Going wide has been a big help, says Gloucester flanker Buxton

Peter Buxton is delighted Gloucester have reverted to a more unpredictable attacking game in recent weeks – even if he is not expecting their rediscovered style to bring him too many more tries.

Flanker Buxton averaged one try a season during his first five years at Gloucester, before failing to cross the whitewash at all last term.

But the 30-year-old celebrated a try double in last week's derby trouncing of Bristol, crossing twice inside 16 first-half minutes to send his side on their way to a 39-10 victory.

And the hard-working blindside believes Gloucester's recent resurgence after a sluggish start to the season has been down to their willingness to play a more open game.

"We just wanted to get back to playing with a little bit more width," said Buxton.

"I think we got a bit too narrow, possibly the forwards were a bit too keen to get the ball in hand, which led to us becoming a bit predictable to defend against.

"But we have gone back to playing with a bit more width in the last few weeks, and with that we can attack in different places, which has made us harder to read.

"I think that has opened things up a bit more for us and you are seeing people like Olly Morgan, Dave Lewis, Iain Balshaw, Mike Tindall, Anthony Allen and Ryan Lamb finding holes now, which they weren't doing before because we were so narrow.

"This is the way we want to play. You have to be fairly unpredictable in attack, because teams' defences are very good now."

As for his own try-scoring heroics, the Cheltenham-born forward was as surprised as anyone to find himself on the end of a couple of sweeping moves last Friday.

"It was a bit of a surprise and I was just lucky to get on the end of a few moves," said Buxton.

"I was just trying to read what was happening and was pretty lucky that two passes popped up for me.

"I suppose you've got to be in the right positions – and sometimes it goes to you, sometimes it goes to someone else."

The immediate plan for Buxton centres on team, rather than personal, glory – and building on Gloucester's excellent recent run when Northampton visit Kingsholm this afternoon.

"We have to build now," he said. "We're at a stage now where we have been happy with our last two performances – and that is where we want to be for the rest of the season.

"We can probably say we put a good 50-60 minutes in against Bristol last week – and we want to put a good 80 together going forward into Europe.

"Northampton will be difficult to break down, so the most important thing is to get any kind of win to keep the momentum going. If we can win and get a bonus point, that would be great, but first things first – and that is getting a win."

Full-back Olly Morgan has suffered tightness in his hamstring this week, so Iain Balshaw takes over the No 15 jersey with Lesley Vainikolo coming back into the side on the wing.

Up front, Italy duo Carlos Nieto and Marco Bortolami return following international duty, as does Scotland flanker Alasdair Strokosch.

Northampton recall Scotland duo Euan Murray and Scott Gray to their pack, while the back-line who caused so many problems for Bath in last weekend's 28-28 draw remains in tact.

Gloucester: I Balshaw; M Watkins, M Tindall (capt), A Allen, L Vainikolo; R Lamb, D Lewis; N Wood, O Azam, C Nieto, W James, M Bortolami, P Buxton, A Strokosch, L Narraway. Reps: S Lawson, A Dickinson, A Eustace, A Satala, R Lawson, O Barkley, W Walker.

Northampton: S Myler; C Ashton, B Reihana (capt), J Downey, P Diggin; C Spencer, B Foden; T Smith, J Gray, E Murray, I Fernandez Lobbe, C Day, M Easter, S Gray, R Wilson. Reps: P Shields, B Stewart, S Tonga'uiha, A Rae, M Hopley, L Dickson, N Mordt.