Vass admits Saints have no margin for error in race for top four

With five matches to go, Saints are four points outside the top four with a game in hand, but to get into those play-off places they are going to also have to get past the teams in fifth and sixth - Sale Sharks and Gloucester.

Eighth-placed London Irish, who are level on points with seventh-placed Saints, will also still see themselves as contenders, so it is going to take a massive effort for Saints to extend their season beyond the regular league schedule.

Impressive wins in their past two matches against Wasps and Irish have raised hopes that Saints can get the job done, but Vass admits the three straight defeats before those couple of wins mean there is 'very little room for error'.

Saints host 10th-placed Bristol Bears at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday looking for a third straight win, and Vass knows that winning is something the team is going to have to keep on doing.

"The win over London Irish was such a big game for us, as we had put ourselves in the position in the previous four or five games where we had to win it," he said.

"Having done that, the big-match mentality moves one game down the line now to Bristol.

"The margin for error has definitely disappeared, and it did for us in that little run where we didn't win those tight games we had.

"So there is very little room for error now for us, if any at all."

Bristol come to Northampton with nothing to play for in the league, and with a two-legged Round of 16 European Cup clash against Sale on the horizon.

But as much as Vass would like the Bears to have their minds on other things this weekend, he can't see that being the case against a team he considers to be very dangerous.

"Pat Lam (Bristol coach) has been pretty open about what they are after, and their European Cup draw and the fact they are preparing for that and that will be their main drive," said Vass.

"They have had their fair share of injuries, so I think we will find quite a different team again at the weekend as they have quite a few people back.

"So I am expecting a huge challenge from team full of quality that can definitely beat anybody when they want to.

"The challenges they face are the same as other teams who lose international players and then get injuries as well, it becomes hard to become consistent when that happens and that is what they have faced.

"But now they seem to be getting everybody back fit, just in time to play against us! On their day they are as good as any team in the Premiership."

A win over the Bears will send Saints into their weekend off with a spring in their step, and with a realistic chance of two pieces of silverware - and that is something Vass desperately wants.

"We are still keen on the Challenge Cup, whoever we end up playing, and moving forward in that," he said.

"This Bristol game is so big because it does keep us in two competitions, and that is where you want to be.

"If we can get a positive result on Saturday then that is definitely what we need going into what will be a big European game.

"There are two things we want to go for, but we need to get Bristol done first and then we can move on to the Challenge Cup."

Interview by Matt Wright