Saints star Mitchell reveals what he said to spark derby-day shoving match

The Saints and Leicester Tigers players engaged in some pushing and shoving after the half-time whistle had been blown, with Mitchell seeing the funny side of it.

He linked up with England for their three-day training camp on Sunday, teaming up with some of his Tigers foes, who are actually his friends.

And when asked what he said to pour fuel on the derby-day flames before the bust-up before the break, Mitchell told the iPaper: “I’m always just coming in and taking the mick a bit.

"I think I said to Radders (Adam Radwan) ‘oh, good carry, mate’ – just simple stuff. And I think he got a bit annoyed at that, and just made me laugh, and then obviously everyone jumped in.

“The tensions are high, so any bit of niggle, everyone wants to jump in and back their team-mates up.

"We were just laughing during it, enjoying the occasion. It went on for some while, and in the moment you are passionate and quite annoyed.

"But you know no one’s going to really take it too far over the line, are they? Just a bit of pushing and shoving, and it never goes further than that. If it does, then you get banned."

Henry Pollock was one of the Saints players involved in the scuffle as he was eventually pushed down the tunnel by England team-mates Ollie Chessum and Freddie Steward.

“We’re kind of used to it now,” said Mitchell when asked about Pollock, who had briefly paused on the steps in front of Chessum and Steward.

“But it’s really good to have him. He brings a bit of energy and brings a bit of buzz and always starts a bit of niggle, which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing.

“It’s good to have that energy, and he loves to rile up people, and I think he gets us going as well; he gets us going in a good way. Brings a bit of edge, and sometimes you need that edge. If the team’s feeling a bit flat, he can definitely bring that.

“So he’s always going to get a bit of s*** and a bit of crap here and there, but we’re always going to back him up. And he’s very good at dealing with it as well.”

With the Saints and Leicester players heading into England camp a day after the black, green and gold's 28-7 Gallagher PREM defeat at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, there was little time for grudges.

“Many a time we’ve had derby days and then had to play with each other (for England) the following week, and we are good at flicking the switch,” Mitchell said.

“Before the game, you’d say ‘hi’ but you wouldn’t chat to them and have a laugh, because it’s derby day, it’s a huge occasion.

"And then on the pitch, regardless of who you’re playing – if it’s your best mate or someone you never met – you’re always going to front up and be full go.

"After the match, you’re a gentleman and can have a laugh in the changing rooms.”

Mitchell added: “Coming in (to England camp) on Sunday, it was a bit annoying – we were a bit more sore than them (the Leicester players) and they had the bragging rights, so they got into us a bit, which is fair enough because it’s been on our side a fair few times as well.

"You walk in and I pretended to ignore Chez (Chessum) and Stew (Steward), just for a bit of craic. You just end up laughing, to be honest.”

But Mitchell couldn't pretend to ignore Chessum for long as he's actually been sharing a room with him!

“I’m actually rooming with Chez now,” Mitchell said. “He has been my room-mate for the Six Nations and autumn previously, we’ve known each other for years, and we really get along. Now we’re pulling together for England, so it’s good to flick the switch.

“I did used to hear, when I was speaking to (former Saints and England players) Dylan Hartley and Tom Wood, that they wouldn’t chat to those different cliques of Northampton, Leicester, Sarries.

"But there’s so many camps and we’re so intertwined and we know each other so well nowadays, it’s less so and there’s not many cliques at all.

"We’re really good with the socials we do, the connections we do as a team, it’s so easy to chat to anyone and everyone.”