Cancellation of Tigers clash a 'bitter pill to swallow', says Saints boss Boyd

A Covid-19 outbreak at the Gardens has meant the match has had to be cancelled, with Saints likely to only take two Premiership points and Tigers set to get four.

Saints have had to close their training ground until the next round of testing, which takes place on Monday.

The players who have tested positive and their close contacts will now have to isolate for a 10-day period.

Saints had picked up nine points during the previous two weeks, beating Worcester Warriors on Boxing Day before taking four points from a cancelled fixture against London Irish.

And the black, green and gold were desperately hoping to continue their upward curve against their local rivals this weekend.

“We are incredibly disappointed and frustrated that we are unable to proceed with such an important fixture for the club,” Boyd said.

“The East Midlands derby is a day that Saints supporters will have circled in their calendar months in advance.

"It’s a game entrenched in history and one our players particularly relish being a part of.

“It’s also a big blow to have back-to-back matches cancelled, as we had hoped to pick up some momentum again following an important win on Boxing Day.

“The club has been absolutely rigorous in how we have followed the protocols laid out for us, and despite returning a number of positive tests this week, we were confident that we have more than enough of our squad still healthy and available to play the game if required.

“However, we are following the advice we have been given, which was not to play the game and to close our training facility until next week.

"While this is a bitter pill to swallow, the health and safety of the players, staff and families of everyone at both Saints and Tigers is of course paramount.”