Set piece is the key, says Salesi Ma'afu, as Northampton Saints prepare for showdown against leaders Bath

Around Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton the feeling was clear: just a month
after hostilities began, the Premiership’s fixture list had already thrown
up the match of the season.

On Saturday afternoon, Northampton, the reigning
champions, entertain Bath, the heavily financed team of the moment, the club
top of the league table.




And, as his side practised their set-pieces on the stadium’s immaculately
manicured pitch earlier this week, Salesi Ma’afu, the home team’s tighthead
prop, was confident his colleagues knew how to defeat the league leaders.


“Put them on t…