Coles knows Saints have work to do before hosting Harlequins

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Alex Coles says Saints still have plenty to work on ahead of Friday’s home clash with Harlequins.

Coles and Co held off a late fightback from Exeter Chiefs at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday evening, eventually claiming a 30-24 victory.

Saints got off to a fast start as Coles scored in his first appearance for his club since last season's Gallagher Premiership final.

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And Phil Dowson's men moved into a 30-10 lead before being pegged back late on, with Exeter threatening to snatch the victory in the final couple of minutes.

Alex Coles scored for Saints against Exeter (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)Alex Coles scored for Saints against Exeter (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Alex Coles scored for Saints against Exeter (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

However, Saints held on to claim their first victory of the new season.

“As a team, I felt like we started sharply, and we were really happy with the first 60 minutes or so – but we’ve got a few things to fix up from the closing stages,” Coles said.

“You know what you’re going to get with Exeter. They are always a very physical team, filled with some very big boys, with hard-running centres and wingers who like to get involved in the middle of the pitch.

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“So, you have to front up against the Chiefs, especially inside your own 22 where they come at you very direct.

“We had a couple of defensive sets where I thought we were really excellent, even the one which ended in that yellow card – we went through so many phases where we were fronting up and knocking them back, and if you’ve got that built into your team, it’s going to be huge over the course of the season.

“It was important for us to bounce back well after the Bath game, and one of the key things you need to do in the Premiership is make your home ground a fortress.

“So, in front of our amazing supporters here in Northampton, we need to be picking up a lot of home wins, putting on a good show for them, and then trying to pick some teams off on the road as well.”

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Coles got the match off to a stunning start for Saints, after Curtis Langdon’s pass freed Juarno Augustus to burst through Exeter’s defensive line, before the South African No.8 found the England lock on his shoulder to score the game’s opening try.

It was Coles’ first appearance of the season after recovering from injury, and his first try since scoring against the Vodacom Bulls in April.

“It felt great to get my hands on the ball and get over the line so early on,” he said.

“It’s felt like a long time since I’ve played, I’ve spent a lot of time just training and getting back to full fitness, so I wanted to get involved as early as I could.”

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Still only 25 years old, Coles already has 113 Saints appearances under his belt.

The second row is one of a number of homegrown players now in leadership positions within the squad.

And the seven-cap England international is adamant that the black, green and gold are not lacking for leaders within this year’s squad, despite several senior players moving on from cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens over the summer.

“A lot has been said about a few senior guys leaving over the summer and leadership within our group, but I think that actually last year, the fact we had the likes of Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, Alex Waller in the squad actually overshadowed some of the leadership credentials of other people,” he said.

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“Behind the scenes, a lot of individuals had a massive impact. Furbs (George Furbank) captained brilliantly last year and we had a great run with him leading us out.

“Then you’ve got Fraser Dingwall, who is such a mature head, and Sam Graham who is a figurehead within the pack now – just to name a few.

“There’s a really good core of players who might not have been seen as leaders previously, but they’ve always played that role, and now they’re just stepping into a bit more responsibility.

“There’s no dearth of leadership whatsoever, we’re just all taking on a bit more and are very happy to be doing so.”

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