‘Intensity has stepped up’ says Graham ahead of Premiership’s return

Northampton Saints back rower Sam Graham is relishing the return of the Gallagher Premiership this week, as the men in Black, Green and Gold get back to league action with a trip to Bristol Bears on Friday evening (22 March, kick-off: 7.45pm).

Saints rounded off their final preparation for the league’s return with a 24-10 victory over fellow Premiership side Sale Sharks last week, with first-half scores from Burger Odendaal, Ollie Sleightholme and Trevor Davison putting Northampton ahead at the break before Ewan Baker added a fourth try to put Saints back to winning ways. 

Northampton – who currently occupy the top spot in the Premiership table – were on a ten-match winning streak in all competitions before the Six Nations hiatus and now that attentions turn to the league’s final six matches of the regular season, Graham knows that Saints must make sure they pick up exactly where they left off if they are to secure knock-out rugby come the end of the campaign. 

“The last couple of weeks have stepped up in intensity,” said Graham. “Ever since we came off the break everybody has been buzzing to get back to it and as soon as there is a game back at the end of a week, everyone’s energy goes up, and it was pleasing to see us put some of that on the pitch against Sale.

Bristol have won all three of their most recent games against Saints, claiming victories earlier in the current campaign in both the Premiership Rugby Cup (39-38 at Ashton Gate) and Round 2 of the Gallagher Premiership when Bears won 33-27 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

But it is last season’s 62-8 loss at Ashton Gate that Saints feel they must put right, and Graham insists it is Northampton’s defence that needs to fire if they are to keep his former side Bristol at bay and earn a seventh straight Premiership victory on Friday. 

He said: “This team has been built on a lot of hard work, a large amount of that defensively, which was obviously a big work on from that night [last season] looking back at the score line. It’s a really good learning for us going into this run of games where we have seven guaranteed matches going to the finish and hopefully, we can make it a few more. If we can keep turning up defensively like we did against Sale last week, we’ll be in a good place.”

Graham continued: “I think [Bristol] are a team that possibly haven’t been where they want to be in the last few months, but towards the end of the block before the break they began to get some results under their belt and show their quality. So, it is going to be a game we are really looking forward to, they have got a good attacking side but hopefully our defence comes to the forefront.”

The resumption of the season will see the 26-year-old seek to add to the 17 games he has already played during a stellar campaign, one where he has taken on the Saints’ captaincy in the Cup as well as crossing the whitewash twice to date – including an all-important effort to secure Northampton’s historic win in Munster. 

“Personally, I have been really enjoying my time on the pitch,” Graham added. “Every minute I have just tried to savour and hopefully I can continue my run in the team. It is a very competitive back row when everyone is fit and available so I just need to keep doing what I can and hopefully I am in the team at the end of the week.”