Radford knows Saints must be ruthless against 'form team' Bath

The black, green and gold are currently a whopping 19 points behind the Gallagher Premiership table-toppers, who have won eight of their first nine league matches this season.

Saints were beaten at Bath on the opening night as Johann van Graan’s men got revenge for defeat to Phil Dowson’s side in last season’s Premiership final.

And Radford is well aware of the size of the challenge that lies in wait at a sold-out cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this weekend.

"Bath are certainly the form team in the Premiership at the moment,” Radford said.

"You look at the way they play and their whole game is based on their go-forward on the ground so for us it's a really tough challenge on our doorstep but one I'm really looking forward to.

"They're probably still stinging from last season and they got one over on us in the first round of the Prem this year so they'll be coming full of confidence this week.

"They've got a maverick at 10 (Finn Russell), they've got an unbelievably good long kicking game and their entries into their 22 are right up there in terms of return for points.

"We're going to have to put our heads in the spokes on the try line, we're going to have to show some resilience, we're going to have to move really well and, like all big games when two quality sides are playing, we're going to have to take the opportunities when they present themselves.”

Radford was delighted with the way Saints performed last weekend as they managed to keep Newcastle Falcons scoreless in a 61-0 success at the Gardens.

"As a defence coach, it's always really pleasing to keep them out,” he said.

“They had opportunities as well, particularly late on in that second half, and it would have been so easy for us to concede one and it wouldn't have had that much of an impact on the game itself so to keep it at a zero was definitely pleasing.

"But what was probably more pleasing for us, and something we've spoken about, was putting two halves together.

“An issue for us in the Prem this year has been showing that consistency for longer periods and it's something that has been a consistent battle for us, so to see us to stick a 60, 70-minute performance together was really pleasing. The more times you can do that, the better you're going to be.

“We've just had too many games like the Saracens one where we just weren't at the races in the first half and had to reassess and accept a bit of criticism at half-time to show a response. You can only do that so many times throughout the year before that loses its bite.

“It has to be player-driven and it would have been really easy to drop off the accelerator in the second half having taken a comfortable lead so to put those two halves together was pleasing.”