LONG READ 'Should Northampton Saints book another open-top bus? Probably not'

Hanging onto the Premiership trophy is going to be a tricky business for Northampton this season. In fact, recent history goes so far as to suggest it will be nigh-on impossible, with five different winners in the past five years.

The bullseye on the champions’ back is one factor at play. The instinctive relaxation that happens after reaching a goal is another. Specific to the Premiership though is the concertina effect of the league’s salary cap.

No club can stockpile all the best – and most expensive – players within the cap’s confines so talent ends up being spread around. There were 10 points – or two bonus-point wins – between the top seven clubs last season. When the scales are so finely balanced all it takes is some bad luck with an injury or two, or maybe a suspension and the best-laid plans go up in smoke. So going back-to-back in the Premiership is the devil’s own job.

Saracens were the last club to do it back in 2018-19 but that achievement was tarnished by the scandal from which they were relegated for cooking the books. Sarries were also charged with failing to cooperate with a salary cap investigation when they previously won successive titles in 2015 so there is an asterisk there too.

You have to scroll back to 2009-10 and Leicester’s second title under Richard Cockerill in a row for a ‘clean’ retention. It’s far from easy.

Leicester, in the Martin Johnson era, and Wasps when they were led by Lawrence Dallaglio, are the only other sides to have done it.

You look at the mindset of people within those groups and they had characters in there who were pretty bloody-minded and relentless, people who wanted to achieve greatness.

“There’s loads of variables but I think the sides that do that don’t generally over-celebrate their success and don’t spend ages talking about so that’s why we haven’t,” said Northampton’s director of rugby Phil Dowson.

“You look at the mindset of people within those groups and they had characters in there who were pretty bloody-minded and relentless, people who wanted to achieve greatness.

“That will be an interesting challenge to see if we have got some people within our group – and I include myself in that – who are willing to push that hard again.

“We have mentioned that we have given ourselves an opportunity to do what only three clubs have done.

“We’ve been pretty rigorous in leaving last year behind us and making sure we’re still hungry to achieve something again.”

Northampton are a very good side but a great one? We will see.

They have a slick backline that has become a conveyor belt for England. The likes of Fin Smith and Tommy Freeman, outstanding last season, will be a year older and a year better too.

But the pack has lost some very important cornerstones. Alex Waller has finally retired after four million games in the front row for the club, the combative Lewis Ludlam has departed for Toulon and, most importantly, Courtney Lawes has gone to Brive.

The shock element has gone now. Northampton come with advance warning. The Saints will be in the sightlines every weekend in the same way previous champions have been.

Lawes was a brilliant, brilliant player for Northampton but he was also the Saints’ life raft, the buoyancy aid the team needed when the waters were choppy. Who will they turn to now?

Northampton came from the blind side last season having finished fourth and been beaten comfortably in the semi-final the year before. Everyone knew they could attack but defensively they were soft touches. The Saints leaked more than four tries a game. But with the rearguard stiffened by the arrival of defence coach Lee Radford and an intensive pre-season to add bulk and power, they suddenly became a different proposition altogether.

The upshot, to many people’s surprise, was the title.

The shock element has gone now. Northampton come with advance warning. The Saints will be in the sightlines every weekend in the same way previous champions have been.

None of the last five winners fell off a cliff the season after lifting the trophy – all of them made the play-offs – but that extra push needed to become champions again was missing.

Arithmetically, Northampton have more chance than most of their predecessors given there are only nine other sides in the league this season. Realistically, Newcastle – even if they will be better than last season – are not going to be contenders so that makes eight. But those eight will be opponents to be reckoned with.

Leicester, under Michael Cheika, will not be the confused muddle they were last season while Gloucester have made one of the league’s best signings in Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams. There will be incoming fire from all directions.

The rise in the salary cap this season will also work against Saints.

The restraining effect of the previous £5m ceiling enabled them to be competitive at that level. Having spent their money wisely they were more than competitive. But they did not spend up to that cap level even then.

Now it has been raised to £6.4m, there is a danger they could be left behind by the biggest spenders. Northampton’s last financial results revealed a £1.1m loss for 2022-23 and they have no intention of overstretching themselves.

It will be a case of rowing uphill against the budgets of clubs such as Bath and Bristol bankrolled by ambitious, filthy rich owners.

“The league lost £40m last year,” said Dowson. “I think we’re the club that lost the least. That’s not a great record to have but at the same time we’re very fiscally responsible and we operate within our budget and we will continue to push as hard as we possibly can to get the best performances.”

In trying to replace totems such as Lawes, they have spent prudently. Australian Josh Kemeny looks a decent addition to the back row and if England Under-20s star Henry Pollock develops as the Saints hope, he could also help balance out the departures.

But it will be a case of rowing uphill against the budgets of clubs such as Bath and Bristol bankrolled by ambitious, filthy rich owners. Money cannot buy a league title but it sure does help.

It will take all of Dowson’s shrewd stewardship to pull this one off again. Even then Saints are going to need a few breaks.

The scenes at the open-top bus tour through Northampton which followed the Twickenham win over Bath showed how much success meant to the town.

Should they pre-book the same vehicle for next June? Probably best not to.