Premiership is tougher than ever, says Saints head coach Vesty

But he believes his side are in good shape ahead of a crucial set of games.

Saints will have to blend their league bid with Champions Cup clashes in the next two months.

And there will be little respite with some of Europe's best lying in wait.

Saints are currently in the play-off shake-up in the Premiership, but they are surrounded by a set of teams who are within a few points of them.

One of those is Gloucester, who Saints travel to on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm).

And when asked whether this is the most difficult league season he has ever known, Vesty said: "Gosh, yeah - and I feel like I've said that for the past few years as well. It always seems to be the case.

"It's a tough league, such a good league and that's the beauty of it.

"There's no gimmes, everyone's very competitive and it makes for a good product.

"For us, it's about doing what we do really well and doing it more consistently than we have been.

"We've got to focus on ourselves and I think we're in a good space.

"Our training has gone to a really good level in the past few weeks and I feel like we're going to be performing."

With the likes of Bath and Newcastle Falcons having picked up impressive wins of late, there is a real feeling that any side is capable of putting a run together and securing a play-off spot.

For Saints, the focus is solely on Saturday's key clash at Kingsholm.

And Vesty said: "We've had a chance to look at a nine-game stretch that we've played and seen it as a half-term report really.

"We've made some changes we're looking at and we we absolutely want to put one over on Gloucester.

"They know who they are, they play in a specific way and they are very good at it.

"Clashes of styles are the best contest because if you get two teams trying to do the same thing, it can turn into a bit of a kick-fest.

"It makes for good rugby and it should be a good contest."

Saints know they will face a huge threat at Kingsholm as Gloucester are specialists at scoring from their maul.

But Vesty is confident that the black, green and gold can show they are capable of being an all-court side.

"You want to have a game that you can play in December and January and you have to be able to play in all weather conditions," Vesty said.

"We're trying to bulletproof our game and our way of playing, not to go completely away from it, to find bits we need to add to it to bulletproof it.

"You have to be able to maul, you have to be able to defend maul because that's coming.

"You have to be able to get the good things out of your maul because that's one of the key blocks the rain brings.

"The other one is scrum time and you have to be able to get positives out of your scrum.

"We're very much a decision-making team with decision-making players.

"If it's a nice day and it's as dry as anything, the decision to chuck a pass off a length is different to when it's wet.

"We talk about it, we say we're going to have to keep our passes short, but ultimately the players who make the decision on whether they can execute in that wet or not.

"You're not going to change your whole game and we'll give the decision makers that choice.

"Ultimately, the conditions do play a part."