Saints Q&A: Tom Vickers talks to head coach Sam Vesty

Measured and philosophical, the head coach put things into perspective a few days on from seeing his side suffer a dramatic 43-41 Investec Champions Cup quarter-final defeat at Bath on Friday night.

"We've got to understand we're not curing cancer here,” Vesty said at Saints’ media day ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher PREM game at Exeter Chiefs. “We're running around after an inflated ball.”

That’s not to say Vesty isn’t frustrated that his team didn’t get it over the line at The Rec, especially as they held a 35-14 lead at one stage during the first half.

But rather than sitting around ruining misfortune and hard-to-take refereeing decisions, Vesty prefers to focus on the future, looking at where improvements can be made as this team looks to take the next step towards silverware.

Here is Tom Vickers’ full question and answer session with Vesty at Tuesday’s media session…

Q: In the first half at Bath, that was some of the best rugby I've seen Saints play. You must take a lot of positives from the way you carved Bath apart?

A: “We did lots of good stuff in that game.

“We gave them too many ins and you can't give a good team like Bath that many opportunities because they're very good when they get close to your line.

“We weren't good enough after we'd given them that opportunity so it's pretty clear that we controlled the result there.

“There was lots of good, sharp stuff, but it’s also pretty clear where we need to improve.”

Q: There is always lots of talk about belief in the build-up to big matches, so you must have been pleased with the way the players showed such freedom in that first half?

A: “I know what we can do and we know what we can do.

“In terms of putting it on the park, the opposition are allowed to be good and stop you doing things, and invariably they do to a degree.

“I think we got a lot of stuff off very clean last weekend and that was very good.

“We were very clinical with what we were doing, and intense, and that was the key to it.

“Our boys always have freedom and play with that freedom and it's great to see.”

Q: Did you feel it was more about what they were doing in the second half because you weren't able to score anywhere near as many points?

A: “No, I think it was us. It's under our control or a good chunky element of it is.

“We gave them too many ins from simple stuff that we didn't do as well as we can, then when we gave them those ins, we didn't defend well enough and we were too easy to score against, essentially, which is disappointing.

“The key is to not give them ins - and by ins I mean silly things in our game that we can control - and that means you're not defending on your five-metre line as often as we were. And then when we're in there, we need to be better at that.”

Q: Can you talk us through what you as a coach do over the Saturday and Sunday after a Friday night game like that?

A: "I watch it back on the bus on the way back and then Saturday morning do a review of it, and that goes out electronically so the guys can watch it in their own free time.

"I try to get away and enjoy life away from rugby. I actually went to the ONs (Old Northamptonians) and watched them stay up, but I had a few drinks, saw some friends and enjoyed my Saturday.

“It's important to try to get your head out of it because it can be so full on.

“We've got to understand we're not curing cancer here. We're running around after an inflated ball.”

Q: (Saints boss) Phil Dowson said after the game that Monday was a big day because you all know what's to come this week in the PREM...

A: “Absolutely. It's a good opportunity and we're in a good spot in the PREM and it's exciting.

“Pro sport is all about ups and downs, and you're not going to win everything, though it would be nice if you could!

“You can't beat yourself up too much when you get a few things wrong and also you don't want to pat yourself on the back too hard when you get things right because you know in this game it will come back and bite you in the backside.”

Q: Hard times can help teams to learn though, can't they?

A: “Yeah, and that's exactly what that experience is: it's a learning experience.

“If you look at what we put out on the park, there is so much good stuff there that if we make a few tweaks, we're a bit more bloody-minded in a few areas then we're a very good team - that's what that game showed us.

“We weren't quite good enough on that day, but it showed us actually a level that we can be at.”

Q: You'll know you'll need to be at a high level this weekend. What are you expecting from this Exeter team?

A: “Exeter are a really good team, who are so competitive and work really hard for each other. That's really evident when you watch them play and they've always had that ever since I've been going there.

“You know you're not going to get anything for free and they're going to keep going for 80 minutes.

“They know their game really well so they know how they're going to score points, they know how they're going to try to move the game up the field, they know what their defence looks like and they're a very good team at the moment.”