Ferguson outlines importance of Saints' clash with Sale

Saints assistant coach Matt Ferguson says Tuesday evening's clash with Sale Sharks has 'almost as much riding on it' as the recent Champions Cup quarter-final at Exeter Chiefs.
Matt FergusonMatt Ferguson
Matt Ferguson

That is because Saints, who have lost 11 of their past 13 matches, are currently on a horrible losing run at home, having been beaten in their past six outings at Franklin's Gardens.

Sale will come to Northampton hoping to boost their own top-four aspirations, while Saints are currently languishing in seventh in the Gallagher Premiership standings.

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And Ferguson said: "First and foremost, we've got to get rid of this losing streak, we've got to get rid of losing at home and although Franklin's Gardens is just Franklin's with no fans there, we've got a fixture on Tuesday night and we're just not accepting as a group continuing not performing there.

"I actually feel from that point of view that there's as much riding on Tuesday night as there was on a European quarter-final away because we love playing at home and we've lost too many.

"My meetings have been about putting that to bed, getting that monkey off our back and getting that result at home on Tuesday night."

Sale currently occupy fourth spot in the Premiership standings, level on points with fifth-placed Bristol Bears.

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And Ferguson knows just how much this week's match at the Gardens will mean to Steve Diamond's Sharks.

"Steve's been pretty clear that if they're going to make top four they've got to get 10 points out of their last two games," Ferguson said.

"That's great for us because we don't want an under-strength or a rested team turning up.

"We want to beat the best team Sale can put out and we'll do that by backing up that Exeter performance and getting the result we so desperately need at the Gardens."

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