Friday nights in Salford are regarded as one of the toughest test in the Aviva Premiership and rightly so, according to Michael Paterson.
The Saints are back on the road for Round 17 and while the second row forward says Saturday’s win over Worcester was a welcome boost, little time was wasted with pats on the back as a short turnaround throws up another vital game.
“It was nice to get a win, especially for the home supporters as they’ve been a bit infrequent this season, but there are obviously lots of improvements still to be made.” Paterson said. “We’ll take a bit of confidence forward from that but the way the Premiership is at the minute, anyone can beat anyone else on any given day.
“Every team is tough, especially at home and often those bounces of the ball or 50/50s don’t go your way. “
The Sharks’ indifferent home form took a significant turn for the better last time out, table topping Wasps defeated at the AJ Bell Stadium, while last weekend’s defeat to champions Saracens in Barnet showed glimpses of a continued resurgence of form.
“Sale are improving all the time,” Paterson added. “We’re going to have to be on our A-game to beat them because Salford is a difficult place to go and play. 8:15pm isn’t a time we’re used to kicking off at, so it’ll be a long day, but we’ll be doing all we can to make sure we turn up.
“It’s exciting for us – another must win game in the Premiership and we’re looking forward to it.”
