Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder has told his players to ignore the expectation around them this season.

The Saints have been tipped to challenge for the Aviva Premiership title following the signings of George North, Alex Corbisiero and Kahn Fotuali'i.

"The expectation is out there. It's down to us to perform on the field," Mallinder told BBC Sport. "The hype and anything external is nothing we can work on. We've got to concentrate on our performance."

Northampton start their league campaign at home to Exeter Chiefs later today.