Leicester Tigers boss Geordan Murphy believes the odds are stacked against his side ahead of Saturday's game at Saints.

Tigers currently sit second from bottom in the Gallagher Premiership standings, having won just one of their four league games so far.

Saints are only behind table-toppers Bristol Bears on points difference, having only lost once in the league this season.

And Murphy knows how tough it will be for his team at Franklin's Gardens this weekend.

"I've been hugely impressed by the way Northampton have played during the past couple of years," Murphy said.

"They've obviously got a very strong coaching team there and they play a distinct way.

"They've caused us problems over the past couple of years when we've played them, certainly in the Premiership Rugby Cup last month.

"We were in control of that game until about 60 minutes, threw an intercept and they went to the end of the field and a 14-point turnaround cost us that game.

"It's noticeable how their league form is: they're three from four, second in the table, flying high and playing some very good rugby.

"We've got to go to their house and it doesn't get much tougher.

"If you add in that it's a local derby, it's huge.

"We know Northampton are a quality side, their league position indicates that and it's always tough to go to Northampton.

"When you look at their league standing against ours, the odds are stacked against us, but we've been building during the past couple of weeks.

"We've learned some good lessons in the last few outings and hopefully we can be better again this week."

Leicester have resisted the temptation to throw all of their England stars straight back in during the past couple of weeks.

But they have managed to win both of their European Challenge Cup matches and will now pick their best available side this weekend.

That means the likes of George Ford, Jonny May and Manu Tuilagi are likely to start.

"We chose to give some guys last weekend off," said Murphy, who steered his side to a narrow win at Cardiff Blues.

"We had a tough training week and those guys did some very tough training sessions at the back end of last week to try to replicate game scenarios.

"The team we pick this week will be the best team we have available to go and get a result at Northampton Saints."

Saints have already beaten Tigers once this season, earning a 31-22 victory at Welford Road in October.

And Murphy recognises just how vital this fixture is for his team.

"It's important," he said.

"The local derby is a big game, but every game in the Premiership is a big game now.

"You don't get anything easy and it's very difficult.

"We don't want to spike emotions so much this week that we can't perform the following week.

"We've got tough fixtures throughout and we've got to go there measured and try to perform to our best ability."

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Lawes missed last weekend's 35-32 Champions Cup win at Benetton due to a hamstring injury.

But the England star is ready to return against Tigers, taking the place of Api Ratuniyarawa in the second row.

Tom Wood also returns after being rested, and so does powerhouse wing Taqele Naiyaravoro.

George Furbank, who was so influential as a replacement in Italy last Saturday, starts at full-back, with Ahsee Tuala fit enough to be named on the bench.

Alex Waller comes in for Francois van Wyk at loosehead.

Meanwhile, Tigers include all six of their England World Cup stars in the starting line-up this weekend.

Jonny May makes his first appearance since the World Cup final.

Dan Cole, Ellis Genge, Ben Youngs, George Ford and Manu Tuilagi are also named in Geordan Murphy’s team.

Jaco Taute plays in the Gallagher Premiership for the first time, starting at centre alongside Tuilagi, and there are also recalls for Jonah Holmes, Tom Youngs, Calum Green and Sione Kalamafoni after sitting out the Challenge Cup win over Cardiff Blues last weekend.

Sam Lewis and Jordan Coghlan, who both started against the Blues in the Challenge Cup, are included among the replacements, but Hanro Liebenberg, Tommy Reffell, Will Spencer, Ifereimi Boladau, Jordan Taufua and Tatafu Polota-Nau are all ruled out.

Saints: Furbank; Collins, Proctor, Hutchinson, Naiyaravoro; Biggar, Reinach; Waller (cc), Haywood, O Franks; Moon, Lawes; Wood, Ludlam, Harrison (cc).
Replacements: van Vuuren: van Wyk, Painter, Ratuniyarawa, Gibson, J Mitchell, Dingwall, Tuala.

​Leicester Tigers: Worth; May, Tuilagi, Taute, Holmes; Ford, B Youngs; Genge, T Youngs (c), Cole; Lavanini, Green; Wells, Thompson, Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Kerr, Gigena, Leatigaga, Lewis, Coghlan, White, Reid, Forsyth.

