The Pool Five rivals clashed in last season’s early rounds and it was the Saints who took the spoils. They scored a home 27-16 victory at the site of Saturday’s fixture before claiming a 29-17 triumph at the Liberty Stadium.
Those wins still were not enough for Jim Mallinder’s men to reach the knockout stages, as they dropped down into the Challenge Cup and conquered the competition. The Ospreys are the only side who still have a 100 per cent record intact after they claimed their seventh straight victory over Treviso.
Northampton’s 20-11 defeat to Racing Metro was only their second of the season, with Wasps the only other side to overcome the Premiership champions. Steve Tandy’s Ospreys already have the same amount of points, 5, as they did at the end of last season’s tournament and are hoping to spark their knockout bid with a victory over the Saints.
But Northampton are reeling from their round one loss to Racing Metro, where they let a losing bonus-pint slip from their grasp.
Saints centre Luther Burrell said: “We were very frustrated after last week’s game, fingers crossed we can regroup for the Ospreys. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we know in key moments of the game we didn’t play as well as we could have.
“We are going up against a very good Ospreys side but it’s going to be good for us to get back home and hopefully put a marker down in front of our fans. At home we play a fantastic brand of rugby and with the crowd support we get it can be a real fortress for us.”
Ospreys Head Coach Steve Tandy said: “It’s not in the Ospreys’ nature to be daunted. We’re excited. Of course we understand the task in front of us. Northampton are always challenging in England and we’ll be severe underdogs going there, with the players they have, the finance and the support.
“But it’s something that will be a great experience for our young players. Going up there and challenging against the best is where you want to be.”
