more of him because he's around more."
It can be no coincidence that having Lawes around more has coincided with Northampton rising to the top. He's provided a platform that has aided the likes of Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith - two of six Saints stars to feature in England's Six Nations squad. Alex Coles, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank and Fraser Dingwall the others to be involved.
Northampton last ruled the English domestic scene a decade ago and they couldn't be better placed to replicate that success at this stage of the season. A top two finish guarantees a semi-final at Franklin's Gardens, but even an away day won't phase the current group with Sleightholme confident they can go anywhere.
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"I think the target is top two so anything else would be frustrating," he said. "Top would be ideal situation but I think whatever situation we find ourselves in we'll trust the group and back ourselves to go and get the win wherever we are."
To enter the Right Here for Rugby competition, visit https://gallagher-righthereforrugby.sponsorworks.co.uk/. The winners will be announced within two weeks of the selected fixture. All applicants will automatically be entered into a ballot to win tickets to the 2024 Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham on Saturday 8 June 2024.
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