RUGBY NEWS: Time for Saints to step up says Mallinder
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder says he is looking for the Northampton Saints team to step up their all-round game in tomorrow’s Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 1 trip to Gloucester.
The Saints open their Aviva Premiership Rugby campaign on the road for the first time since 2003, but while the summer has included wins over Leinster and Edinburgh the Saints boss says every player in tomorrow’s squad will have to improve if they are to come home from Kingsholm with the points.
“Training this summer has been good and we’ve had some promising pre-season performances, but none of that will count if we don’t get a positive result tomorrow,” he commented. “Gloucester is always a tough place to visit, and they have played well over the past few weeks.
“We know that we need to play a lot better, increase our intensity and accuracy and defend well right from the first whistle. It’s going to be interesting to see how both teams go in the game – Gloucester have new coaches and new ideas, while we’ve brought in a few players and made a couple of changes.
“But we’re feeling positive ahead of the trip and we’re looking forward to meeting the challenge.”
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY GLOUCESTER
Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 1
Kingsholm
Saturday, September 1st, 2012
15 Ben FODEN
14 Ken PISI
13 George PISI
12 Dom WALDOUCK
11 Vasily ARTEMYEV
10 Ryan LAMB
9 Lee DICKSON
1 Soane TONGA’UIHA
2 Dylan HARTLEY (capt)
3 Brian MUJATI
4 Samu MANOA
5 Christian DAY
6 Phil DOWSON
7 Tom WOOD
8 GJ VAN VELZE
Replacements
16 Mike HAYWOOD
17 Alex WALLER
18 Paul DORAN JONES
19 Mark SORENSON
20 Rhys OAKLEY
21 Martin ROBERTS
22 Stephen MYLER
23 Luther BURRELL
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