'The Departed' - The talented Northampton Saints XV that are set to leave the club
To say there has been a major clearout at Northampton Saints would be an understatement.
On Friday night Northampton Saints confirmed that the latest two players – Jamie Elliott and Michael Paterson – will both leave the Club at the end of the season. The duo brings to 17 the number of players that are leaving the club by the end of what has been a problematic season for the club.
The mass clearout comes as the club clear the decks for the arrival of Chris Boyd.
The current Hurricanes coach who will bring with him a number of high profile signings from Super Rugby, with the signings of Taqele Naiyaravoro, Will Davis, Ben Franks and Dom Barrow for the 2018/19 campaign already confirmed for next season.
Continue reading below…
Here’s a composite XV made up of players that are set to leave the club by the end of this season.
15 Ben Foden
Foden made a total of 250 appearances for the club and in total played 34 times for the England scoring seven tries, including two during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Has been linked to a move to the MLR.
14 George North
While the end of his career at Saints was marred by controversy and the fans attitude to the Welsh phenom has soured somewhat, there’s no denying thd firepower he brought when fit and in form.
13 Rob Horne
Tragically Rob Horne’s career has been cut short after suffering what has been described as a life-changing injury to his right arm. The hard-hitting outside centre won 34 caps for the Wallabies, representing Australia in two Rugby World Cups and against the British and Irish Lions in 2013 before coming to Franklin Gardens in 2017.
The 23-year-old Stephenson made over 50 appearances in Black, Green and Gold since coming through the Club’s Academy. Injuries then limited his chances to impress at Franklin’s Gardens, although he returned to first-team action earlier this season and has turned out 13 times since for Saints.
11 Jamie Elliot
In eight seasons at Franklin’s Gardens, Bedford-born Elliott racked up 115 appearances in total after making his Saints debut as an 18-year-old. The 25-year-old scored 34 tries for the Club in total and helped Saints to a sensational Premiership and European Challenge Cup double in 2014, but injuries have restricted his playing opportunities since midway through last season.
10 Stephen Myler
The fly-half made his debut for Saints in 2006, having switched codes from rugby league to union earlier that year. Myler then played a huge role in Saints’ return to the Aviva Premiership in the 2007/08 season, with Northampton recording a 100 per cent winning record in the RFU Championship.
9 Nic Groom
The 28-year-old No.9 arrived at Franklin’s Gardens in 2016 and quickly established himself in Saints’ starting line-up, making 51 appearances in the Black, Green and Gold jersey in total and scoring seven tries.
1 Campese Ma’afu
The 33-year-old has made 35 appearances for Saints having joined from French side Provence in 2016. Fiji international Ma’afu followed in his brother Salesi’s footsteps to join the Club and made his Saints debut against Harlequins three seasons ago.
2 Charlie Clare
Joining Saints at the beginning of the 2016/17 season after stints with Leicester Tigers’ Academy, Nottingham, Loughborough Students, Jersey and Bedford Blues, 26-year-old hooker Clare has made 18 appearances in a Northampton shirt since making his debut against Bath Rugby.
3 Kieran Brookes
Yet to be confirmed as a Wasp, Brookes, 27, arrived at Franklin’s Gardens back in 2015 and has made 71 appearances in Black, Green and Gold to date. The powerful tighthead won six of his 16 England caps as a Saint.
4 Christian Day
The retiring 34-year-old secondrow has been a part of the furniture at Franklin’s Gardens since 2008, winning a plethora of silverware in his time at the Club – including an Anglo-Welsh Cup, two European Challenge Cups, and the Aviva Premiership title.
5 Michael Patterson
The Kiwi-born lock brought a raft of experience to Northampton’s second row. He notched up a half-century of appearances in Black, Green and Gold earlier this season against Ospreys, and ends his time at Franklin’s Gardens with 60 appearances to his name.
6 Ben Nutley
Back-row Nutley made his first-team Saints debut back in 2010, before breaking into the side during the 2011/12 season. He made 80 appearances for the club as well as helping Northampton to a league and European Challenge Cup double in 2014, Nutley has also starred for the Wanderers in recent seasons.
7 Will Allman
The modestly sized 6’1, 91kg backrow never made a first-team appearance for Saints but featured for the Wanderers, although injury ultimately limited his opportunities to make a case for his talents.
8 Jordan Onojaife
Normally a lock, we’ve picked the 6’5, Onojaife, 22, at No.8. Onojaife joined Saints Academy in 2011, and went on to feature for both England’s Under-18s and Under-20s before making his senior debut in Black, Green and Gold in 2015.
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
22 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
22 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
22 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
22 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to comments