Fixture: Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

Competition: Gallagher Premiership (round five)

Venue: Franklin's Gardens, Northampton

Date and kick-off time: Saturday, November 30, 2019, 3pm

Television coverage: BT Sport 2

Weather forecast: 3c, cloudy

Referee: Matthew Carley (89th Premiership game)

Saints: Furbank; Collins, Proctor, Hutchinson, Naiyaravoro; Biggar, Reinach; Waller (cc), Haywood, O Franks; Moon, Lawes; Wood, Ludlam, Harrison (cc).

Replacements: van Vuuren: van Wyk, Painter, Ratuniyarawa, Gibson, J Mitchell, Dingwall, Tuala.

​Leicester Tigers: Worth; May, Tuilagi, Taute, Holmes; Ford, B Youngs; Genge, T Youngs (c), Cole; Lavanini, Green; Wells, Thompson, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Kerr, Gigena, Leatigaga, Lewis, Coghlan, White, Reid, Forsyth.

Outs: Saints: Harry Mallinder (knee), Alex Mitchell (knee), Reece Marshall (hamstring), Reuben Bird-Tulloch (hand), Henry Taylor (thumb), Ben Franks (elbow), David Ribbans (back), James Fish (head), Piers Francis (shoulder).

Most recent meeting: Saturday, October 12, 2019: Leicester Tigers 22 Saints 31 (Premiership Rugby Cup pool stages)

Tom's preview: It's an East Midlands derby, but not quite as we have known it for some time.

Yes, it will be a sell-out and yes, both teams will be packed with quality players.

But on this occasion, Saints will go into a game against their arch rivals as big favourites.

They may not see it that way internally, but the outside world has taken a look at league positions, style of play and personnel and deemed that this time, for the first time in a long time, Northampton Saints are truly the ones to beat in the East Midlands.

For so long, Leicester have lauded it, inflicting misery upon misery on their nearest and not quite dearest.

Between January 2015 and March 2017, Tigers won all seven clashes with Saints.

And prior to April 2018, Saints had not won at Welford Road since February 2007.

But that run is now over - and how!

The men from Northampton have now won their past three games in their neighbours' backyard.

It has been a sweet streak for those of a black, green and gold persuasion who were right to wonder just when that barren run up the M1 would end.

Some probably feared it never would.

But Saints have played with a swagger and confidence in recent times that has allowed them to shed their tag as gallant derby-day losers.

Now they must show the same belief on home soil, just as they did in May and December of a magical 2014 when Saints edged out Tigers not once but twice.

And both times they did it with 14 men.

Those were displays packed with character and ferocious determination against all the odds.

This time though, the odds will start in their favour.

They will have to deal with more derby-day expectation than ever before.

Because although Tigers still have a star-studded side, they have lacked the sort of game plan and clear identity that has helped to lift Saints from the doldrums.

Chris Boyd's team have been able to play teams off the park at times, just as they did during the second half at Benetton last weekend.

The problems have come when Saints have been drawn into a forward fight, a scrap in the mud.

Tigers may look to utilise that approach this weekend, keeping it tight throughout and hoping to use firepower such as Jonny May and Manu Tuilagi to take chances when they come.

But if Saints can get a grip on things and play what is now the Northampton way, they will be able to live up to their billing and deliver more derby-day joy.

Whatever the outcome, the fact Saints start the game with so much expected and demanded of them is only a good thing.

It shows how far they have come over the years and how well they have built.

Now they need to turn all of that into another precious Premiership win and provide some more local bragging rights.

Tom's prediction: If Saints can get parity up front, I'm backing them to win this one. It certainly won't be easy against a near full-strength Tigers team, but if the hosts get into their groove they can ensure it's a happy derby day for most of the sell-out crowd. Saints 28-23 Tigers.

Everyone loves a good deal, and Black Friday (29 Nov) brings discounts and limited time offers for shoppers to bag themselves a bargain - but don’t be blinded into buying bad products just because it’s been brought down in price.

Which? has revealed the products that shoppers should avoid getting sucked into buying just because they’re on sale.

More than a year later than expected, auditors KPMG have this week given the authority the sign off of its accounts of the year in which overspent by £41.4m.

Mis-spending of 106 monies from developers, using capital receipts wrongly to pay for running costs, a dispute over the value of headquarters of One Angel Square – which the authoritiy sold off last spring, and which has helped bail out the authority – all led to the extra time to sign off the accounts.

