Jamie Gibson will line up for Saints against Bath tomorrow in his first match since March, with his return to fitness coming at a crucial time for his side. Qualification for Europe is still on the line with a number of sides also in contention for a top six finish, and Gibson is clearly looking forward to his return to action.
“I can’t wait to play again,” says Gibson. “It’s been a frustrating month, especially with the games we’ve played. They were the three biggest games of the year so to miss out on those was hard.”
The final two games of the season are must-win matches for Saints if they are to secure a place in the Champions Cup next season, and Gibson is fully aware of the importance of these last two fixtures: “If we win the next two, it’s in our hands; we will qualify. We know we’ve got to go out and win at the weekend as we still need to make sure we are in Europe next year.”
The significance of these last two matches is undeniable, with Gibson saying that the prospect of playing against Europe’s top teams is a great incentive for putting in big performances in the final two games of the season: “We’ve shown that we want to do well in Europe as we got to the quarter finals and lost a tough game.
“Playing against the likes of Racing and some of the other big French clubs is what you want to do and it’s why you play the game.”
With so much at stake, Gibson believes that Saints have the ability to perform well against Bath and give the fans something to cheer about in the final home match of the season: “We’ve shut out some of the best teams and hurt people but not quite come good enough at the end. We just have to put it right in these last two games. When we win there’s no better feeling!”
Tickets are on sale now at www.tinyurl.com/SAI-BAT-1516 and by using Print@Home supporters can beat the match day queues and save the admin fees. Groups of seats are available in the Barwell Stand, with places also available in a number of other areas of Franklin’s Gardens.
