Lee Dickson hopes his form for Northampton Saints can help him force his way into Six Nations contention with England.

The scrum-half has not featured for England since June, having fallen behind Ben Youngs and Richard Wigglesworth in Stuart Lancaster's pecking order. 

Lancaster has omitted the 29-year-old from his Six Nations' squads for England's opening three matches. 

"I spoke to the England staff a couple of times. They're happy with how I'm playing - they think I'm playing very well," Dickson told BBC Radio Northampton.

"For reasons that they have, they've gone for Ben Youngs and Richard Wigglesworth.

"I have to take that on the chin and adapt and react to that.

"I want them to do well. I'm English, I'm patriotic. And I'm desperate to get into that set-up.

"All I can do is keep playing well for Saints, keep us at the top of the league and hopefully the goal will come soon."