Sam Graham insists he is feeling ‘refreshed’ as he and his Northampton Saints side prepare for Friday night’s East Midlands Derby clash in the PREM Rugby Cup.
Saints round out their second block of Cup matches this week – where their Round 5 clash is the last in the competition until the end of January – going in search of their third Cup win so far this term, having claimed victories over Saracens and Harlequins so far.
And as Northampton head to Leicester, Graham, who is nearing 60 appearances in the Black, Green and Gold jersey, returns this weekend for the first time to Mattioli Woods Welford Road, where he suffered a devastating, season-ending knee injury some 13 months ago.
“The mental side of the game on my return has probably been one of the things that I’ve worked on the most,” Graham explained
“I think that whilst I’ve got to acknowledge the fact we’re going back, and I’m sure when I get there, it will all start coming back.
“But I’m in a really good place, I know that physically, I’m in a great place, and mentally as well.
“The main thing is, I’m just so excited to play any game I’m getting at the moment. Getting my first full 80 against Harlequins under the lights at cinch Stadium was pretty special a couple of weeks ago.
“I still feel like a 21-year-old at heart. I’m learning a lot and running around, chasing things the same way.
“Having that year where I didn’t play really last year, I feel as excited as ever to be back in the mix and playing every week. My love for the game has just grown more.
“I feel refreshed off the back of a week off and ready to fly into it.”
Saints currently sit in third place in Pool B of the PREM Rugby Cup after suffering their first defeat of the competitive season last weekend’s 14-31 loss at cinch Stadium to Newcastle Red Bulls. However, Graham is optimistic for Saints to finish the Cup block on a strong note.
“The derby is always pretty special,” he continued.
“As a group, we’ve really leaned into the fact that the majority of guys playing in this game were in the stands the first time we played the Tigers this season at home, and now it’s our opportunity.
“We’ve placed a lot of value on this Cup competition; we want to still play the Saints way, and we still have to put in the effort to grow as a team.
"A lot of us are trying to put our hands up for selection when we get back into the PREM next week, and this block has been massive.
“Even if we don’t get selected going forward, we’ve really improved the bottom line of where the group stands, and we know what we’re about.
“If our training level skyrockets as a result of this experience in this block, then that would be a massive achievement for us, and I think we’ll see that pay off throughout the season.”