Pearson bidding to help Saints produce another memorable European night

That's the message from talented flanker Tom Pearson as Saints prepare for another French test on Friday night.

They have already toppled Toulon under the cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens lights this season - and now they are bidding for a repeat performance.

Saints have won seven successive matches in all competitions, including both of their games in the Investec Champions Cup.

And now they are preparing to try to keep the run going against Bayonne this week.

"We're back into Europe and we're unbeaten in this competition so that's very exciting," Pearson said.

"We think Bayonne will give us a similar challenge to Toulon, who we beat here a few weeks ago on a really memorable night.

"We've got to keep the ball moving, keep the ball-in-play high and just do our thing.

"We want to impose our game on them and let them know they're at the Gardens!"

Pearson is certainly popular with his family right now as his uncle has long been a Saints season ticket holder and is revelling in the current form of the team.

"He's watching every game quite closely and he loved it (when Saints won 42-36 at Exeter) last weekend," Pearson said.

"He'll be here again on Friday, cheering everyone on so it's good for us as a family for them to come down and enjoy it.

"You always look at the start of the year which games you've got on a Friday night and it will be a really good test, a game against Bayonne in early January.

"The atmosphere here has been great recently, so loud and I think it will be similar to the Toulon game.

"It's really helped us to grind out those tough wins here and really keep that momentum going.

"We're really looking forward to Friday."

Pearson came off the bench to help Saints win at Sandy Park last Saturday.

Phil Dowson's men came back from 26-0 down to deliver a stunning success against an Exeter Chiefs side who hadn't lost at home since October 2022.

But Pearson knows slow starts like the one last weekend will prove costly if Saints repeat them.

"It's all good for now but if we really want to go where this team can, pushing for play-off places and latter stages, we can't allow teams to have that sort of lead in the first half," he said.

"When there's a little bit more on the line, I don't think we'll be able to get away with starting a game like that.

"We did put a big emphasis on starting well at Exeter and it's difficult for me to say because I wasn't on but that's not where we want to be as a team.

"But even sitting on the bench, I knew that if we were able to put our brand of rugby on the pitch and even challenge Exeter a little bit, we were always going to come away with a few scores.

"We were clinical when we needed to be so we were able get ourselves back into the game.

"We had a little bit of confidence and magic, knowing we've been able to do it before so we got over the line, which was great.

"I can't take much credit because the comeback had already started before I came on but it was great to be out there when Hutch (Rory Hutchinson) scored that final try.

"Like I say, sitting on the bench, I always thought we could do it and as we grew into the game, we looked better ball in hand and defensively we were a lot more stern.

"I always knew we had it in us and when it comes off, it's a great feeling."