Hutchinson says Saints owe their supporters a win at Welford Road

Times have been tough for the black, green and gold in 2020, with just two wins coming from their past nine matches.

That has seen Saints slide down the league standings, but they remain ahead of Tigers, who have also been enduring some poor form.

And Hutchinson, who has helped Saints to claim three wins from their past three matches at Welford Road, said: "In recent years it's been great (for Saints at Leicester).

"It's such a great fixture and although it's a shame there won't be any fans there, we've got to prove to ourselves and our supporters that we are here to play rugby.

"We haven't been quite on the money recently, which is disappointing, and we owe it to ourselves, our supporters and the club to win."

If Saints are to get the win they desperately want, they will look to Hutchinson to provide some of his trademark magic.

And the talented Scotland centre said: "I try not to put too much pressure on myself.

"I like to play with an open mind and look at what's in front of me.

"I'm just going to keep doing that.

"I'm enjoying rugby as I always have and hopefully we can start getting some results.

"Even though top four is very unlikely now, we've still got a big game in Europe and hopefully more games in that so we want to finish the season as strongly as possible."

Saints have switched Hutchinson between 12 and 13 since he made his way into the first team.

And when asked if he has a preference, he said: "They both have their pros and cons.

"I just like getting my hands on the ball, whether that's in the wide channels or in the middle of the field.

"I'm happy to play both and it's up to the coaches in terms of where they want to put me."

Though things haven't gone so well for Saints, Hutchinson's recent performances have caught the eye.

He scored at Harlequins and looked at his creative best against Exeter on a few occasions.

"At the start it was quite strange adapting to it but it's just like playing any other week just without the full Franklin's Gardens," he said.

"It's been quite interesting to see how other teams have structured it with strong, strong and then weaker team.

"We went with the two-team approach and if it worked for us it would have been great.

"We've got to put our hands up and it's on to the next really.

"If we had the answer for it, it would have been a lot easier but we just don't know what's gone wrong.

"Excluding the Bristol game, they were all relatively winnable matches but unfortunately we couldn't get over the line enough.

"We've got to be better and there's no excuses because everyone's in the same situation as us, isolating and then back to rugby.

"It's down to us getting our basic stuff right."

Hutchinson, a product of the Saints Academy, now can't wait to get stuck into another derby day.

And the 24-year-old said: "I've really enjoyed playing games at Welford Road, I love the derby and the history behind it.

"I was watching these games when I was at school, in the boarding house with all the boys.

"It's great to be part of it now, part of the history, we've been doing well recently and we want to continue that.

"There seemed to have been more fights than tries there back in the day but it's cleared up a bit now.

"A derby day is a very special day and even though there's no fans there I'm sure a lot of people will be tuning in.

"Hopefully we can get the result for Northampton."