Speaking at the audit committee meeting this morning NCC’s chief finance officer Barry Scarr said the auditors had given an adverse opinion and had still to give a certificate of completion.

The final cost of the audit has not as yet been made public. In July the bill was £693,000 however the cost has increased signficantly since then.

It is also now undecided whether a public interest report into the 2017/18 financial year will go ahead. At the previous audit meeting in September KPMG chief auditor Andrew Cardoza said a public interest report would be prepared – at a financial cost to NCC – but at today’s meeting it Barry Scarr said KMPG was still considering whether to publish a public interest report.

The sign off means that new external auditors Ernst & Young can now get on with auditing the 18/19 accounts – which should have been signed off in September.

The company already has a backlog of audits across the country after being given a large government contract but not having enough staff to do the work.

Steve Young said the plan for the 18/19 accounts was to firstly focus on the pensions accounts as this had an impact on the county’s district and borough council’s being able to sign off their accounts. He told the audit committee: “It is highly unrealistic that you will be on track to get accounts signed off by July.”

Asked by audit committee member Cllr Cecille Irving Swift if NCC could be put to the front of the queue because of its unique situation Mr Clark said that could not happen and the contract was to deliver a quality audit rather than an audit on time. He said by February his team would have a detailed timeline and a good idea of the key issues.

A man who was ordered by a court to stop contacting an actress he dated for a couple of months has ended up behind bars after phoning her just days after being convicted of harassment.

Jason Clare, formerly of Daventry but now in prison, bombarded Jennifer Etherington, 23, with drunken emails and voicemails after she ended their brief liaison last November. He was also caught drink driving on his way to her house in April.

At a previous court hearing, magistrates heard how the break-up had sent him into a spiral of depression. Despite being warned by police to stop contacting the victim, he continued and was charged with harassment without violence. He appeared in court in London in August and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 30 days' rehab and 120 hours of community service. He was also given a five year restraining order.

Following that verdict, Ms Etherington told the Evening Standard that the harassment had been a 'constant nightmare' that had stalled her career but that she hoped that she could put the ordeal behind her. She had been forced to delete all her social media accounts and said that ordeal had been 'exhausting.'

However, Clare, 27, waited just four days after the sentencing before again beginning another period of harassment.

He admitted being in breach of the restraining order at a magistrates' court hearing and appeared before Northampton Crown Court today (Friday, November 29) to be sentenced.

Prosecuting, Lynsey Knott said that Clare - who appeared from HMP Peterborough via videolink - had made contact again with the victim on August 17.

"He made contact with her through a work colleague of hers. He contacted her work place, leaving voice messages and contacted her agent," she said.

He left sexually aggressive voice mails for her and threatened to 'strangle her' and to 'kill her'.

He also phoned the police control room to tell them that Ms Etherington was 'in big trouble.'

Ms Knott continued: "On August 28 the defendant called for an ambulance to come to her home. The complainant wasn't even there when the ambulance arrived."

The court heard how he had also contacted the theatre where she was working.

Clare sobbed throughout the hearing while his mother sat in court.

Recorder David Mason QC said that he would delay sentencing because he wanted to see if the probation service could offer any assistance to Clare, warning him that he may well be facing an immediate custodial sentence.

Clare, who gave his address as a holiday park in the Vale of Glamorgan, will now be sentenced next month.

Saints flanker Tom Wood knows there will be 'extra spice, drama and intent' when Leicester Tigers come calling at Franklin's Gardens this afternoon.

The East Midlands derby is already a sell-out, with Saints having shifted every ticket available and Gardens hospitality booked to the brim.

It means there will be a traditionally special atmosphere awaiting Tigers, who currently sit second bottom of the Premiership.

Saints are at the other end of the standings, only behind table-toppers Bristol Bears on points difference.

And as a veteran of Saints-Tigers encounters, Wood, who scored the memorable winning try in the Premiership play-off semi-final in May 2014, knows exactly what to expect today.

"These East Midlands derbies always have that extra bit of spice, of drama, of intent," Wood said.

"Even though the Dorian West and (Richard) Cockerill axis has dissipated now, there are boys who have just been in epic battles and scalped one another in crucial moments and that rivalry always builds nicely during the week and adds an extra bit.

"I hear it's already a sell-out so the atmosphere and buzz around the club will just be awesome, as it always it."

