Hooker Robbie Smith is relishing the competition for places in a flying Northampton Saints side as they look to extend their lead at the top of the Gallagher PREM table as Harlequins visit cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.
Saints enter Round 9 of the PREM one point ahead of their nearest rivals Exeter Chiefs with one more domestic fixture to play before the league takes a break ahead of the next block of Investec Champions Cup.
“Harlequins are coming into this weekend off the back of a couple of results that haven’t gone their way,” said Scotland international Smith ahead of the sold-out clash at cinch Stadium.
“But they’re a dangerous team with some decent operators in their side, and the fact they’re hurting is almost more dangerous for us. We can’t let them play a free-flowing game, as that’s what they’re good at.
“At Saints every single week, you never know if you might be named in the team, which is where we want to be.
Saints head into Saturday’s fixture off the back of their biggest-ever winning margin at the Recreation Ground in last week’s momentous 21-41 victory over last year’s PREM champions in their own backyard.
“We were buzzing with the result; we spoke all week about the chance to go down there against one of the best club sides in the country,” added Smith.
“The way we played and prepared in the week, there was a buzz around it to go and muck in at the weekend.
“We had full belief; we believe in ourselves as a team, and there has to be rotation at times.
“I think what drives that is that it doesn’t matter where you are; when you get the opportunity to pull on the shirt, you have to perform.
“It just shows the strength in depth and the competition that we have at the club, where the next guy in knows they have a job to do. There are never nerves, it’s always excitement at the opportunity. We’re in a good place and excited about moving forward.
“We’ve discussed kicking the door in when we go away from home and creating our own atmosphere.
“The win away at Bath last weekend was definitely the best win away from home I’ve ever had.”