Sam Graham can’t wait to prove himself on his return to the Black, Green and Gold jersey as the back row nears the end of his gruelling period of rehabilitation from a devastating knee injury.
No player featured more in the 2023/24 Premiership title-winning season for Northampton Saints than Graham, who amassed 20 starts and made eight substitute appearances across three competitions.
However, just after passing his 50-game milestone, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in October 2024’s clash with Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
“It was a knee dislocation, ACL rupture, MCL rupture, and I needed a patella graft to repair all the damage inside. I also tore both meniscuses,” Graham explained.
“To be honest, your brain tells you straight away that it’s a serious injury. I don’t think I was necessarily in extreme pain instantly, although that did come.
“I knew straight away because the outside of my foot touched my hip, and I thought instantly, ‘hang on, you're not meant to be in this position’, and that’s probably when I started screaming.
“I had the monkey on my back for a while, thinking that could be me done, career over. It was a scary time to be honest.”
Sam Graham
Graham – a man who knows exactly what it means to be a true Saint – admits he struggled with not being out on the pitch with his teammates.
“It's probably something I've tried not to think about for a while, but it's really frustrating,” he added. “Everything in your mind is telling you, ‘I should be out there, I should be out there’, and it’s the worst feeling knowing you can do nothing about it.
“It came at such a frustrating time because it was off the back of winning the Premiership, and I only got four games of the season, feeling I still had so much to prove.
“I’ve loved every single game I’ve played at Saints, and I felt I was going from strength to strength with every game I played.
“It was frustrating that I got injured when I did because I really felt like I was finding some good form and showing what I wanted to show – that I’ve still got so much more to come.
“But in a way, I’ve had nine months to reflect on it, and I keep stoking that fire because it’s burning quite bright at the moment. In a way, I’ve still got lots to prove this season as well now.”
With a long stint of difficult rehabilitation almost fully behind him, Graham is ready to rip into a brand-new season in the East Midlands.
He said: “It’s been really hard, but I’m glad to be out of the back end of it now and ready to hit the ground running again, ready for the start of the season, and it can’t come soon enough.
“They’ve got me to a point where I’ve come back to training and I don’t feel like I’ve been away, which says a lot about the efforts and work they’ve put in. I’m feeling really positive, and I’m just so excited to get back out there.”
Sam Graham
“Now, some of the nervousness around whether I can still play rugby, because I’ve actually done it, has gone. I just can’t wait, and that first game can’t come soon enough.
“I’ve still got to prove myself; I’ve still got to try to win the shirt back as I’ve done before, and it’s a situation I am comfortable with.
“Callum Chick has come in and he’s a brilliant player. He’s someone on par with Juarno [Augustus] to compete with, and hopefully, we’ll bring the best out of each other.”
