League table 'doesn't look pretty', but Saints ready to prove doubters wrong

But the Australian ace says he and his team-mates are happy to adopt the underdogs tag in the pursuit of a play-off place.

Saints were beaten 22-19 by Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop last Friday, leaving them eighth in the standings, nine points adrift of the top four with seven games to play.

But Ramm is remaining positive about the situation as the black, green and gold now take a break from league action to resume their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign.

"It doesn't look pretty looking at the ladder, but the mentality we've taken is that everyone's written us off, we're underdogs and that's where we like to be," Ramm said. "Let's go and prove them wrong!

"It's nice because we don't have anything to lose.

"We've got to start climbing the ladder pretty soon but there's nothing to lose - let's go all out."

Saints finished top of the table on their way to Premiership glory last season.

And Ramm said: "It (the current table) flashed up on the TV earlier this week and I thought, 'jeez, that's a long way down', but there's not a heap of points between it (Saints and the top four) so we definitely still believe we can do it."

Saints came agonisingly close to victory last Friday as a Cassius Cleaves try four minutes from time snatched the win away at the Stoop.

And Ramm, who started at full-back, said: "The feeling from last weekend would be frustration.

"Overall we put out a game that we were pretty proud of and to lose it in the last few minutes always hurts.

"I sort of hadn't felt like that in a while - I was really frustrated - because we had it there in our fingers and we'd played how we wanted to play.

"There were very big momentum shifts throughout the game. They started really well but we clawed our way back and we were on top for a fair amount of it.

"They move the ball well edge to edge but I was just frustrated really."

Saints occupy a much loftier position in the Premiership Rugby Cup as they currently sit top of Pool 2 with three wins from as many matches so far.

"I absolutely love this competition," Ramm said.

"It's such a good opportunity for young guys to get exposure to this level of rugby and they can do what they've been working on.

"I've used it a fair bit coming back from some injuries and when I first got here, I played four or five cup games before playing in the Prem and I absolutely loved it.

"It's a really good level and brand of rugby, and it's such a good chance for those boys who might step in with the England boys away to show what they can do."

And with so many young players set to be involved for Saints over the next few weeks, Ramm said: "There's a bit more responsibility on the older heads.

"It's a bit scary saying I'm an older head, but we do have a young squad, especially now with a lot of the older boys going.

"You feel there's a bit more of a forum to stand up and take charge, and the older boys have done that well this week."

Saints travel to Leicester Tigers on Saturday as they bid to secure a cup victory at Mattioli Woods Welford Road (kick-off 3pm).

And when asked about his side's approach ahead of the clash with their local rivals, Ramm said: "It's still a derby week.

"The first thing that was mentioned in our meetings this week was that whenever we play Leicester, it's all out, so nothing changes this week – it's still the same feelings.

"Dows (Saints boss Phil Dowson) said in the meetings he'd never won at Welford Road when he was playing so he said 'what an opportunity to go and make sure you don't do the same', so that's the plan."