Northampton’s newest recruit Ben Franks arrived at Franklin’s Gardens last Monday for his first day as a Saint, having made the switch from London Irish this summer.
And after a week of bedding into preseason and life in the East Midlands, the former All Black prop is hungry to continue his progress with his new teammates.
“It was a tough week last week, but the first week of preseason always is – you’ve just got to get yourself through it,” said Franks.
"It’s a real rugby town; that’s what I grew up in, and I wanted that feeling again."
Ben Franks
“But it was nice to finally get it started, get up here and meet everyone. First week down, it went really well.”
The decision to follow former coach Chris Boyd – whom Franks worked with at the Hurricanes – to Saints was one the Rugby World Cup winner admits was made easy by Northampton and it’s rugby history.
He said: “I suppose I was looking for something a bit different and in rugby Saints is a big club with a big history.
“That was really enticing. The more I heard about Saints it reminded me of Christchurch or Canterbury where I’m from. It’s a real rugby town and that’s what I grew up in and I wanted that feeling again.
“Playing here last year, at Franklin’s Gardens, I know they have some of the best attendances in the Premiership and that was something that really drew me here.”
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Watch more of the first exclusive interview with Ben Franks here:
💬 "I judge a good off season on whether that hunger to play again is there. I had a good break and a week out from the start I was excited to be here. It ticked all the boxes."
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) June 20, 2018
In his first interview as a Saint, Ben Franks tells us what keeps driving him on to achieve pic.twitter.com/TpKQRnCctw
