Hutchinson: Much more to come in 2023 from this Saints group

With Harlequins the visitors to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this weekend for a New Year’s Day showdown against Saints, we sat down for a catch-up with Northampton centre Rory Hutchinson…

Q: Northampton Saints’ players had the luxury of having a bye week over the Christmas period, how did you spend yours? 
RH: I can’t remember a time while I’ve been playing rugby professionally that I’ve had such a long period of time off. Obviously, it goes very quickly, but it was nice to enjoy a bit of time off, a bit of time with my family and get into that festive spirit. It was a much-appreciated week off, but we’ve straight back to it since coming in at the start of this week.

Q: Just how welcome was that break, given how relentless the schedule has been for much of the season? 
RH: It’s always important to be able to switch off. I’ll leave it down to the experts when they say we need to rest or have time off, but it does go quite a long way and people appreciate it – especially the players, and definitely the family. It was good to be able to rest and come back and hopefully be able to perform at a better level, feeling more recovered.

Q: Is everyone raring to go again that little bit more after results didn’t go Saints’ way in December? 
RH: To put it bluntly, we just didn’t get the results we wanted. We put quite a lot of effort in for not much reward, so we’re looking forward to getting more consistency and being on the right side of results. Like I said, we put a lot of effort in to not get much reward and for us I think it’s important for us to turn this stretch of our season around, and pick up some good results.

Q: Having played your last game of 2022, how would look back on the year as a whole? 
RH: In summing up this period, I don’t think people have seen us at our best. I don’t think we’ve strung a full 80-minute performance together yet this season – the only one I can really say we grinded it out was Exeter at home. For us, it’s about putting that 80-minute performance together, because there is a lot more to come from this group. 

Q: Does the run the team went on in the second half of last season give inspiration, in terms of picking up form after the turn of the year? 
RH: Definitely, that was the most exciting part of the year for us, because it was basically a case of ‘you lose, you’re out’. We had to keep going and we started to play some really good rugby to get into the top four, which is where everyone wants to be. Everyone wants to be playing knock-out rugby, everyone wants to be playing semi-finals.

Q: How would you sum up the year for yourself, personally? 
RH: Obviously, I was really happy with the back end of last season and being able to go on a summer tour with Scotland. But it’s been a bit of a slow start to this season – we’re sitting mid-table and I’d like for us to be higher up, so if I can contribute to the team in any way to get us back up that table, then I will. 

Q: Let’s talk a bit more about touring with Scotland, how did you enjoy Argentina? 
RH: It was amazing, it was really insightful. It was my first tour and I enjoyed it with a really good bunch of lads. It gives you a taste of what you can achieve if you perform, so I’ll just have to keep grinding it out. Next year is quite a big year for rugby, there’s a lot going on and obviously it is a World Cup year as well. We’ll take it week by week and see how we get on, but obviously the goal is to try and push on.

Q: What do you make of your own form so far this season? 
RH: It’s been a bit mixed. I’ve done some really good bits, but there are still some bits where I can really improve my game. I’m still really enjoying my rugby here and hopefully this is a lot more to come.

Q: Looking ahead to the game against Harlequins on New Year’s Day, are you expecting a reaction from them after their surprise defeat against Bristol Bears earlier this week? 
RH: The weather conditions were pretty bad against Bristol, but they’ve got a short turnaround and they’ll be raring to go come Sunday. Obviously, that being New Year’s Day as well with a packed crowd at the Gardens makes it that little bit more special, so it will be a good battle between the two teams. We’re well prepared and we’re looking forward to it.

Q: How much do you enjoy matches around the Christmas / New Year period? 
RH: There is a different kind of atmosphere during those matches, because people really appreciate being able to watch sport around that time of year. For us, it’s great to be part of it. 

Q: You’ll obviously be wanting the same outcome as last season’s home game against Quins, what are your memories of it? 
RH: I remember it well, with James Grayson getting his kick from around the halfway line to steal it for us, but it was a great game. I think both sides really took it to each other and to come out on the right side was something that really kicked us on to get into the semi-finals.

Q: A slow start at the Stoop cost Saints back in October, so how important is it to get off on the front foot early on this time? 
RH: You can’t afford to switch off against Harlequins, who will be consistently pushing onto you, you’ve got to be alive to it all. I think it will be a good game come Sunday.