Northampton Saints flyer Ken Pisi is expecting a confrontational battle against Sale Sharks this weekend, with former forwards coach Dorian West returning to the club for the first time.

West spent 11 years coaching at Saints, winning a Premiership title and two Challenge Cups, but left the club my mutual consent at the end of last season amid rumours of disagreements with some players.

The former England hooker is now forwards coach at Sale, who sit four places and three points above Saints in the Gallagher Premiership table ahead of their visit to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.

Pisi commented: “The forwards have been doing their stuff, Phil Dowson has worked the them hard this week knowing full well that Dorian West is coming down with Sale Sharks!

“He used to be here of course and it’s going to be a big battle up front – I reckon the boys are going to be up for it!”

“I think we look back at our game against Sale earlier in the season (Sale won 18-13) and they really gave it to us up there. I think we’re just going to try and fix what we didn’t do right in that game.

“We’ve identified some threats they have as well, they’ve got some class players and we’ve really got to start well this time around and really just give it to them.”

The game marks the resumption of the Gallagher Premiership for the first time since the first week of January, when Saints lost out to Wasps.

Chris Boyd’s men attempt to build on a campaign of five wins in 12 matches so far and will be buoyed by reaching the Premiership Rugby Cup final thanks to the entertaining 59-33 victory over Newcastle on Saturday.

“It feels great to be in the Premiership Rugby Cup final because the club hasn’t been in a final for a little while now,” added Pisi, who was speaking at an event where Northampton Outlaws won an appearance from Saints by describing how their team embodies the spirit of rugby, both on and off the pitch, and helps grow game the locally; organized by Gallagher as part of its ‘Heroes of the Game’ campaign.

“We’ll take any final and it’s great for the morale of the boys. The game was a bit of a see-saw game, but the boys brought it back in the end and we’re so happy to be in the final.

“We’ve obviously got Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens in the final and they’ve beat us there the last couple of games so it’s time for us to pay them back.”

Ken Pisi was speaking at a Gallagher ‘Train with your Heroes’ session with Northampton Outlaws after they won a nationwide competition launched by Gallagher, a passionate community insurance broker and proud title partner of Premiership Rugby.