Every game is a play-off game for us, says Odendaal

Returning South African powerhouse Burger Odendaal believes every Northampton Saints fixture in the run-in is a ‘play-off game’ as they bid to make a late surge into the Gallagher Premiership top four.

Following a two-month gap in league action, the men in Black, Green and Gold restart their title defence on Friday night with an East Midlands Derby at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off: 7.45pm).

Opponents Leicester Tigers currently occupy the fourth and final play-off spot, but a home win could that gap to just four points – with six more rounds to follow and 30 more points still to play for.

“The way the season has gone, it’s basically a play-off game every single weekend,” said Odendaal. “We spoke a lot this week about the opportunity we have.

“We’re going in as underdogs for the rest of the season, no matter who we’re playing against, and that can make us dangerous as well.

“The boys are really excited to get going and we know where we want to end up, but at the moment we just have to take it game by game.”

Odendaal is contention for his first Premiership outing since the 2023/24 final in June at Allianz Stadium, when he suffered a major knee injury early into the second half of the victory over Bath.

A period of nearly nine months of rehabilitation followed before Odendaal made his return to action as a replacement in the Premiership Rugby Cup quarter-final loss to Ealing Trailfinders last time out. 

“It’s been a really long time and I’m just so excited to be back,” he said.

“I was happy to get 25 minutes against Ealing. The worst thing was that we lost that game and didn't have another game the following weekend because I just want to get match fit and play as much as possible. I’m so grateful to be back and luckily I can put it behind me now.”

Odendaal arrived at Saints in the summer of 2023 while recovering from an injury and did not make his debut until late December. He went on to play a key role in the run in, featuring in 11 of Saints’ final 13 regular season and play-off games.

His team-mates are hopeful history repeats itself and Saints prosper with the hard-hitting centre at their disposal for the crunch games at the back end of a season once more.

“The boys are already giving me stick of just playing the big games because I missed the first part of the season last year as well,” said Odendaal, who has yet to play in an East Midlands Derby.

“I got my first game of last season on December 31 so hopefully I can get another good run-in this time and stay fit.”