Wood was rested for last Saturday's dramatic 35-32 Champions Cup victory at Benetton as Saints sought to keep players fresh for more huge matches in the coming weeks.

Following the tussle with Tigers, the black, green and gold face Leinster home and away in the Champions Cup.

They will also travel to Sale Sharks and host Gloucester before 2019 reaches its conclusion.

And Wood said: "We had a chat as a group about getting out of the habit of labelling every week the biggest week of our lives because that's what it feels like at the minute.

"If you turn up with the same message that it's a big week every week, that's true pretty much throughout the whole season.

"We've got Leinster back to back, Leicester at home and those games are just epic.

"You've got to rotate your squad, keep them motivated and fresh so they can perform at their best.

"But ultimately we've got to be desperate and to enjoy it. It's a privilege to be part of."

The black, green and gold cut local rivals Leicester Tigers to shreds, with All Blacks centre Matt Proctor scoring twice on his Premiership debut.

There were further tries from Api Ratuniyarawa, Tom Collins and Fraser Dingwall in a hugely dominant 36-13 success for Chris Boyd's confident side.

It sent the Gardens into delirium as the Saints supporters revelled in their team's ruthless showing, while enjoying the lack of a Leicester response.

Only a Guy Thompson try and eight points from the boot of George Ford gave Tigers anything to shout about as they endured more misery against Saints.

Chris Boyd's men have now won both East Midlands meetings this season and four in a row in all competitions.

And they did it in style at the Gardens on Saturday afternoon, with the likes of Rory Hutchinson, George Furbank, Taqele Naiyaravoro and James Grayson pulling Tigers apart at the seams.

Grayson was one of three changes at late notice prior to the game as Owen Franks, Courtney Lawes and Dan Biggar were forced to withdraw due to injury.

And it didn't get any better when the game started as full-back Furbank was forced off for a head injury assessment inside just four minutes.

After a scrappy opening 12 minutes, Tigers took the lead as Mike Haywood was punished in front of his own posts and George Ford did the rest.

Furbank was then able to return as Saints tried to turn the screw in the Tigers 22, and they scored an easy try as Cobus Reinach grabbed the ball from a scrum and sent Proctor over.

Grayson converted to make it 7-3 and Tigers soon lost wing Jonah Holmes to injury.

But Tigers bit back, winning penalty after penalty in Saints territory before flanker Thompson forced his way over.

Ford added the extras and his team were back in front at 10-7 up.

Saints were soon level through a Grayson penalty after a high tackle on rampaging prop Alex Waller, who had burst into the Tigers 22.

Leicester were looking to respond, but it was Saints who were to score their second try, and in some style.

Furbank and Hutchinson produced some brilliant handling and Proctor was on hand to spin and score in the corner.

Grayson converted from the touchline and he was soon bending another ball between the posts after another sensational Saints move that saw Hutchinson, Proctor and Naiyaravoro combine to send Ratuniyarawa over the line.

Saints were 24-10 up at the break, knowing one more try would bring them the bonus point.

But Tigers were first on the board after the restart, Ford landing a penalty after Alex Moon had been sin-binned for deliberately slapping the ball out of Leicester hands.

It didn't disrupt Saints' momentum though as Leicester continued to throw lineouts away, leading to Tom Wood pouncing before Reinach sent a superb pass out to Collins, who was waiting in acres of space to score his team's bonus-point try.

Grayson missed the conversion but Tigers were now really struggling to respond, failing to get any meaningful possession or territory.

And it was about to get even better for Saints as Dingwall finished off another flowing move, just seconds after he had replaced Proctor.

The Saints fans were loving every second of the East Midlands massacre, with chants ranging from 'who the **** are Leicester Tigers?' to 'can we play you every week?'.

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure, and the agony, as the game reached its conclusion.

Tigers struggled to get out and eventually went home with their tails between their legs as Saints celebrated a hugely impressive success.

Saints: Furbank (Tuala 66); Collins, Proctor (Dingwall 70), Hutchinson, Naiyaravoro; Grayson, Reinach (J Mitchell 72); Waller (cc) (Van Wyk 65), Haywood (van Vuuren 70), Painter (Hill 65); Moon, Ratuniyarawa (Coles 68); Wood (Gibson 68), Ludlam, Harrison (cc).

