Sleightholme hopes Euro wins will 'catapult' Saints

Ollie Sleightholme made his first-team debut for Northampton during the 2018-19 season

England wing Ollie Sleightholme says Northampton must use their form in European competition as a "catapult" to get their Premiership title ambitions back on track.

Saints achieved back-to-back victories in the Investec Champions Cup, including a 30-21 success against Bulls at altitude in South Africa last weekend.

But the reigning Premiership champions return to league action at Saracens on Sunday having won only three of their seven games so far.

"There's no little games anymore - it's a real big game. They're going to want our scalp and we want theirs. They're one of the top sides in the country when they're on [song], similar to us, so it should be a good one," Sleightholme told BBC Radio Northampton.

"Last year, Europe was a bit of a catapult for us and fingers crossed it'll be the same thing this year - a bit of a catapult for us to start getting the performances in the Premiership that we want," said Sleightholme.

"We just need confidence and then we'll start to get the performances we want and be more consistent with it."

Saints beat Saracens three times last season on the way to their first title in a decade, including a dramatic 22-20 win in the play-offs, with Sleightholme scoring a try in two of those games.

And he already has four in eight appearances this term - plus two against Australia and one each against South Africa and Japan during the autumn internationals.

Sleightholme played for England alongside clubmates Tommy Freeman and George Furbank - though the latter is doubtful for the Six Nations after fracturing his arm against Bulls.

"Playing international rugby is one thing, playing with some of your best mates is another - it was a huge thing for me," he added.

"I made my debut in the summer in New Zealand and couldn't really have anybody there - no-one could get over - but having my family at the autumn games was really cool.

"That's the level I want to be performing at and I'll just keep trying to get better every week and keep pushing for that."

Scrum-half Alex Mitchell will play his 100th game for Northampton against Saracens, with Alex Coles leading the team in Furbank's absence.

George Hendy will start the game at full-back after scoring one of their tries in the win over Bulls.