Northampton Saints U18s Head Coach Charlie Reed reflected on a season with its ‘ups and downs’ for his PREM Next Gen academy league side following the conclusion of the campaign’s conclusion.
The young Saints ultimately finished sixth following a 45-28 defeat to Exeter Chiefs on finals day at Kingsholm last Sunday afternoon.
“It was a good performance against Chiefs on finals day in parts,” Reed explained.
“We came out strong in the second half, but in very similar from across the season, we didn’t really find the consistency in our game that we wanted to.
“The season as a whole has had its ups and downs with injuries. There have been some real positives with boys representing their countries, which is a great honour for them, and we’re extremely proud to go and see them do that.
“We’re proud of the boys' efforts. It’s a big task to perform under pressure, but they’ve been embracing it no matter the result, and it’s been great for their development and helps us in the long term.
Despite the difficult results throughout the season, the importance of the academy pathway has proven integral to the club, with former and even current academy players proving their worth in a senior Saints shirt.
“The pathway as a whole is extremely vital,” Reed continued.
“If you said to me, you can win the academy league every year, or you can bring boys through that are going to represent the senior squad, it will always be the latter.
“It’s been fantastic for Jack Lewis to go and get his debut and also put in some great performances as a 17-year-old.
“That’s what we see as a successful pathway, not the games won in an academy league block, but the boys kicking onto the senior squad, and those are the standards we’ll maintain, and I’m sure we’ll see more boys come through.”