Leicester travel to Northampton to see if they can be the first Premiership side to win at Franklin's Gardens since March 2007.

While Northampton have struggled away from home, they are a different side in front of their home supporters, and a derby win over Leicester will be very welcome in their first year back in the Guinness Premiership.

Jon Clarke scores for Northampton

Last weekend Leicester had to go really deep to get a result against a Bath side who were guilty of not finishing the game off.

However Miles Harrison believes that the Tigers cannot rely on guts alone if they want to triumph in this fierce rivalry.

Leicester had a good win against Bath last weekend but is there something missing from the Tigers?

MILES REPLIES: I agree with that. What was good for them is that they managed to turn that game around and it was almost a mirror image of what happened at Twickenham on the 27th. Leicester were ahead against Harlequins and blew it; last weekend Bath were in front against Leicester and blew it. Leicester will be honest with themselves and say it was a gutsy performance and that they showed great character, but there was the element of Bath throwing it away, just as there was an element of Leicester throwing it away against Quins.

Despite the digging deep from Leicester I think anyone who saw it would agree that Leicester are not firing at the moment. If they want to go on and win trophies this season then they have to play better than that although the positive is that they did show that great character and they can certainly build on that.

Sticking with Leicester Miles, is one of their problems that they are not sure what style of rugby they want to play?

MILES REPLIES: They are a very talented squad with a lot of depth in all positions. Sometimes when you have a lot of really good players finding the right blends and the right combinations is challenging.

There are some teams in the Premiership who know exactly how they want to play but at the moment with Leicester that is not entirely obvious. That needn't be a bad thing as it gives a feeling of unpredictability but you are relying on everything coming together and creating that one fantastic mix - which is not guaranteed on match day. If I had to put my finger on it, well at times it is hard to see that cutting edge and the ability to pounce on good quality ball and deliver the scores that that kind of ball deserves. That is something they have to work if they want to challenge for trophies.

Talking about those trophies, this is the sort of game that Leicester have to win if they want that silverware isn't it?

MILES REPLIES: Absolutely. But they will be targeting it anyway because it is a derby. This is a key game for both sides regardless of their position in the table. From a Northampton perspective it is the one game that when they were away from the top flight they would have missed more than any other. I don't think people outside the area realise how much this game means. It is not as obvious a local rivalry as the trio of Gloucester, Bristol and Bath but I tell you it means an awful lot to people in Northampton and Leicester. Leicester will want to be the first side in the Premiership to win at Northampton this season which is an immense task in itself but also because of what it means locally. The result of targeting and winning a game like this is almost immeasurable in what it can do for a squad so it is a very important game for Leicester.

You mentioned Northampton's impressive home record, Miles, and they are certainly not going to give that up easily especially to their old enemies Leicester.

MILES REPLIES: Well I am not sure what Jim Mallinder said to them at the beginning of the season but if he did say we need to target the home games I think they have taken him a little too literally because they don't seem to be doing anything on the road! Not for the want of trying I am sure, but let's deal with the good side first. It is a very, very impressive home record, the type of record that is making Franklin's Gardens a place for any team in the league to think twice about going there. This is going to be one of the most difficult matches of the season for any Premiership side. That is a tremendous thing to achieve so soon after their return to the top flight. They play very well at Franklin's Gardens , last week we saw that against Bristol with the Ben Foden, Paul Diggin and Jon Clarke tries.

Clarke is back for them as well and I think that has been a major key. He is a really good player and he was so unlucky when he had that injury because he was going to be looked at by England in quite a serious way in a position that has been quite a problem for England. If Clarke continues in this vein of form then I don't think it will be long before we see him back in the England picture. These are good stories for Northampton all emanating from what happens at home. I think we will leave their away trails and tribulations for another day.

So Miles do you think the home advantage will swing it for Northampton then?

MILES REPLIES: Well, that is the line I have been taking of late in these close games and it seems to be working. I cannot remember a mid-season like it in the GP. It has been quite incredible to witness the likes of Bath v Sale, Harlequins v Leicester, Leicester v Bath - they have all gone to the final play of the game. To get that mid-season makes you wonder what is going to happen at the end of the season when there are trophies on the line. It is great for the support and great for the Premiership. In each of the examples the home side have triumphed - I know the Quins v Leicester game was a draw, but it did feel like a Quins draw at the end. So working on that basis and in view of what Northampton have done at home this season that is the way I will probably sway this weekend. Surely not another cliff hanger, but let's hope so.

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