Saints centre Hutchinson: I've put my slow start behind me

The skilful centre thrives on the harder surfaces that arrive at this time of the year, and he will hope to do so once again in his first outing at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

It should be some occasion for the Scotland centre and his club-mates as they take on a fired-up and in-form London Irish outfit in their St Patrick's Day celebration game.

And it something Hutchinson can't wait to be involved in as eighth-placed Saints take on sixth-placed Irish.

"London Irish, you look at where they are in the table, and they deserve to be there," Hutchinson said.

"They play a great style of rugby, a very similar style to us, and it will be a great test to see where we're at.

"We dug ourselves out of a bit of a hole by getting that win against Wasps and for the boys to back it up and get a win at Saracens, it's a really good vibe in training.

"We're looking forward to going down there, it will be my first time playing at that stadium and I'm looking forward to that."

Hutchinson can now put Scotland training to bed for a while as he has spent the past couple of months going back and forth between club and country.

He wasn't able to feature for his national team in the Six Nations, but he was a regular in the Saints starting 15 during that time.

"For the whole duration of the camp, I've been coming back midweek," Hutchinson explained.

"It's tough on the body but you've got to get on with it and it's nice to come back and actually still get to play.

"It's really important you continue playing.

"I would obviously have liked to have played in the Six Nations, but sometimes things don't go your way and I've just got to move on and keep my rugby up.

"Hopefully I can get an invite back for the summer."

For now through, Hutchinson's full focus is on club matters as he aims to propel Saints into the Gallagher Premiership play-off places in the final six matches of the season.

And the 26-year-old believes he is starting to find the kind of form that he and his club craves.

"I'm definitely getting back up to where I have been previously," Hutchinson said.

"It was a bit of a slow start for me personally at the beginning of the season but I've managed to put that behind me now and I'm getting back to some pretty good performances.

"It's about carrying it on for the rest of the season."

With Dan Biggar away with Wales and Tommy Freeman injured, Saints had been utilising Hutchinson at full-back at times during the Six Nations.

But Biggar is now back and Freeman is fit again, meaning Hutchinson can revert to his more regular centre role.

"It was great (playing at full-back) - I actually really enjoyed it," he said.

"Obviously it's not my natural position but I actually really enjoyed it.

"It was nice to get back in the midfield against Wasps and be back where it all started for me.

"But I enjoyed my stint at 15.

"I played everywhere when I was growing up: 10, wing, centre, full-back - I did every position except scrum-half.

"I like to say I can cover most positions but obviously everyone has their favourite."