Blakiston champion Coles relishing first preseason hit-out this weekend

The new season might not yet be underway, but Alex Coles has already enjoyed a stellar fortnight for Northampton Saints ahead of tomorrow’s preseason opener against Bedford.

Fresh from winning the Club’s ‘Breakthrough Player of the Season’ Award in 2021/22, the versatile forward will lead out the men in Black, Green and Gold as captain on Saturday as the Blues come to town, and last week ground out a victory in the Blakiston Challenge – one of the first-team’s annual preseason traditions.

The gruelling fitness test sees Northampton’s players embark on a cross-country run around the Castle Ashby grounds, stopping only to complete sandbag lifts and shuttle runs, all in memory of Freddie Blakiston (a former Saint who received the Military Cross for bravery during the First World War).

Coles became the first two-time winner of the race last week, having also come home in first place in the summer of 2021, but he admitted this victory felt even sweeter.

He said: “It feels better this year, because everyone now says I won it properly! Last time Will Maisey (from Bedford Blues) was training with us, and he managed to beat me, but as he’s not at the Club my name went up on the board. I crossed the finish line first of everyone this time, so I’m really happy with that.

“We go over the Castle Ashby for the event and it’s really good of them to let us use the grounds – it’s a lovely place, albeit not lovely to run.

“We run 2.5km before doing five sandbag shuttles (4x 30kgs and 1x 50kgs) which total just under 2kms. Then we have another 2.5km run to finish – it’s pretty minging.

“I ran with some of the backs, and we all came in after the first run together. I felt if I could hold my own in the run, I could get away from them a bit on the bags, which I managed to do. If it was a straight run, then us forwards would have no chance!”

While the Blakiston Challenge continues year after year, there has been plenty of change around Saints’ camp in recent weeks – with several new faces joining the squad, a new training base at Northampton School for Boys, and a new Director of Rugby at the helm in Phil Dowson.

But Coles insists that it’s been very much evolution, rather than revolution, that has characteristed Northampton’s approach this preseason.

“It’s slightly different, not massively changed, but Dows has definitely laid down his own blueprint in terms of how he wants things around the Club, and how he wants us to play,” he said.

“Our overall game plan won’t change massively, but there are slight nuances that Dows has brought in so it has felt a bit different.

“We’ve got the same coaching set-up with [Sam] Vesty, Ferg [Matt Ferguson], Vassy [Ian Vass] and obviously Tram [James Craig] stepping up, so it doesn’t feel wildly different – but it is recognisable that this is Dows’ Club now.

“The Aussie lads have brought some new ideas from Down Under while guys like Sam Graham stepping up from the Champ has been excellent, and Ethan Waller and Robbie Smith from Worcester and Newcastle.

“It’s good to have that fresh blood to push us all on to do better; healthy competition is what we strive for.”

With six weeks of hard work behind them, the men in Black, Green and Gold will finally return to the pitch on Saturday afternoon as they face Bedford Blues at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

It will be the first time the teams have met in Northampton since the strategic partnership between the clubs was announced in 2020 – although Saints triumphed in an entertaining reverse fixture at Goldington Road last summer.

Coles will skipper the hosts after leading the side on occasion during the 2021/22 season in the Premiership Rugby Cup, and the 22-year-old knows how important the first opportunity to blow away the cobwebs will be for the squad.

He added: “There’s only so much slogging on the pre-season pitch that you can do. Eventually, you want to get back to playing rugby and we’re all buzzing for Saturday.

“There’s a really nice connection between us and Bedford, so there’s that friendly rivalry, which should make for a really good match.

“I do enjoy getting to captain the team, but we’ve got loads of good leaders in the squad like Lewis Ludlam, Alex Waller, Fraser Dingwall, and more.

“I had a bit of a chance with it last year in the Premiership Rugby Cup, and when the opportunity comes I’m never going to turn it down because I’m proud to do it.

“It’s not something I’m striving towards permanently though in the next couple of years because I want to focus on my own game, but I’ll happily step up when the opportunity is given.”