Saints winger North looking forward to Welsh reunion at the Gardens

As a former Scarlets player and a key member of the current Wales setup, North has had plenty of run-ins with members of his club’s next opposition.

And he will be hoping for the kind of success he enjoyed against them last season, when he scored a stunning 70-metre try in a Heineken Cup win at the Liberty Stadium.

The 22-year-old knows it is vital Saints repeat that performance - and the one which saw them shoot down the Ospreys at the Gardens last October - as they bid to bounce back from last Saturday’s 20-11 defeat at Racing Metro.

“It’s all in our hands,” said North, who has four tries to his name this season.

“I said this last year - the next five games in Europe are the most important.

“We’ve got Ospreys this weekend and it’s a tough fixture because they come here full of confidence having won all their games this season.

“It’s going to be tough, but we need to get a win to keep our hopes alive.

“As an ex-Scarlet I know a lot of the boys and I have played with and against them. It’s something I’m looking forward to and I’m sure all of us are.”

And with his knowledge of the opposition, North finds it easy to pick out the players who will most threaten Saints’ hopes of earning a vital victory.

“You have to look at the key men, the nine and 10,” he said.

“Rhys Webb and Biggs (Dan Biggar) are playing exceptionally well this year.

“They control the game. Rhys keeps the game at a high tempo and picks the holes well, Biggs is a man who likes to lead from the front and put them in the right areas.

“Last year went really well and hopefully we can repeat the same performances against them this year.”