Tickets have been sold out for weeks for Saturday’s East Midlands derby, which sees the Aviva Premiership’s second and third-placed sides go head-to-head in the chase for the end of season play-offs.
And Wood says that he knows what a positive result will mean to both the club and town as a whole.
“We’re not short of motivation this week,” the flanker said. “It is a local derby and we know what it means in the town to all the fans. We’ve had our heartaches against Leicester in the past and we owe our fans a big performance here on Saturday.
“Hopefully it will galvanise us and get us back on the front foot. We’ve got to focus on the details and stick to our guns. We know we’re a top side; we’ve proven that all year, and we need to make sure that we focus on getting back together as a group, revisiting what makes us good and what’s got us to where we are.
Wood added that both players and supporters can play a full part in helping to maintain the Saints’ hitherto season-long unbeaten home Aviva Premiership run.
“At any big game the team has to show a positive attitude, play with some ambition and intent and give the crowd something to cheer about,” he said. “Then the noise is there, the stadium is full of black, green and gold and that can drive you on as a player when you’re blowing in the last 10 minutes.”
You can hear the full interview with Wood, including the inside scoop on why he is now sporting a rather hirsute beard, in the Saints’ official podcast, which will be available on Friday at www.soundcloud.com/official-saints-rugby
