Jim Mallinder demands Northampton to make amends against Sale after Leinster thrashing

Northampton Saints head coach Jim Mallinder has urged his team to put their best performance in the upcoming Aviva Premiership clash against Sale Sharks on Friday after they were trounced 60-13 by Leinster last weekend in the European Champions Cup.

Northampton conceded as many as nine tries in the game with wing Isa Nacewa scoring 21 points himself and are now languishing at the bottom of the table with a solitary win from four games.

"Interestingly it's not been that difficult to find a reaction, because we all know that we let the club down," said Mallinder.

"You don't want to go out ever to play as we did, we got well beaten by a better side.

"But we know that we can improve, and that's what we've got to do.

"In a way we've got to put that behind us, we've not gone through it with a tooth comb.

"I'm really disappointed, really disappointed for our fans, who made that effort to get out there and support the team.

"But there's only one thing we can do now, and as players and as coaches we've just got to pull together, get out there and put in a performance that we and the fans can be proud of."

George North will miss the game against Sale Sharks despite he returned to training ahead of the game.

Prop Alex Waller is set to make his 200th appearance for the club while Pumas wing Juan Pablo Estelles will make his Aviva Premiership debut on the left wing.

Louis Picamoles, Christian Day, Courtney Lawes and club captain Tom Wood all return to the line-up while England skipper Dylan Hartley will be on the sidelines after he was slammed with a six-week ban.