There weren’t too many glum faces at this week’s Saints press day – despite last Friday’s heavy defeat.
The prevailing feeling was determination, fuelled by regret. A desire to show their true colours after letting themselves down last week.
Make no mistake about it, everyone in Northampton knows how good Ulster are right now. You don’t possess a 100 per cent record without being a bit tasty.
But the Saints are a far better side than they demonstrated last Friday. Players such as Ben Foden and George Pisi, who usually take games by the scruff of the neck, couldn’t hit their typical levels.
And the forward game Northampton usually build their play on just didn’t come off.
Ulster fronted up and forced errors which saw Saints strangled.
This weekend, it’s time for Jim Mallinder’s men to give a statement of intent to the rest of Europe.
A win may be too much to ask, given the strength of the Ulster side and the power of their belief in themselves.
But a big performance is the minimum requirement for Saints as they aim to acquire an injection of belief ahead of some crucial Aviva Premiership games in the coming weeks.
Harlequins, Saracens and Exeter all lie in wait like tricky obstacles on Total Wipeout, and Saints need to navigate them if their season isn’t to suffer the same fate as an unwitting contestant on the gameshow.
First, they need to go to Ravenhill and give a good account of themselves, and that should ensure this Saturday’s showdown will be as intense as they come.
No quarter will be asked or given and boss Mallinder will just be hoping pride can be restored.
If that happens, the expressions as next week’s press gathering will be ones of satisfaction rather than regret.
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