Veteran Saints must earn their shirts says Vesty

SAM Vesty insists youth will be given a chance at Northampton and says there are no sacred cows as far as far as selection is concerned.

Saints’ recent academy throughput has been disappointing. However, prop Ehren Painter was blooded at the end of last season and new boss Chris Boyd has stated his commitment to playing England U20s stars like James Grayson.

Centre Fraser Dingwall, prop Toby Trinder and flanker Lewis Ludlam are banging on the door and backs coach Vesty is determined to give them their heads.

Vesty, newly arrived from Worcester, told The

Rugby Paper: “It’s exciting to see what a lot of our guys did with the U20s and there are good youngsters at this club. We are going to back these boys and give them all the support we can.

“We’ve inherited a really competitive squad and everything’s up for grabs now with a new set of eyes coaching-wise. The gauntlet has been thrown down to the senior players and whether you’ve been at the club for ten or 12 years or you’re just coming out of school, it’s a fresh start for everyone and that breeds competitiveness.”

Vesty, meanwhile, is ready to stamp his own mark on Northampton as he looks to progress his coaching career. Having assisted England on their tour of Argentina in 2017, he makes no bones about where his ambitions lie.

He said: “If I was ever asked I’d love to coach my country, but at the moment I need as much coaching experience as possible.

“Northampton’s a big club with solid foundations and Chris Boyd wants to bring through a young, English coaching group. For the future that’s what lots of Premiership clubs should be doing and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Saints kick-off their season with a demanding trip to Gloucester before facing Harlequins and Saracens at home.

Vesty added: “This competition just gets stronger each year and if you ask people now, you’d struggle to name a top four. Our remit is to make players better and if we do that we’ll give ourselves a chance.”