After two wins in two weeks in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, Saints come back into the Aviva Premiership to face Worcester Warriors on the road this weekend for the eighth round of this season’s competition.
Jamie Gibson said that it was the past two weeks of Anglo-Welsh Cup and the change that brought to Saints has been what the club needed after a difficult start to the season.
“It’s been a good two weeks.” Gibson commented on this week’s podcast.
“It’s nice to get some game time. I obviously missed a couple of weeks with the birth of my little boy but its good to get back into it.
“It’s been a really good two weeks training with a good vibe around the club, a lot of positivity and a good atmosphere and we’ve worked hard.
“But we’ve done well to pick up a good couple of wins.”
Leading the younger players of the squad alongside other senior players such as Christian Day and Sam Dickinson, Gibson said that enjoyed the more senior role and helping the rising stars of the club to improve their game.
“I feel a little bit weird being called senior, I’m just 26. But it’s been good, it’s good fun. Our boys enjoyed the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
“I’ve always enjoyed that competition because it’s a good chance to build momentum. I’ve enjoyed the experiences and I’ve enjoyed the pressure.
“I’ve always enjoyed that side of rugby and playing alongside Christian Day and Sam Dickinson as the other senior players has been good fun.
“It was good to get involved and good to play and have that more senior role.”
Moving back into the Aviva Premiership, Gibson says that the past two weeks of Anglo-Welsh have allowed the younger players to step up and put themselves forward for selection to create real competition for the shirt.
“The fact that you’ve got a good group of boys who’ve built a couple of wins and played well is great.
“There’s been a great atmosphere around the club these past couple of weeks and the boys who’ve had a bit of time off have come back a bit more refreshed ready for it but they also know they’re up for fight.
“Whether you’ve played a lot of first team rugby or International rugby there could be someone who’s started a couple of Anglo-Welsh Cup games and played very well they could be starting over you in the Aviva Premiership.
“The Internationals could come back and not necessarily have a job back in the team straight away.
“There’s definitely a little bit of edge and the last two days training have been short but they’ve been very intense.
“There’s a good atmosphere, a good edge around the club and there’s a lot of pressure on this game Friday but I think we’re in a good place at the moment.”
