Courtney Lawes says title-chasing Northampton Saints have what it takes to become ‘best team in the world’

Courtney Lawes believes Northampton Saints have the potential to become “one of the best teams in the world” as they chase Gallagher Premiership glory for the first time in a decade.

The Saints were narrowly beaten 20-17 by Leinster in the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday, when a spirited fightback from 20-3 down set up an exciting finish.

Although Phil Dowson’s side failed to reach May’s final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, former England captain Lawes feels the experience of a big knockout game can help them become one of the top rugby teams on the planet.

“A lot of players have never played in front of anywhere near that amount of people,” Lawes told BBC Sport, reflecting on the 82,000-capacity crowd at Croke Park in Dublin.

“It takes time to be able to perform on a stage like that. It’s a great experience for the boys to get under their belt and to understand what it takes to win at the highest level.

“We proved [on Saturday] we have got what it takes to be one of the best teams in the world. It’s now up to us to push on, for me to push on until the end of the season and the boys beyond that.

“I am excited to see how far the boys can take it.”

The Saints are bidding to win the Premiership for the first time since 2014 and currently lead the standings after 16 games as the play-offs approach.

And the 35-year-old is eyeing silverware before he departs his boyhood club to join French side Brive at the end of the season.

Lawes hopes that the team can take the positives from their inspired European run to help them lift the Premiership title at Twickenham in June.

“It’s not doing the fancy stuff [in knockout games], it’s actually just doing the basics and getting your game on the pitch,” Lawes explained.

“Hopefully we can continue to learn and make sure we get it right for the end of the season.”

Northampton’s attention returns to the Premiership run-in where they face Gloucester Rugby on Saturday, May 11 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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