Leicester Tigers: Worth; May, Tuilagi, Taute, Holmes (Forsyth 19); Ford, B Youngs (White 68); Genge (Gigena 68), T Youngs (c) (Kerr 48), Cole (Leatigaga 68); Lavanini, Green; Wells, Thompson, Kalamafoni (Coghlan 58).

Referee: Matthew Carley

Chris Boyd hailed Saints' stand-in stars after the 36-13 derby-day demolition of Leicester Tigers.

Boyd was forced to make three late changes before kick-off at Franklin's Gardens as Owen Franks, Courtney Lawes and Dan Biggar withdrew due to injury.

Franks had a thumb injury, Lawes could not shrug off the hamstring problem that had seen him miss last week's win in Italy, while Biggar was struggling with a swollen foot.

It meant Ehren Painter, Api Ratuniyarawa and James Grayson came in to face the Tigers in the Gallagher Premiership battle.

And all three excelled as Saints secured a bonus-point Saturday afternoon success against their local rivals.

"We lost 260 international caps to injury, but Alex Moon came of age in the second row - he was outstanding," Boyd said.

"Ehren Painter continued to make great progress and put in a good effort in the scrum.

"Jimmy Grayson got flogged by the trainers yesterday afternoon then got a call this morning to say Biggs had woken up with a bad foot and he might have to jump in the game, and for him to come in that late and run the ship was a fantastic effort.

"Great credit to our young guys.

"I actually think it was a bonus (to make those changes) because it was a real opportunity for us as a Northampton Saints team missing some really key players so see if we were good enough to do the job.

"The question was about whether we could step up and do the job, and the guys did that today."

Saints scored five tries in all, with New Zealand centre Matt Proctor claiming a double on his Premiership debut.

Api Ratuniyarawa, Tom Collins and Fraser Dingwall also dotted down.

And Boyd added: "We won and got five points, and we played better in more patches than we did badly.

"To get a win for our supporters at home makes it a pretty good day.

"I'm happy."

It's said that Christmas is a time to be thankful - and Christmas certainly came early for Saints supporters at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

For carols, see 'can we play you every week?' and 'who the **** are Leicester Tigers?'.

For wise men, see the Saints coaching team who masterminded a comprehensive success against their club's local rivals.

For gifts, see the Tigers lineout and the five tries the home side scored that condemned their old foes to a huge defeat.

And for the Messiah, see any one of Saints' young stars who once again displayed their omnipotence.

From George Furbank at full-back to Rory Hutchinson at centre and James Grayson at fly-half - Saints' Academy products shone.

Leicester's England World Cup players were no match for their youthful but formidable opposite numbers.

Once again, the value of a top management team was displayed in emphatic fashion.

Because here were two clubs who found themselves in very similar situations in the year of 2017.

In January 2017, Tigers dispensed with the services of long-serving boss Richard Cockerill.

And in December 2017, Saints said goodbye to Cockerill's regular sparring partner, Jim Mallinder.

Both had overseen hugely successful eras in the East Midlands, but both had taken their clubs as far as they could.

It was time for a new direction at Welford Road and at Franklin's Gardens.

And as they dismissed Cockerill almost a full 12 months before Saints parted company with Mallinder, you would think Tigers would now be ahead on their journey.

But the club from up the M1 have found the path back to the winning habit tricky and have not been able to come up with a formula that has worked.

They have gone from Aaron Mauger to Matt O'Connor and now to Geordan Murphy, who was appointed despite the club being on an eight-match losing streak at the time.

Saints, meanwhile, showed patience, considered their options and rode out the storm.

Much of the credit for that goes to the board and to Alan Dickens and Alan Gaffney, who teamed up after Mallinder's departure and steered the club to safety.

Chris Boyd arrived the following summer and has put a coaching team together that has developed a clear identity.

It took time to come to the fore, as it was always going to.

But during the second half of last season, Saints fans started to see what it was all about.

And with a first full summer under his belt at the Gardens, Boyd has continued to build.

Saints have not only conjured up style but they have substance and, crucially, belief in their game plan.

While they whizzed around the park looking totally in sync for much of Saturday's game, Leicester looked lost.

They struggled to get out of their half during the second period and their set piece, particularly their lineout, faltered badly.

It was reminiscent of Saints before their ship was steadied.

