Frontrow pairing commit future to Saints
Northampton Saints have confirmed that front-row duo Paul Hill and Reece Marshall have put pen to paper on contract extensions with the Club.
The pair have notched up 117 appearances in Black, Green and Gold between them, and are both enjoying an excellent 2018/19 season so far having featured regularly for Chris Boyd’s side.
Tighthead prop Hill has already experienced rugby at the very highest level at just 23 years old, having earned five England caps to date. Hill has signed despite the arrival next season of All Blacks tighthead Owen Franks.
Arriving at Franklin’s Gardens from Yorkshire Carnegie in 2015, Hill had already represented his country at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-20 level – claiming the Junior World Championship title with the latter in 2014.
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But after making his Premiership debut in his first full season as a Saint, the abrasive ball-carrier was called into Eddie Jones’ England squad for the 2016 Six Nations and also toured Australia with the Red Rose that summer.
And Hill is relishing the prospect of pushing on towards becoming a Northampton centurion, with 78 senior appearances to his name to date.
“I’m really happy to have signed a new contract with Saints,” said Hill. “I’m as determined as ever to work hard, keep on improving, and to play as regularly as I can.
“We have plenty of competition to play throughout the squad and the front row is no different; everyone is trying to get better every day and I’m positive this is the best possible environment for me to grow as a player.”
Meanwhile 24-year-old hooker Marshall initially joined the Club in 2013 after progressing through the Saints Academy and marked his Premiership debut during the 2017/18 campaign with a try against Saracens.
He has scored three tries in 14 appearances so far this term in all competitions, and is hoping to continue his progress in Black, Green and Gold.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be staying here for at least the next two years,” said Marshall. “I had a tricky start to this season with injury but it’s been amazing to come back from that with the help of everyone at Saints, get opportunities to play and be a part of all the progress we are making here on the field.
“The staff at the club are top class, while the whole squad is really starting to gel now and show the potential we clearly have here.
“The prospect of being involved in that over the next couple of years is really exciting and I can’t wait to grow as a player and a person, while giving my all to the Club.”
Both Hill and Marshall were selected by Chris Boyd to start last weekend’s 27-26 triumph over Bath Rugby, and Saints’ director of rugby has been impressed with their progress so far this season.
“Paul and Reece have both really bought into what we’re trying to achieve on the field,” said Boyd.
“They are two very impressive young men; they have an excellent attitude, are always looking to improve and want to fight for their place in the side.
“It’s really important to keep good young guys like this around the environment, so I’m delighted they are staying on at Saints.”
Comments on RugbyPass
late hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
4 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 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.
24 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.
24 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 🤐
24 Go to comments