Sleightholme puts 'weird 12 months' behind him

Ollie Sleightholme made his Saints senior debut back in 2018

England wing Ollie Sleightholme hopes injury problems are now behind him as he looks to help Northampton continue their impressive start to the Prem campaign.

Saints return to league action away to Bristol on Saturday (17:45 GMT), having won four of their opening five games - after drawing their first against Exeter - to lead the table by two points.

Sleightholme contributed 80 points during the 2023-24 season, including a try in the final against Bath as Saints won their first title for a decade.

The 25-year-old has been dogged by ankle and hamstring injuries since then and did not play between December and May last season or in any of this campaign's Prem fixtures.

But he returned to action in two recent Prem Rugby Cup games and told BBC Radio Northampton's Saints Show: "It's wicked to be back out there doing what I love doing, it's not the best having to sit and watch.

"It's been a weird 12 months, getting injured at the back end of last year's Six Nations, coming back for the European final and last game of the season against Gloucester and then being injured again until the last couple of weeks."

Sleightholme made his England debut in New Zealand in July 2024 and has eight caps in total, but his injuries put paid to any involvement in the summer tour this year.

"Doing my ankle kept me out from February time onwards towards the [European Champions Cup] final and then getting back fit, then doing my hammy in camp and re-doing it on my return - it was a frustrating period because it didn't have a definite end to any of it," he added.

Sleightholme believes the game has been transformed during his time out of action, with fewer teams willing to go for an expansive style, and wingers having to deal with a lot more high balls.

"The way the game has changed in 12 months is quite scary - the way teams are now playing is very different... you do see less running rugby," he said.

"We would still do that but a lot of teams that are a bit unsure will now just go to a kick, instead of just moving the ball and trying to score a try - you could see that as a positive thing with a lot of good aerial contest, or you could see it as a negative thing because you see less [running] rugby."

However, Sleightholme expects Bristol to be one of the more open sides Northampton will come up against this season.

Northampton lost last season's corresponding fixture 31-23, but won the return at Franklin's Gardens 48-31.

"It's two teams that don't mind taking opportunities to play a bit of ball. It's always a clash of the titans in that sense," he added.

"We know what we've got to do, we've got to be connected as a team, everyone on the same page and if we put that plan on the pitch and action it, it will give us a really good chance."