Real champions keep winning - Northampton's Freeman

Northampton and England helping Tommy Freeman hopes past season's Premiership title tin beryllium nan commencement of an era of power for nan club.

Saints beat Bath 25-21 astatine Twickenham successful June to beryllium crowned English champions for nan first clip successful 10 years.

And they will commencement nan caller run pinch an distant crippled against nan aforesaid opponents connected Friday, 20 September without a number of cardinal players who person moved to caller clubs aliases retired.

"It's each bully doing it once, but existent champions do it backmost to backmost and they support winning," Freeman told BBC Radio Northampton.

"Saracens were a bully illustration of winning Europe, winning aggregate Premierships, we'll decidedly beryllium looking to do that.

"We did very good successful Europe past twelvemonth and hopefully we tin push connected to a last and springiness ourselves a chance there."

Northampton reached nan semi-finals of nan European Champions Cup past play earlier losing to Leinster.

It is 24 years since they were European champions and 10 since their past European success, erstwhile they won nan 2014 Challenge Cup.

"Like we said past year, it's astir (putting) our crippled connected nan pitch, sloppy of who we're playing, if we instrumentality to nan strengths we cognize we've got, we're evidently rather reliable to play against and a reliable squad to beat," said Freeman.

Following Lewis Ludlam's departure, full-back George Furbank has been confirmed arsenic Northampton's caller nine captain, having led nan squad to 12 wins from 12 matches truthful far.

"There were a fewer boys successful contention to beryllium skipper this play but erstwhile Dows [director of rugby Phil Dowson] told me, I was buzzing and truthful excited to show my family arsenic I knew really proud they were going to be," Furbank said.

"Last season, I had Courtney [Lawes], Luds and Sue [Alex Waller], who was nine skipper erstwhile I first collapsed into nan first team, to thin on. They were each unthinkable leaders successful their ain measurement and I learned a batch from them.

"But I’m fortunate that I tin dangle connected plentifulness of guys successful this squad excessively - nan likes of Fin Smith, Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Sam Graham and truthful connected – we’ve sewage a batch of leaders now successful this group."

How Saints header pinch nan nonaccomplishment of England backmost rows Lawes and Ludlam, positive Sam Matavesi, Alex Moon and brothers Alex and Ethan Waller, whitethorn find really successful nan caller play will be.

"Some large characters having left, it does consciousness a spot odd. I recovered retired I'm nan sixth astir capped (player) and I'm 23," added Freeman.

"It is simply a young squad but it's a quiet group that conscionable want to support going forward."