Contracts up for grabs as Saints bid to win Anglo-Welsh Cup

Michael Paterson admits some members of the Saints squad will be 'playing for contracts' in the coming weeks.
Michael Paterson (left) was part of the Saints side that lost to Saracens last Saturday (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)Michael Paterson (left) was part of the Saints side that lost to Saracens last Saturday (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)
Michael Paterson (left) was part of the Saints side that lost to Saracens last Saturday (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

With international stars such as Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes heading off on Six Nations duty, Saints are sure to mix things up.

There is likely to be plenty of rotation during the upcoming Anglo-Welsh Cup matches with some fringe players given a chance to shine ahead of the return of the Aviva Premiership.

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And after last Saturday's 62-14 Champions Cup defeat at the hands of Saracens, Saints are well aware of the importance this weekend's Anglo-Welsh trip to Sale Sharks.

Several men have yet to sort out where they will be playing next season, with the likes of Ben Foden and Stephen Myler currently set to see their Saints contracts end this summer.

But the men who are coming out of contract will have chances to show they are worthy of renewal during the Anglo-Welsh Cup and Premiership action.

"The Anglo-Welsh Cup is another competition and the boys can put their hands up," said Paterson, who joined Saints from Sale Sharks in 2015.

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"There are boys playing for contracts and those sorts of things so we've got to be playing well.

"Hopefully we can win and we're still in the fight for silverware in this competition so it would be a really big bonus at the end of it."

Saints had beaten Gloucester and Clermont Auvergne prior to last Saturday's shocker at Saracens.

And Paterson said: "We'd had two good wins at home and coming away is always difficult but we wanted to play well.

"It's hard against Sarries and it always will be but now we've got to park it.

"We move on to the Anglo-Welsh Cup and hopefully we can pick up the momentum again."