Northampton Saints wary of underestimating Falcons

Northampton Saints are not underestimating Newcastle Falcons ahead of tomorrow’s Guinness Premiership Round 15 match, according to director of rugby Jim Mallinder.

“Newcastle are in a good run of form and will pose us a lot of problems,” he said today.

“They are a team who like to move the ball, as they showed in their last away match at Bristol, where they won a try-scoring bonus point and put in one of the best displays of the season. We will certainly be paying them plenty of respect.

“Although we didn’t win at Adams Park there were plenty of positives to be taken from the game, not least the amount of commitment that the players showed. If we can repeat that and add the accuracy we were missing against Wasps then we can achieve another positive result at home.

“We’re not feeling any pressure from our home record as we take every game as it comes. You have to always look forward to the next match, not any that have gone before.

” But we’re making Franklin’s Gardens a difficult place to play and the fans create an atmosphere that gives the team a boost. It would be fantastic if we could have another full house tomorrow.”

Northampton Saints Team

15 Bruce Reihana (capt), 14 Paul Diggin, 13 Jon Clarke, 12 James Downey, 11 Chris Ashton, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson, 1 Soane Tonga’uiha, 2 Brett Sharman, 3 Barry Stewart, 4 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 5 Juandre Kruger, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Neil Best, 8 Roger Wilson

Replacements:16 Paul Shields, 17 Tom Smith, 18 Christian Day, 19 Mark Hopley, 20 Alan Dickens, 21 Barry Everitt, 22 Chris Mayor