Smith 'buzzing to be back' as Saints forward gets set for return to Glasgow

That is because this weekend's opposition are a team Smith knows extremely well, with Glasgow Warriors the club at which he made his professional debut back in 2019.

Smith has been sidelined since tearing his calf in the build-up to the match at another of his former sides, Newcastle Falcons, on October 29.

But he is now ready to return for the Investec Champions Cup opener at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night.

And Smith said: "I'm buzzing.

"This was the game that I was aiming for.

"I was gutted at the time of doing the injury but when they said the timescale, this was the game on the fixture list that I targeted.

"Glasgow is the club that I started at and I really wanted to get back for this game.

"I'm buzzing to be back in around it this week."

Smith still has friends at Glasgow, and one of them has been trying to tap him up for inside information.

"The captain, Stafford McDowall, I stayed with him during my whole time in the Academy so I'm really good friends with him still," Smith said.

"He's been texting me this week to ask me what our team is but I'm keeping that under wraps.

"It will be nice to go back there because it's where I made my professional debut for Glasgow and it will be nice to go there and feel like I've got a bit more confidence in my professional career."

Saints know they face a huge test against a Glasgow side who have lost just one game at home during the past two years.

But having won 18-12 at Saracens last Saturday, Phil Dowson's men can march into European competition with real confidence.

"Even when I was at Glasgow four years ago, they didn't lose much at home," Smith said.

"Their fans call themselves 'the Warrior Nation' and they've got a real good fanbase.

"Scotstoun is a tough place to go for anyone, and you see that across Europe and the URC, that they are a real tough team to go and play.

"It's a really good challenge for us, especially coming off the back of Saracens because they're sort of similar.

"We won at Saracens last week and Glasgow were top of the pile in the URC up to last weekend so it will be great to go there and see what happens."