But it also has to be said that no matter how disjointed a team is, it still takes a good one to show up their deficiencies.

Saints were not without their obstacles as they suffered what looked like three big blows before the game, with Owen Franks, Courtney Lawes and Dan Biggar all injured.

But such is the belief that Boyd and Co have instilled, every member of the squad feels confident that they can come in and do a job.

No matter the size of the game or the strength of the opposition, they are able to step up.

And the performance of talented young fly-half Grayson, who came in at very late notice for Dan Biggar, was a glowing example of that.

He pulled the strings with aplomb, once again showcasing his class.

He was part of a sensational team performance that left Saints supporters so thankful for what they have received during recent weeks and months.

So now, whatever happens in their final couple of league matches of 2019, Saints will still be top of the East Midlands tree when 2020 arrives.

Leicester Tigers boss Geordan Murphy admits Saints performed 'at a higher level' than his team at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Murphy saw his side slump to a 36-13 defeat as Saints ran riot, scoring five tries in a comprehensive home success.

Leicester had led on a couple of occasions early in the game, but they were eventually blown away.

Matt Proctor scored twice for Saints, with Api Ratuniyarawa, Tom Collins and Fraser Dingwall helping to deliver a bonus-point success.

It meant Saints went back to the top of the Gallagher Premiership, while Tigers are still languishing second bottom, only above Saracens due to the Allianz Park club's 35-point deduction for salary cap breaches.

And Murphy said: "We just didn't get our game going at any part of the day.

"I thought at 10-10 we had some opportunities in Saints territory and they defended stoically.

"We didn't attack as we'd have liked and we wasted some opportunities to build up some pressure.

"Fair play to Saints, when they were given chances they scored and everything stuck for them.

"We had an attacking lineout late in the first half at 17-10 down but they went up the other end of the field and scored.

"I felt we could claw it back, but it was a huge moment and it really took the wind out of our sails.

"We've got to learn the lessons and look at ourselves.

"Saints were a better team than us, they performed at a higher level and were the better team. You can't hide from that.

"We need to look at our training schedule because we were a bit flat, their physicality was a lot better than ours and they really stopped us on the gainline.

"They looked good, but credit to our boys for sticking at it.

"We started to chase and they just kept turning us.

"We found ourselves trying to play from deep and they capitalised with a couple of late tries.

"We're always concerned and the easy thing to do is to say 'it's only five games', but our form needs to be better.

"We knew it would be difficult without our internationals and we came through that, so this result is particularly disappointing.

"A lot of things need to function for us and we have to take our medicine."

Here's how we rated the home players at Franklin's Gardens...

Among the lots going under the hammer with Humbert and Ellis Auctioneers in Towcester are seats 1C and 1D that were removed a year before the iconic aeroplane was decommissioned.

And Kylie Minogue, Lord Hansen, Michael Jackson and the 'People's Princess' used them, according to the written provenance from a former Concorde pilot.

Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said: "Concorde was an absolute design icon and as much effort went into interior styling as outside.

"These chairs represent a chance to own not only a true 20th century design icon but with a proven celebrity connection and an item that regularly travelled at 1350 miles an hour!’

The seats are estimated to sell for between £1,500 and £2,000 at the auction at 11am on Thursday (December 5).

An original hostess cabin trolley complete with interior trays, also estimated at £1,500-2,500 after one sold in 2002 for £5,000, is also up for sale, along with flight folders, manuals, a calendar and models.

Concorde was famous for having a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound, meaning it could fly from London to New York City in three hours.

The aircraft, operated by British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003, became synonymous with the rich and famous, with the Queen Mother among its VIP fans.

To view the lots ahead of the auction, click here.

It's time to vote for your Saints team of the decade.

From Soane Tonga'uiha to Samu Manoa, from Chris Ashton to Cobus Reinach - the men from Franklin's Gardens have had some special players during the past 10 years.

And now it's your chance to pick your favourite 15.

The only criteria is that every member of your team must have played in at least one competitive match between January 1, 2010 and the present day.

You have until December 31, 2019 to submit your best Saints side, and you can do so in a couple of ways.

You can tweet sports writer Tom Vickers (@wherestommyv) or send him an email via tom.vickers@jpimedia.co.uk to have your say.

The Saints team of the decade will be announced on our website on New Year's Day 2020.

So get thinking and sending!

