Break was welcome for Saints warrior Wood

Wood has put in an incredible shift during the 2019/20 season, starting in 18 of Saints' 23 matches in all competitions.

He has already reached the required number of minutes to trigger a one-year contract extension at Franklin's Gardens, meaning he will definitely be a Saints player next season.

But with rotation not an option for Saints due to a host of back row absences, the relentless action was starting to take its toll on Wood.

And when asked whether he needed a rest, the 33-year-old said: "It was probably getting to that stage.

"I wouldn't say I was breaking down or at that stage, but a couple of weeks off was definitely welcome.

"I was getting to the point where if I'd had to go many more weeks on the bounce and play 80 minutes I'd have probably been looking at breaking down before too long.

"I was struggling with my Achilles, which I always do, but it was starting to get a little bit of a challenge to manage it week to week, especially when we were chopping and changing on different surfaces.

"We'd play on a boggy pitch out the back then a 3G pitch at the Uni so juggling all of that was a challenge I was struggling with.

"I was getting through it, I was coping, I was managing but I wasn't particularly comfortable and I feel much better now obviously."

So did Wood ever expect to be playing as much as he has for Saints during the current campaign?

"Probably not because when you have the luxury of rotation it was good sense to do it," he said.

"I would have always backed myself to be picked but at the back end of last season, I certainly wasn't first choice in the semi-finals and whatnot.

"The likes of Jamie Gibson, Lewis (Ludlam) and Tei (Harrison) seemed to have the front three spots so I knew I had my work cut out but I also knew I'd come off the back of injury last year and with a good pre-season under my belt and with Chris Boyd getting to know a bit more about me, I was very confident I could force my way back in.

"But I think Boydy would say that if he had his way, he'd have mixed the back row up a lot more than he has. He's been forced to pick me and Tei probably a lot more than he would have liked just out of neccessity really.

"Jamie has been out injured, Courtney (Lawes) has been away with England, Api (Ratuniyarawa) was banned and Dave Ribbans and Moony (Alex Moon) being injured.

"I've just had to front up for the good of the team.

"In a few weeks it would have been nice to come off the bench, be rotated and have a bit of a down week, but I'm not going to complain."