A first run out at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens proved to be a fruitful one for 18-year-old fullback James Pater, as he marked the occasion with a maiden try with Northampton Saints defeating Harlequins 26-17 in the PREM Rugby Cup.
Pater’s score was one of four tries for the men in Black, Green and Gold in Round 3, with winger Tom Rowe plus back row pairing Fyn Brown and Sam Graham also crossing the whitewash in the stop-start clash.
Those efforts, coupled with six points from Anthony Belleau’s boot, sealed Northampton’s second win in the Cup competition so far, and saw them remain unbeaten across both the Cup and league to date.
“It was unbelievable,” said Pater of his first playing experience at cinch Stadium. “The boys fronted up well; we’re happy to get the win, especially with so many internationals away.
“In the half-time talk we spoke about it, and we came out flying again so we were happy about that.
“We got those two tries in the first ten minutes so that gave us a good opportunity to lay a platform and take the steam out of Quins in that second half.”
It was only Pater’s second outing in a Black, Green and Gold shirt after he became Saint #2110 as a 17-year-old in the final Gallagher PREM match of last season.
Before then, the young fullback had played a starring role in Saints’ Academy League success – when Saints’ Under-18s defeated Bath Rugby 31-14 to lift PREM Rugby’s Academy League trophy for the first time in over a decade – and he is now hoping to translate that junior form into gametime with the senior side.
He said: “We just wanted to put a strong performance out there and represent the Saints shirt well.
“The PRC is a great opportunity for players like me to show what we’re about, to push for spots in the first team.
“It’s a huge month for us as a group, a big opportunity for us to show what we can do.
“The group of Under-18s who’ve come in this year, it’s been great to do it with them. We all live together, so those bonds off the pitch help when we’re on it, they make linking up easier.
“To run out a cinch Stadium with them was unbelievable.”
Saints have no shortage of talent at fullback, with the likes of George Furbank and George Hendy also among their ranks, and Pater knows just how important their tutelage will be for his progression.
“It’s an honour to wear the fullback shirt for Saints,” Pater said.
“And it’s even better when you get to train with the likes of Hendy and Furbs, you learn so much from them.
“It’s such a good environment here at Saints for that, for developing. I’m very happy to be here and be a part of it.”