Hooker Curtis Langdon insists that Northampton Saints will be throwing everything into their final Gallagher PREM fixture before the autumn international break, when league-toppers Gloucester Rugby come to town.
Saints are looking to bounce back from last week’s Derby Weekend defeat as they host the Cherry and Whites at DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday (31 October, Kick-off: 5:30pm) – closing out the opening block of PREM fixtures at home before the PREM Rugby Cup gets underway next week.
“There was a lot of frustration off the back of last week,” Langdon explained ahead of this week’s clash. “We were pretty happy with how we went in the first half, but in the second half, we lost momentum, discipline wasn’t strong enough, and the set pieces probably weren’t good enough either.
“This week, we’re just focusing on ourselves – our process, our system – throwing ourselves into that, and we’re confident that if we do that, we’ll perform well back at home against Gloucester.
“We saw the response following the loss to Bristol, the response we had as a group going into that Bath week. The challenge is about how we can create that emotion every week to drive our performance. It’s something we’ve got to work and build on as a squad.”
Langdon was sidelined through much of last term as he recovered from shoulder surgery, meaning his first appearance in Black, Green and Gold did not come until March. But the England hooker returned just in time to play his part in Saints’ run-in and journey to the PREM Final, starting that clash against Exeter Chiefs to help Northampton lift a second title in three seasons.
And now, he has continued that form into the new term, and, having starting every game of the 2026/27 PREM season to date, Langdon is relishing his opportunities back on the pitch.
He said: “I’ve enjoyed getting some good minutes on the pitch after a frustrating first three quarters of last season with injury. I’m just really enjoying being out there with the lads and excited about what we can achieve this season.
“I play rugby because I love the game, but also after recently becoming a dad, it’s nice to come home from a hard training day, and I’ve got my son there with my girlfriend, so it’s easy to switch off and enjoy time with them.”
Northampton currently remain undefeated at DPD Stadium this term and this Saturday take on an in-form Gloucester side under the tutelage of technical director and former Saints Director of Rugby, Chris Boyd.
“They’ve been very good this season, and they’re top of the table for a reason,” Langdon added. “Their defence last week against Bath was really good, down to 13 men, keeping that Bath team out was impressive.
“Similar to Leicester, they go hard after their set-piece. I’m just excited because after a loss like last weekend, you come in on Monday and you’re ready to play the game straight away.
“I’ve felt that in training, we’re chomping at the bit, ready to go, excited about being back at home and playing Gloucester this weekend.
“They’re a team that’s clearly been building over the past couple of years, and this season they’ve hit the ground running.
“They’ve got some good young players, they’ve added Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake and exciting backs, and I’m sure they’ll be happy with how they've gone. We’re excited for the test this weekend.”