'A massive week' as Saints prepare to for a big challenge against Falcons

And Ferguson knows Saints will face a huge challenge when the Falcons head to cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 2pm).

Saints are currently top of the Gallagher Premiership standings, while Newcastle are at the bottom.

But Phil Dowson's men only won by two points at Kingston Park earlier in the season, with a missed conversion costing Newcastle a draw.

The Falcons recently opted to make a managerial change, with Alex Codling stepping away from his role as head coach.

Steve Diamond will be arriving as consultant director of rugby next week, but in the meantime, Ward is taking charge.

He got off to a winning start last weekend as the Falcons claimed an impressive 32-23 win at Perpignan in the European Challenge Cup.

And Saints assistant coach Ferguson said: "I personally have huge respect for Micky Ward, one of the scrum coach gurus who is now leading the group.

"He's a proper Geordie and I am absolutely delighted that they got the result away. It’s a tough place to go away to Perpignan and get that result at the weekend.

"We have got enough links with Newcastle with this squad, from the boss (Dowson) right down to Robbie Smith, we know exactly what they’ve got.

"They have a real sense of pride, the passion they have in each other.

"Yes they might be winless in the Prem, but some of those games have been pretty close.

"We had a proper ding-dong up there as well, so I think we know exactly what’s coming. I am not sure if the change of coaching has made a difference to that.

"I think when you play Newcastle, you know you’re going to get a very dangerous back three, you know you’re going to get hugely challenged up front with the set piece and you know the breakdown is going to be absolutely ferocious.

"I am expecting absolutely nothing different this weekend."

Saints would dearly love to keep their winning streak going this weekend as they look to keep hold of top spot in the Premiership going into the Six Nations break.

And the coaches were already hard at work preparing to take on Falcons following the superb 26-23 success at Munster in the Investec Champions Cup last Saturday.

"I remember driving back on the bus on Sunday, we were already previewing some of the Newcastle stuff for the week ahead," Ferguson said.

"We had a pretty decent plan how we focused on that and if we get our off-field preparation right it comes across on the field.

"It is a massive week, but then again, every week has been a massive week."

Saints managed to win at Munster despite having Curtis Langdon sent off just before half-time.

And Ferguson said: "We didn’t actually play all that well but the ability from the boys to just dig in, their almost inability to accept defeat, has got us through a large part of the season.

"What has that come from? It just comes from a consistent belief that if we put three or four parts of our game on the pitch, it is cause people pressure. Pressure, more often than not, equals points.

"You look at the five breakdowns that we have before the unbelievable drop goal from Fin (Smith), we have gone forward five times.

"Nothing beyond the ordinary, Dows talks about being seven out of 10, have a good carry, go to floor, someone over the top. Do that five times and all of a sudden that puts space for Fin to knock that over.

"There is a real belief in the group at the moment, that from our training and everything that we put on the park.

"We have a real belief in our DNA, we have a real belief in our game."