Trophy success is priority for one-club man Myler
STEPHEN Myler insists personal milestones are way down his priority list as he battles to lift Northampton back to the forefront of European rugby.
Fly-half Myler’s 15 points against Bath last weekend took him to 2,500 for Saints, meaning he is just 60 behind the British and Irish points scoring record for one team set by Ronan O’Gara, below.
In England, only Richie Baxter (Exeter) and Geordan Murphy (Leicester) have played more games for a single top-flight team during the professional era.
However, Myler would happily swap records for wins if it means more silverware. He said: “To be mentioned in the same company as those players is great and it’s nice to have those milestones – 300 games, 2,500 points – but it’s always been ‘team first’ for me and the bigger goal is winning trophies. “We haven’t played as well as we can and it’s been a struggle for us in Europe since we reached the Heineken Cup final in 2011. “We’ve not been good enough and our games against Leinster this season showed the level we need to be at. We showed in patches that we’re capable of competing, beating Castres and Montpellier, but we need to be back up there.
“But we’re still in the Premiership mix and are not too far off the top four. If we play as well as we can we are a match for any team.”
Saints are hunting a new No.10 to replace JJ Hanrahan, who joins Munster next season, but durable Myler, 32, welcomes any fresh challenge ahead.
He said: “I’m still hungry and I want to help this team achieve the success I think it can push for. My mindset is exactly the same as when I arrived in 2006; I want to keep improving as a player and help us win silverware.”
Another facet of Myler’s responsibility now is to bring through the club’s new generation. He explained: “There’s a good group of young players coming through – like Harry Mallinder, Rory Hutchinson and Lewis Ludlam – and part of my job is to help them develop, especially Harry playing outside me.
“Harry’s had a frustrating time with injuries but he’s got a good skill-set, he’s a big lad and he’s hungry, so with the right coaching and leadership from senior players like me he can be a big part of this team for years to come.”