Northampton v Leicester: Saints look to overhaul Tigers era

Ben Foden led the Northampton Saints celebrations after May's Premiership semi-final win over Leicester

Northampton are striving to eclipse the achievements of local rivals Leicester Tigers, says full-back Ben Foden.

Saints claimed their first title last season, but Leicester have set the standard in the Premiership era, with eight in the last 15 years.

"We've always been second fiddle," Foden, 29, told BBC Radio Northampton.

"This squad of players and this club are at the point where we want to compete with them and hopefully take that title away from them."

He continued: "We did that by beating them in a semi-final last year and then winning the Premiership, but we need to back it up with another big performance."

The two sides meet at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday, seven months after Saints won their semi-final against Leicester and went on to secure a maiden Premiership title with victory over Saracens.

The East Midlands derby in May was a typically tense and niggly affair, with three sin-binnings and one red card.

The 21-20 win was Northampton's first against Tigers in 11 attempts in the league, with Leicester triumphing at the Gardens earlier in the season.

"Last year they were one of the only sides to beat us at Franklin's Gardens and that's a wrong we need to right at the weekend," said England international Foden, whose side are top of the Premiership and 10 points above their rivals.

"The way things are going we need this win to kick us into fourth or fifth gear. It's a massive occasion. It's always very eventful and very feisty.

"We have massive respect for Leicester and who they are. Obviously there's not much love lost between the sides."