Radford ready to get Saints rolling

CHAMPIONS North- ampton made a steady rather than spectacular start to the Premiership but Lee Radford is confident they will move through the gears in the coming weeks.

- PAUL REES

Scrum-half Alex Mitchell, who has not played this season because of a neck injury and has been missed by England as well as the Saints, is closing in on a return.

“Alex has been training and is not far off full contact,” said Radford, who joined Northampton as defence coach in the summer of last year. “He has ripped us up a few times around the ruck, which you expect of him.

“He would make any team in the world better. We have not seen him for the first six rounds which means our international half-back pairing, Alex and Fin Smith, have not played together.

“We have talked about generating momentum when the Premiership resumes and getting those two playing regularly together will be key for us.”

Radford made an instant impact when he arrived at Franklin’s Gardens, plugging a defence that at one point the previous season had been the leakiest in the Premiership and laying the foundation for the tilt at the title.

The Saints developed the knack of staying in contests, as they showed in the final when having struggled against Bath despite enjoying a man advantage for the final hour, Mitchell scored the winning try eight minutes from the end.