North relishing Leinster double

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Northampton winger George North believes his side's Heineken Cup clash with Leinster on Saturday will be on a par with Test rugby.

Northampton Saints winger George North believes his side's Heineken Cup clash with Leinster on Saturday will be on a par with Test rugby.

North bagged a brace of tries a week ago as Wales fell to a narrow 30-26 defeat to the Wallabies at the Millenium Stadium.

Now back in club colours, the giant wing is aiming to hit back with a bang as the much-vaunted Dublin side arrive at Franklin's Gardens.

And North believes playing in a match of such quality last weekend has stood him in good stead for taking on the talented Irish outfit.

“The Heineken Cup is a massive tournament and for those of us who have been playing international rugby this past month it will be a case of merely stepping across,” North told the Daventry Express.

“It won't be a step down in standard in any way.

“For those players who have been keeping Saints going so well in the Premiership and LV= Cup while we've been away on Test duty it will be a step up in standard.

“But these are the games that everyone looks forward to.”

The fixture is the first of a Heineken Cup double-header between the two sides, with Saints traveling to Dublin a week later.

It's a city in which North has enjoyed a measure of success in the red of Wales, grabbing a five-pointer as his side overcame Ireland 23-21 in the Six Nations back in February 2012.

“With Wales it has been a happy hunting ground for me, but this will be a different challenge,” added North.

“I'm sure it will be a very good atmosphere there and it's going to be another massive rugby occasion.”