Angus glad to hold his own in back row battle

By PAUL REES

PREVIEW…

Northampton v Exeter

Today. Kick-off 3pm, Franklin's Gardens

ANGUS Scott-Young relishes a battle and there are few fiercer than the contest for places in Northampton's back row with Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam back from the World Cup.

The Saints had the same back row for the first three Premiership matches this season, Scott-Young and Tom Pearson the flankers with Sam Graham No.8.

Graham gave way to Ludlam against Bath last weekend and for today's clash against Exeter at Franklin's Gardens, Lawes is back on the blindside, Graham is at No.8 and Scott-Young switches to the openside with Pearson on the bench. And Juarno Augustus is expected to return from injury in a few weeks.

“There is a lot of talent in the back row here,” said the 26-year old Scott-Young, a recruit last year from Queensland Reds. “There are internationals left, right and centre which can be intimidating when it comes to selection but we are friends and we push each other. If you are selected, it means you are doing something and it will be interesting what happens later in the season.”

Northampton recorded back-to-back victories over Newcastle and Bath after losing their opening league games at Sale and at home to Bristol. The winning margin in all four matches was six points or fewer and another close encounter is expected against the leaders who have won three of their last four matches at the Gardens, all by three points.

“Every match has gone down to the final minutes and that shows the competitiveness in this league which is good for rugby in England,” said Scott-Young.

“We have shown that we are able to stay in the fight and the work we put in during the close-season on the contact area and defence has paid off.

“Lee Radford (defence coach) has made us more resilient and we are confident in our defensive system. Last year, we were not close to where we are now when we had a tendency to slip away. Now we keep going until the final minute and fight for victory.

“We had an honest meeting at the start of the season and said we wanted top finish in the top two rather than fourth. That meant drawing a line in the sand: improving our defence was the major point along with changing the image of the Saints.

“Everyone feels comfortable with the defensive side of the game and enjoys it, which gives us another string to our bow. The perception of Saints can be slowly changed and boys celebrating turnovers and big hits has become a cultural shift for us.”

“Attack and defence go together but last season we were a bit off the mark in terms of role clarity. Lee has brought in a unifying system and everyone can express themselves. Attack is our DNA and there is no compromising on that, merely improving our defence.”

Scott-Young has ambitions to play international rugby and emulate his father, Sam, who won seven caps for in the 1990s. He is qualified to play for England who are assessing their back row options ahead of the Six Nations following Lawes's retirement from Test rugby.

“International rugby is an ambition of mine but my goal first and foremost is to keep developing as a player and grow in what is the best league in the world. The whole purpose of coming to England was to test myself in a new competition and improve as a player,” said Scott-Young, who had a year in New Zealand in 2021 with the Bay of Plenty Steamers. “Doing well in the Premiership is a step to international recognition.”

Driving on: Angus Scott-Young scoring for Saints against Bath

PICTURES: Getty Images

Scott-Young watched from afar as Australia's tumultuous year ended in their worst World Cup campaign, failing to make the quarter-finals, and Eddie Jones standing down as head coach after a mere nine months in charge.

“It seems chaotic but I am confident they will pull through,” he said. “They have exciting things on the horizon with the Lions and the World Cup and I know they are looking at the model for the professional game that has proven so successful for Ireland. It is about getting everyone pulling in the same direction.”