Langdon is quick to make his point
NORTHAMPTON have placed an emphasis this season on putting pace in the legs of their players and that suits Curtis Langdon, a hooker in a hurry.
The 26-year old was one of dozens of players caught up in last season’s Premiership upheaval when Worcester folded months after he had joined from Sale.
He secured a short-term deal with Montpellier but was determined to return to England and add to the two England caps he won against the USA and Canada in the summer of 2021. When Northampton made their move, Langdon needed no persuading.
“I took a lot from my time in France where the set-piece is massive,” he said. “I like to think my scrum and lineout are better for it, but I have improved again because of the quality of the coaching team at Northampton.
“When I joined there were parts of my game they and I wanted to work on and and Sam Vesty in attack, Lee Radford in defence and Matt Ferguson with the set-pieces are a big reason why we are playing really good rugby this year.”
Northampton lead the Premiership with a home clash with Gloucester and a trip to Bath to complete the regular season and next Saturday they are at Croke Park in Dublin taking on Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final.
“We believe in ourselves here and feel we have the quality to go on and win things,” said Langdon. “When we were away to Munster, down to 14 men and behind on scoreboard, we felt we could get job done at a top side and we did. We need to keep the momentum going if we are serious about winning trophies.”
Langdon knew he was not going to be an automatic starter at Northampton with Fiji international Sam Matavesi and Robbie Smith on the books at Franklin’s Gardens, but he had a run of games at the start when the World Cup was being played and made an immediate impression.
“Curtis has been brilliant,” said Phil Dowson, Northampton’s director of rugby. “Steve Diamond values certain things in a rugby player and took him to Sale and Worcester.
“When I asked him why, he said that Dimes knew he trained hard, was physical, loved playing, was competitive and wanted to get better. That answer made up my mind and he has contributed massively this season.
“He is as mad as a box of frogs, but he listens and gets on with it. He and Sam are real energy-givers in the group, putting themselves front and centre and attracting a lot of derision from the boys. They are ultra competitive and get stuck into everything.”
Northampton like to play at a high tempo with scrum-half Alex Mitchell the catalyst, but they showed again in last weekend’s East Midlands derby how quick they are with ball in hand and Langdon set them on their way with a try from 35 yards that saw him outpace three backs.
“I have beaten my personal bests in five and 10-metre sprints several times this season,” said Langdon. “It is another area where my game has come on at Northampton and I like to think I have become a bit quicker. The depth we have at hooker means we are all pushing each other.”
Langdon has yet to be called up by the current England management, but scrum coach Tom Harrison has been in contact so he is being talked about ahead of the summer Tests against Japan and New Zealand.
“I would be lying if I said England was not a goal of mine,” said Langdon. “I do not want just two appearances against the United States and Canada. To get another opportunity would be brilliant, but my focus is on playing well for Saints every week and getting another shot with England on the back of that.
“After my games in 2021, I sat down with Eddie Jones (then England’s head coach) before I left camp and he said he wanted me to be first choice at my club.
“I was very much second choice at Sale, only really starting when Akker van der Merwe was injured. I went to Worcester because I wanted to start every week because that was vital to achieving the goals I had set myself.
“I knew Steve Diamond well and what he expected from his players, but it sadly did not last very long. We were getting paid late, but none of us thought it possible that a Premiership club that owned its own stadium would go into liquidation and it would be game over.
“I was fortunate not to be tied into a long-term tenancy agreement on my flat. Some were and did not secure jobs for a long time afterwards. We have stayed in touch as a group and everyone is doing pretty well now, but it was a stressful time for everyone who was involved.”
A theme of Langdon’s career, which started at London Irish when he was 15, has been his desire to gain experience through playing. He spent loan periods in the National Leagues with Henley Hawks, Macclesfield, Doncaster, Sale FC and Fylde rather than sit on a bench or hold tackle bags.
“I learned some hard lessons,” he said. “I remember coming off the bench in my first appearance for Henley and trying to run over their second row who drove me back 10 metres.
“As a young front rower, it was a tough experience. These clubs often have an old boy who has been there for 10 years and made some 300 appearances so you are not going to be picked ahead of him. You have to make the most of your minutes off the bench.
“You learn a lot through training at that level, but if you are not playing it is hard to progress. That was why I left Sale, but coming back from France was because of wanting to add to my two England caps.
“It has gone incredibly well at Northampton so far. I consider this to be one of the best seasons I have had,” added Langdon, who has carried the ball, made more line breaks and off-loads and beaten more defenders than any other hooker in the Premiership this season.