He may not know the names of all of his team-mates yet, but the fans at Franklin's Gardens certainly know his now.

Matt Proctor enjoyed the dream Gallagher Premiership debut as a Saints player, scoring twice in a 36-13 derby-day success against Leicester Tigers last Saturday.

The All Blacks centre, who has one international cap to his name, was full of cut and thrust as he tore Tigers apart.

Proctor made nine carries, beat nine defenders and ran 142 metres in a stunning individual showing against his new club's old foes.

It was an incredible performance, especially when you consider he only arrived at Saints at the start of last month.

"He's a class player and he played really well," said Saints boss Chris Boyd, who has coached Proctor since the player's New Zealand Under-20s days.

"He got two tries but the work he does off the ball both defensively and offensively is excellent.

"He'll only get better as he settles in.

"He's played at home with the same guys for lots of years so everything's new for him here and he's still trying to remember everyone's names.

"But he's a good footballer."

For Proctor's part, it was clear how much the Gardens atmosphere spurred him on.

And the former Hurricanes star admits it was like little he has experienced before.

"Everyone's been telling me about this game since I arrived and it was an awesome atmosphere," Proctor said.

"The local support here is unbelievable and they definitely give the boys another gear so we're very thankful for that.

"It's definitely up there in terms of the games I've played.

"The stadiums back at home aren't quite the same because the fans aren't as passionate so it was definitely an awesome experience."

At 27, Proctor has his best years still ahead of him.

And he looks right at home alongside Saints' array of skillful backline stars.

"I was fortunate enough to be in positions where guys could set me up last Saturday," said Proctor, who made his debut a few weeks ago in the Champions Cup clash with Lyon.

"When we're going forward and when our backline is playing with the confidence we did last Saturday, it's good to be part of.

"We drill our skillset a lot in training and the players have bought into it big time.

"We like to throw the ball around and it's not too different to back home.

"It was a lot faster than I was expecting so I was pretty gassed, even going into half-time."

Proctor has now been victorious in each of his three matches as a Saints player.

But he knows that fine start will be tested to the maximum when Leinster come calling at the Gardens on Saturday.

"Leinster have got a rich history and I actually know a couple of the boys there so it will be good to see some familiar faces out there this week," he said.

If Proctor does get the nod again this week, Saints will hope for more heroics from their big summer signing.

The signs are certainly promising, especially as he is still acclimatising to life in Northampton.

"It does take time to learn, getting to know how players around you work and how you can run off them," said Proctor, who has moved into the former residence of Heinrich Brüssow.

"It's definitely a learning process but I'm enjoying it at the same time and that makes it a lot easier."

Some of these are outrageous! Did your name make the list?

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The incident happened at about 6.30pm in the evening when Jim Fleck was out walking his Jack Russell, called Josie, in Pattishall.

Unbeknown to the victim, he was then shoved from behind, as he was in Simon Walk, which caused him to fall and hit his face on the kerb.

Mr Fleck was unable to get up for over an hour and was left on the floor in the freezing cold until a neighbour, who happened to walk past, helped him and called the ambulance.

His granddaugher Keri said: "I was gobsmacked. I could not believe someone could do that to an elderly man who was vulnerable.

"It has shocked us all really. The main thing is he is okay but we are trying not to think about how it could affect him in the future.

"My pap hasn’t a clue why the attack happened, his wallet was in his back pocket of his trousers which his coat was covering. He thinks the attacker possibly got scared and left the scene quickly due to the severity of the fall."

Mr Fleck had to have his right eye socket and his chin glued and he sustained bad bruising down his back, and right leg.

He is now out of hospital and recovering at home.

Keri added: "He could hear someone behind him but obviously he was not concerned. He thought it was a jogger and he continued.

"As they approached he was shoved quite hard from behind which resulted in him falling to the floor quite hard and falling onto the kerb.

"He was not found for over an hour later. He remembers being able to lift his head and seeing someone walk off. We are not sure if he blacked out or what.

"The dog stayed with him the whole time trying to keep him warm by the sounds of it."

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman, said: “This was a cowardly, mindless attack in which the perpetrator attacked this gentleman from behind.

“Unfortunately we do not have a description of the offender but if anyone witnessed the attack or noticed anything suspicious in the Pattishall area between 6pm and 8pm on Saturday, November 30, we would encourage them to come forward with their information.”