Scoring four tries up at the AJ Bell as they were hosted by Sale Sharks on Friday night means Saints currently sit in sixth place, just three points behind fifth place Leicester Tigers as this season’s Aviva Premiership campaign moves into the last five rounds.
Michael Paterson was among the try-scorers and said that the win, and the score, was pleasing for both him and the squad.
“Obviously I enjoyed the game and to get the try was pretty pleasing,” Paterson commented when SaintsTV spoke to him live on Facebook after the game.
With some confusion about whether Paterson had scored a second or whether it was Saints’ top try-scorer Mikey Haywood with his eighth score of the season, the lock said that to the team it does not matter whose hands touch the ball down and especially at a tough place to win like Sale.
“It doesn’t matter who scores them, as long as they get dotted down and on the scoresheet I’m happy.”
“We didn’t think it was going to be easy and it wasn’t easy. We had tricky conditions and slippery ball; I thought Stephen Myler controlled the game really well despite that and the forwards really stepped up to give Sale a real battle.
“They have a hardened pack and have been playing well recently so that was good.”
Paterson credited Stephen Myler and the forwards for getting the game into the right areas of the field in order for Saints to attack and said that the two tough away losses at Bath and then Newcastle, before last weekend’s home win against Worcester, were on the team’s mind as they pushed for the win.
“It was about playing the momentum and about being in the right areas of the field. Stephen Myler kept putting us in those areas and forcing those errors from Sale from which we could capitalise which is obviously pleasing.
“Every game is a tough one and we’ve got to be on point. We started well in the first half against Newcastle and we tipped up, so it was pleasing to come out in the second half and make sure that carried on from where we left off to get the result at the end of the day.
“Newcastle was obviously mentioned and we didn’t want that to happen again so for it to not was very pleasing.
“To get the bonus point gives us good confidence. Not many teams come up here and score bonus point tries, let alone get a win so obviously the boys are happy.”
