‘Sour taste’ fuelling Northampton’s derby redemption bid against Leicester
Northampton Saints fans will be delighted to see Fin Smith return to action after signing his new contract
©Northampton Saints
This weekend marks 'Derby Weekend' in the Gallagher Prem, bringing three days of local pride, bragging rights, and score-settling clashes.
Northampton Saints are keen to rewrite last season’s painful chapter, when Leicester Tigers stunned them 33-0 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Currently sitting fourth in the table after two rounds - two points clear of their local rivals - Northampton head into the latest East Midlands derby buoyed by the news that fly-half Fin Smith has pledged his future to both Saints and England.
Smith - who has established himself as a Test regular for the national side - had been one of the key names targeted by the R360 organisers, as his contract with Northampton was due to end this summer.
Earlier this week, the RFU and other major rugby unions announced that any player who joined the planned R360 competition - which is expected to launch in 2026 - would be barred from representing their country at Test level.
For Smith, the decision was clear. He wasn’t prepared to leave the club that has played such a pivotal role in his development, nor was he willing to jeopardise his opportunity to represent England again.
“It’s been amazing so far,” Smith said on his time at Northampton. "Even when I was signing and bits and bobs, I saw the announcement from when I signed here from Worcester (Warriors), just thinking about everything that I have done and experienced as a person, as a player in that period of time. I really feel like the town and club have shaped me as a person a lot and have helped me take a massive step forward in my career.
"The fans have also been great. The people in the building that I get to come to work with every day have been amazing, and long may it continue. We spend a huge amount of time together because we are so close. I think that’s what makes us what we are as a club. It’s only a little town, but we’re proud of it. We get stuck in. I think the connections of the people at this place is what makes it so good. I think that reflects on the pitch a little bit as well."
Not only will Northampton fans be delighted that their fly-half has signed a new contract, but they will also be able to welcome back players from international duty and enforced rest periods. Among the returnees is Tommy Freeman, who is poised to earn his 100th cap and is eager to get stuck in.
"I’m very excited," Freeman said. "I had a good summer. I had four weeks to get my body and mind right, and now I’m ready to fly into this special week.
"They’re quick lads (the Leicester Tigers backs) Radwan (Adam) and (Ollie) Hassell-Collins. Hopefully we can maintain their speed and get after areas. I obviously want to be playing against the best, testing myself and see where I am at.
"It’s my 100th this weekend, which is mad! It’s a special time and to do it against Leicester is going to be a very special occasion. I can’t wait and can’t believe how quick it’s gone, to be honest. My parents are very proud."
Despite accumulating eight points from their first two matches, some may argue that Northampton have had a turbulent start to the season. In their opener against Exeter Chiefs, the Saints seemed unstoppable, leading 33-7 at halftime, only to see Exeter turn the tide to record a 33-33 draw.
The second game, against Gloucester at Kingsholm, saw Northampton dominate early, securing a bonus point before the interval through tries from Tom Pearson, Tom Litchfield, Archie McParland, and George Hendy. However, discipline issues allowed Gloucester to fight back, with Northampton only managing a narrow 37-35 victory in the final 10 minutes.
Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson, acknowledges that the team must perform better if they are to overcome last season’s Prem finalists on Saturday.
“Last season’s loss against Leicester left a very sour taste in people’s mouths, myself included," Dowson said. "It’s not something we want to repeat. We don’t want to be whitewashed at home and be embarrassed. Credit to Leicester, they played very well and did a fantastic job on us. I think after that game, our European campaign benefited from that [Northampton reached the Champions Cup final] and the reaction from the group was positive.
"Our focus for this weekend doesn’t massively change. Eighty per cent is on us and 20 per cent is on Leicester. Our focus is on what parts of Leicester’s game are really strong and dangerous, and what does that draw out from our game.
"We’re always trying to continue working on our game plan, our DNA, our focus on getting better as a group. It’s a balance.
"This week, we’ve obviously talked about discipline [Saints shipped 15 penalties and received three yellow cards at Gloucester].
"We’ve also spoken about how we double up on mistakes. There are psychological and technical things we can get better at too with regards to kick chase, defensive alignment in defence and our ability at the breakdown.
"All those small alignments will hopefully help us, but mostly we want to focus on ourselves and what Leicester are going to bring to the table."
