"They're the champions and deserve respect, but we've built a fortress at home which we're proud of," Wood said after the match, by that time sporting a considerable bandage thanks to a cut sustained in the final few minutes. "We were confident, but we had to do the hard work first."

Wood also paid tribute to the capacity crowd, who once again packed into Franklin's Gardens to cheer their team home.

"It was a really great atmosphere," he added. "To hear the crowd behind you was brilliant. It really spurs you on."

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder said that the front row duo of Soane Tonga'uiha and Brian Mujati, who between them scored all of the Saints' three tries, typified the effort put in by their team's pack.

"Soane's a massive threat," he said. "It's what we want from our forwards. We want them good in the tight. We were very pleased with all our tight five forwards and to see both props scoring tries is very pleasing."

You can see both interviews in full on the Saints' official Facebook page. Just click here!