Mallinder says he’ll be ‘sensible’ with selection for Treviso double header
Jim Mallinder says he must be sensible with selection as he bids to find the right formula for Saints’ Champions Cup trip to Treviso on Saturday.
The director of rugby welcomed his England internationals back to Franklin’s Gardens this week, with Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood all returning to training.
George North could also be available this weekend after concussion ruled him out of Wales’ win over South Africa last weekend.
But with Saints having won four of their five games without their international stars, Mallinder is cautious about throwing them all back in straight away.
He was stung by an experience after this year’s Six Nations when Saints took time to gel.
And Mallinder said: “We’ve got all the internationals returning and we’ve got to be sensible in our selection for Treviso away and at home.
“We’ve made mistakes in the past in bringing players back too soon and we need to look at our selection and make sure we get the right team for next week.”