Saints prop Auterac ready to make up for missing out on European action

Auterac moved to Northampton from Harlequins during the summer but he did not get to play in the Champions Cup quarter-final at Exeter Chiefs due to injury.

The prop picked up a groin problem against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate in September and spent the final weeks of the 2019/20 season on the sidelines.

With Alex Waller, Francois van Wyk and Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi also injured, youngster Manny Iyogun was forced to carry the loosehead load, and did so admirably.

But Auterac would have loved to have been able to play his part at Sandy Park and he is now looking forward to getting his shot in Friday's Champions Cup opener at Franklin's Gardens.

"I missed out on the quarter-final at Exeter and those are the games you want to be playing in," said the 28-year-old.

"I knew I was injured so there wasn't much I could do and I learned to manage my expectations.

"It was a bit frustrating.

"Everyone pretty much got injured down to Manny and then they called Alex Seville from Gloucester so it was strange.

"It was a little annoying for me because I felt I was picking up some momentum.

"I injured it in the game but there's a lot of adrenaline and you don't want to pull yourself out of games when you're not 100 per cent sure something's wrong with you.

"I was running about and I thought 'something's not right here' and I went in at half-time having been on for 15 minutes and came back out after half-time and I was struggling to run.

"They didn't want to risk me because of what had happened to the other looseheads and after the game I had a scan and saw I'd injured my groin.

"They're quite niggly injuries, they take their time and you have to make sure it's right and not just push through because it will slow the process down.

"They were really good with managing it, they put no pressure on me.

"I was maybe thinking I could come back for the final game of the season but they said to come back for next season and I had to be ready for that."

Auterac is up and running again now, and he is happy to have been able to have had some sort of pre-season at his new club.

The forward was thrown to the mix during an extended 2019/20 campaign, switching clubs halfway through.

And he is feeling much more comfortable now.

"I've settled in quite nicely and it's nicer to come into a pre-season and it steadies things a bit," Auterac said.

"Coming into the end of last season, I met 10 boys because of Covid and gradually met more and more so it was a bit weird.

"It was a bizarre situation for everyone in the world and I'm much more settled now, having been able to progress into a season rather than just going straight into one.

"The back end of last season didn't go as well as everyone would have hoped but there's a good buzz because we know the potential we have.

"I've been around, this is my 10th season, and looking at the quality we have in the whole squad, we know we're not far from reaching our potential.

"I do genuinely believe it's a matter of time before it clicks and we'll be flying, getting those wins we haven't been for half a year or so.

"It's easy when you're down to look for excuses but everyone's been really positive and is taking it on themselves to make sure we go out there and do well.

"I'm optimistic and there's definitely a buzz around the place."