Saints' cup players ready to help first-team regulars push for Premiership glory

Callum Braley admits uncertainty around game time moving forward made Saints' semi-final defeat on Friday night even tougher to take.

But the scrum-half says he and the rest of the players who were involved against London Irish are ready to do everything they can to push the team on to glory in the league this season.

Saints now only have the Gallagher Premiership on their agenda, having bowed out of the Champions Cup at the pool stages and having lost 30-18 in the Premiership Rugby Cup final four.

That means some of the men who lined up against London Irish on Friday may not get a chance to play again before the current campaign reaches its conclusion.

And Braley said: "It's a tough one because we don't know as a group what game time we're going to get in the run-in for this season.

"We've got a big finish as a group because we want to get in the top four and make the play-offs, but we don't know how much game time we'll get.

"The focus as individuals is being as good as we can be, improving, pushing the boys who are playing ahead of us and making sure the team is best prepared going forward."

Braley, who joined from Benetton last summer, skippered Saints for the fourth time in five Premiership Rugby Cup matches this season on Friday night.

And he said: "I have enjoyed it. I've captained a bit in my career but this is the most I've done it in a spell.

"I've loved it, I love playing, I love competing and I'm just loving my time at Saints.

"I just want to get stuck in."

With Alex Mitchell moving into the England picture, Braley could get more chances to impress for Saints before the season is over.

And the 28-year-old knows how important the games to come are, starting against Sale Sharks at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

"It's massive and that's our focus,” he said.

"Sale have been going really well and it will be a big challenge going back into the Prem.

"It will be important to see how we flip back into that and interesting to see what boys come back from England.

"There are a lot of moving parts but we're excited and looking forward to facing Sale at home."