Coles seeks Saints lift after 'fragmented season'

Alex Coles (right) has been with Northampton Saints since the age of 13 and has made 124 first-team appearances

Lock Alex Coles hopes to put injury niggles behind him and help Northampton Saints end a difficult season in a positive manner.

The 25-year-old was a second-half replacement in Friday's 33-0 Premiership defeat by Leicester Tigers, having been an unused member of the England squad during the Six Nations.

"Any time you get a call-up internationally, it's great, but just generally for me it's been a fragmented season, I've not really strung any games together," Coles told BBC Radio Northampton.

"I've had quite a few minor injuries that have taken me out for a few weeks and halted my momentum a bit.

"The same thing happened in the autumn when I was supposed to be in the (England) squad, so I was pleased they still wanted to have me around in some shape or form.

"The thing for me now is to try to get a run of games for Saints, end the season really strongly and then, hopefully, from the England point of view, try to get on that plane to Argentina (this summer)."

Coles scored five tries in 24 appearances last season as Northampton won their first Premiership title for 10 years and reached the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup.

They are only eighth in the league this term following last week's home loss to Leicester, but still harbour hopes in Europe, with a home last-16 tie against French side Clermont coming up on 4 April.

Northampton lost a number of senior players following their successes in 2024, including Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller.

And Coles - who described last season as being like "a bit of a fever dream almost" - believes it is now time for others to step up to the mark.

"We came in on Sunday (after the Leicester game), really holding the mirror up to ourselves and asking, as a group, have we been in the right place enough over the season," he said.

"It's been well spoken about that we lost some of that experience within the playing squad and we just need to ask 'are we going to take this upon ourselves and drive this team forward?'

"There is so much potential here and we've shown, in (some) games throughout the season, what our top level is. At the moment we're not quite doing it enough."

Northampton will warm up for the Clermont tie when they continue their league campaign with a trip north to take on Sale Sharks on Friday evening.

Asked whether it might be easier to be away from home for the first game following the defeat by Tigers, Coles replied: "I'd rather play at home again and try to pay back all our loyal supporters and give them a performance to be proud of.

"Sale are a very strong team, very well organised, we're aware of their threats but the main thing for us is getting ourselves back on track."

Alex Coles was speaking to BBC Radio Northampton sports editor Graham McKechnie.