Saints flanker Gibson looking forward to London Irish reunion

Gibson and Co travel to the Madejski Stadium to face a London Irish side who have lost all six of their Aviva Premiership matches this season.

Saints go into the clash having lost just one of their past six games in all competitions and they will be expected to get the job done in Reading.

But Gibson is wary of what London Irish can offer and he knows all about them having risen through the ranks there before joining Leicester Tigers in 2013.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” said the 25-year-old.

“With Christmas, it’s a different sort of week, a different sort of setup, but it’s a game we’re going to have to perform well in.

“You can guarantee a good pitch, no matter what the weather’s like and London Irish have got some dangerous players.

“We know we need to go out there, put the performance in and see what happens.”

And when asked what he feels Saints can expect at the Madejski Stadium, Gibson said: “Normally it’s one of the games where you can end up running more than any other.

“It’s a wide pitch, the ground’s always good and the kicking game isn’t as disrupted as it usually is at that time of the year.

“London Irish are dangerous. They’ve put pressure on some good sides.

“They may not have got the wins they might feel they deserve, but the Premiership’s tighter than ever this year and we have to put the performances in every week.”