English champions Saints welcome Castres to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday before travelling to South Africa to face Jake White’s Bulls in Pretoria. Last season Northampton won in Glasgow and Munster and put 59 points on the Bulls at home before facing Leinster in the semi-final when a late comeback was not quite enough to take them through to the final.
“Our Champions Cup run really pushed us on last season and fuelled a lot of our belief in the Premiership because we knew we could beat top teams in Europe, never mind domestically,” said Northampton’s England centre Fraser Dingwall.
“It was a really good campaign built on a positive outlook. We came close to making the final and even though we lost, the Leinster match was one of my favourite moments of the campaign.
“It was an opportunity to play at Croke Park in a big, high pressure game. The Champions Cup is a really cool competition and when we go to Pretoria to play the Bulls, it will be the first time I have done a week away with Saints.”
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Denne historien er fra December 01, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Gallagher's late brace proves key for Caldy
CALDY built upon recent improved performances against London Scottish and Ealing to record a bonus point win against fourth placed Nottingham in a thrilling battle at Paton Field.
Leicester gunning to take down a legend
MICHAEL Cheika is aiming to take down a French icon as his Tigers attempt their Champions Cup mission impossible in Toulouse today and upset his children in the process.
Charnock the class has to end Havant resistance
A MUCH improved second-half performance saw Westevencombe Park tually overcome a spirited Havant side who looked like providing an upset for much of the game.
Quins turn on style to rip Sharks apart
A STORMING second-half mance saw perforQuins romp to a seven-try victory on the road.
Williams is poised to shift up a gear
TEDDY Williams will be looking to put his international disappointments behind him now his remarkable shift this season has been rewarded with a Wales call-up.
Mitchell back to his best and ready for battle
ALEX Mitchell is now eight games into his injury-delayed season and feeling full of energy for the Six Nations campaign ahead of him.
Borthwick: It's time to put our foot down
STEVE Borthwick insists he has come up with a solution to problem England's in closing out matches be even quicker out of the blocks in the upcoming Six Nations.
Watson: I had to quit, I was in so much pain
AS Anthony Watson trudged off five minutes into the second-half in Leicester's match at Sale in December, he knew deep down that his career was over.
Seabrook hat-trick as Saints edge a thriller
A STIRRING contest ended in Saints scrambling heroically to gain a last 16 home tie and gallant Munster facing a knockout tie on the road.
Barritt backing the new boys
BRAD Barritt won the Champions Cup three times with Saracens and believes the club are on course to be a powerhouse in the competition again.
