The first pre-season game of the schedule looks like being a seriously tough one for Saints, with the French side steeled from last season's Top 14 final defeat to Toulouse at the end of June.

Clermont finished top of the pile in the top flight in France and Saints perhaps couldn't have a much harder game to open their warm-ups with.

Wilson, though, is eagerly anticipating the run-out, where he is hoping the side can play the brand of rugby they have been practising in training and also get to grips with the new rules for the season.

"It's something we've been looking at the last few weeks, certainly we've been looking at the Super 14 and the Tri Nations," said the No.8, a January capture from Ulster.

"The game's going to free up quite a bit and hopefully it might be to our benefit, we've been training very hard in pre-season to enable ourselves to play quite an expansive running game.

"I think every team is on a pretty much level playing field as far as that goes.

"It's difficult to say how it will go at the moment, there's probably going to be a bit of tweaking as the months go on. We'll just see who copes the best in the first few matches."

Saints will have to play with plenty of panache if they are to make a dent in a talented Clermont side, but another attribute they must have next season is patience.

Wilson feels it is vital the Franklin's Gardens faithful don't expect too much, too soon from a side who will need time to find their feet on their return to the Guinness Premiership.

"As a group we haven't discussed it too much at the moment but I guess our main priority is to remain in the league as a starter," he said.

"Nothing's going to come together right away we've got a number of new players who've come into the squad.

"I think nearly half the squad's been revamped so you know that will not happen overnight.

"It'll take time it may take a year or two for things to get back to the way they were. So I think the fans have just got to be patient.

"I'm sure they will as I've been told they're an excellent bunch of fans and everyone appreciates the support that we've been getting from them and I'm sure we will get this year.

"So we're going to give it our best shot and hopefully not let them down."

Saints are also sending a team to the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham tomorrow.

It's in a knockout formula, and Saints are second up at 11am against reigning champions Newcastle Falcons.

If Northampton get through the first round, they will play the winner of Dragons against London Irish in the quarter-finals.

If they lose, they will play the loser of that match in the plate quarters.