George Hendy in position to drive Northampton Saints on

By Paul Rees

George Hendy’s career has a theme running through it – keep pushing and see where you end up.

The 22-year-old fullback who is equally at home on the wing had his breakthrough season with Northampton in 2023-24, was named man of the match in the Premiership final against Bath at Twickenham despite spending the first 44 minutes on the bench.

Hendy set up the winning try as the Saints took the title for the first time in 10 years, a long way from the day five years before when he feared his dream of becoming a professional rugby player had gone after, at the age of 16, he was released from Worcester’s academy.

“I was an outside half then,” he said.

“After a performance in an Under-16 game that was not my finest, they had seen enough. I remember sitting in the car on the way home, crushed, and my dad asked me how badly I wanted to get there and how hard was I prepared to work to make it.

“I can thank him and my mum for making me see that it was not the end of the world. Their advice was to keep pushing and see where you end up and ever since that has been my outlook on rugby.

“I keep going and if I do not progress any further, I will be happy if I have given it everything I have got.”

England Radar

Hendy’s exploits with Northampton have put him on England’s radar. He has the ability to change a game with a break or a try, difficult to contain when he gets his long legs into a stride.

Northampton recruited Hendy not long after Worcester released him and a happy accident changed the course of his career.

“I wanted to be a professional because playing rugby was the most fun I had as a boy, running around a field with your mates and I am lucky enough to say it is now what I do as a job.

“I was picked up by Northampton shortly after I was dropped by Worcester but I was not offered a contract out of school initially, signing one after the Under-18 fixtures that year.

“We were missing a full-back for an Under-18 academy game because he had dropped out to focus on A levels.

“The coach Will Parkin, who is now involved with England at the age-group level, was looking for someone and I said I did not mind playing if it got me on the pitch. I did pretty well and got signed as a full-back.”

Breakthrough at Fullback

Hendy has been playing at full-back in the absence of George Furbank who was injured against the Bulls in the Champions Cup and had a minor operation on his arm having started against Sale and Gloucester on the wing.

“The way the lads here see space means that if I put myself in a good position, I will get a chance to stretch my legs out,” he said.

“I could not have asked for much more last year in terms of making a breakthrough and the group around me made it all the more enjoyable.

“We are driven on performances as a team and individuals. The coaches want you to get better and they keep pushing me to be the best player I can be either side of the ball.

“I am nowhere near that yet and have to keep working at it.

Healthy Competition

“There is a healthy competition for places here, which is really good. There are so many talents in the back three, George, James Ramm, Ollie Sleightholme, Tommy Freeman and Tom Seabrook with young lads coming through.

“When you see Tommy, George and Ollie playing for England in the autumn, it is cool to say you are learning off them and competing with them.

“No one gets hairy or rough over selection. It is all about getting a performance at the weekend.”

Northampton made an inconsistent start to the defence of their Premiership crown, but travel to Stade Francais in the Champions Cup this weekend having won their opening two matches.

“Not much has changed in terms of how we want to play the game, but we have lacked consistency,” said Hendy. “When we get our processes right, not many teams can stop us.

Leaders

“A number of voices came through last season such as George, Fraser Dingwall, Fin Smith and Alex Coles and they have really grown as leaders in the absence of Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller.

“Sometimes we do miss that old head who has been in all these situations before and their words hold a lot of weight but we are slowly getting there and we are not in a bad spot as a group.

“We spoke a bit last year about who is hungrier: the wolf at the top of the hill or the wolf at the bottom? We were still hungrier than most other teams out there when we were at the top of the Premiership.

“It has flipped a bit this season and we are nearer the bottom of the hill but we still have a lot of hunger.”

Hendy was capped by England at Under-20 level and will be in the conversation for at least the A squad who face Ireland next month.

“Everyone wants to play for their country and the Lions,” he said. “The drive is there. All I can do is keep giving it everything until I get an answer.”

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