Departing Lewis Ludlam says Investec Champions Cup is 'last-chance saloon' for silverware at Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints club captain Lewis Ludlam has cranked up the pressure on his side's Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against the Bulls on Saturday, saying "it's last-chance saloon" for the club to win silverware ahead of his expected move to French side Toulon in the summer.

Ludlam has led Northampton to the top of the Gallagher Premiership table in a fine season which also sees the club eyeing a spot in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final, a feat they have not achieved since they were finalists in 2011.

The flanker, who has made 25 appearances for England, will leave the club this summer alongside several other senior players, including Courtney Lawes and Alex Waller. Ludlam believes the departures could add fuel to their cup campaign.

"It's last-chance saloon," he told BBC Sport. "I grew up following football but when I started watching rugby, I saw Northampton competing for the Premiership and that was always the goal.

"I never thought I would be playing for England but watching Saints win the Premiership, I have been desperate for a slice ever since.

"The fact it is literally the last chance makes it that much more special to be able to send off those two club legends, and a few others who don't always get the plaudits, in the right way."

Ludlam is looking to lead Northampton to their first double since 2014, when they secured the Premiership title a week after lifting the Challenge Cup.

But the 28-year-old expects a tough physical battle from the Bulls, who sit third in the United Rugby Championship standings.

"Bulls are an unbelievably physical side," he said. "I might be a bit biased, but I think the game will be won or lost in the forwards.

"We need to match (their) physicality and go beyond or it will be a struggle to get a grip on the game."

Ludlam hailed his side's defensive improvements as one of the leading reasons for their successful season, heaping praise on head coach Sam Vesty.

"We are now keeping teams out for longer," he added. "Defensively, we have come a long way and we have developed parts of our game to stay in the contest for longer.

"Over the last four or five years, we have been a team who play really well with the ball, but when the conditions don't allow you to fall back on those fine skill executions, it can be a tough job.

"Sam's brilliance in coaching is telling us to play what is in front of us. There is always a way to move the ball into space. If that means to slightly dial up the risk factor, whether with ball in hand or by kicking, he is coaching us to make those decisions."

In a bumper weekend of Investec Champions Cup action on TNT Sports, Bordeaux host Harlequins before Leinster face Stade Rochelais prior to Northampton's clash with the Bulls on Saturday. Stade Toulousain host Exeter Chiefs in the sole Sunday match.

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