Saints eager to use break from action to get even better

The black, green and gold completed a hectic schedule with a 38-13 Gallagher Premiership success against Newcastle Falcons last Saturday.

It was a 10th win on the spin for Saints, who have been involved in Premiership and European action on every weekend since the league opener at Sale Sharks on October 15.

It has been a long period of tough games, which Phil Dowson's men have dealt extremely well with.

And they now get this week to put their feet up as they get a deserved rest.

Saints do not return to competitive action until they travel to Ashton Gate to face Bristol Bears in a Premiership encounter on March 22.

And Ferguson has outlined how Saints plan to use their break from action.

"We've had 23 weeks or something like that on the bounce so we've got a few days off," said the assistant coach.

"Some of the coaches have been going stir crazy looking at each other in that office so we're freshening it up and getting away.

"Then we come back in and it's something the league's never been involved in before but we're actually going to have a mini pre-season again.

"We talk all the time about wanting to make players better, training to get better and sometimes that can be hard in the firefighting week of travelling and play, play, play.

"So we're going to have a four-week block where we can go back and look at our game.

"There's still areas we can improve in every single part of our game so to have a real focus on doing that is something I'm hugely excited about.

"I know some of the boys that I've spoken to feel that way as well.

"Then we build into that Stormers game (on March 9) as a way of getting back into Prem Rugby and for what is going to be a pretty exciting run-in."