Aviva Premiership
Hartley calls on side to 'start big'
ESPN Staff
July 23, 2012
Northampton Saints captain Dylan Hartley holds the Heineken Cup, Heineken Cup launch, Twickenham, London, England, October 31, 2011
Dylan Hartley wants his side to be lifting silverware at the end of the season © Getty Images
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Northampton Saints hooker Dylan Hartley has called on his side to "start big" next season.

The Saints have toyed with the top four of the Aviva Premiership over the past couple of seasons but have failed to progress to the final at Twickenham. They also suffered Heineken Cup final heartbreak back in 2011 when they pushed Leinster close but Hartley admits it is time that they stopped wondering 'what if?' and instead lift some silverware.

Hartley missed the end of last season due to suspension but has called on the team's senior players to lead from the front at the start of the new campaign. "Three years now we've made the play-offs and we've never really gone on and done anything else," Hartley told Northants Telegraph. "I've spoken to a lot of the senior boys: Lee Dickson, Phil Dowson, Calum Clark - saying this is the year we really want to hammer it home. We've sat down and said this is the year we want to really push for it.

"We'll start big. We need to start big, don't we? Because if you look at the business end it's a long way away and you need to do the little things. "It's about winning each game each week similar to what Harlequins did. I don't think they said 'we want to win this many games' they would have just gone out that weekend and done it.

"It's all about preparing for Gloucester away and Exeter at home and I'm certainly looking forward to it."

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