Northampton sign fly-half duo Savala and Makepeace-Cubitt

Northampton Saints can today announce the signings of Charlie Savala and George Makepeace-Cubitt, with the pair of fly-halves signing contracts ahead of the 2024/25 season.

English-qualified Savala extends his stay in Northampton after arriving on a loan deal from Edinburgh Rugby earlier this season, while former London Irish fly-half Makepeace-Cubitt arrives from Reading Rams with immediate effect.

The pair – who are 23 and 20 respectively – will both be involved with the men in Black, Green and Gold until the end of this season and beyond, and are in training ahead of this weekend’s clash against Gloucester Rugby.  

Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson, is looking forward to seeing both players make an impact in Northampton’s environment.

“We’ve been impressed with Charlie since he came in on loan in November,” he said. “He’s come down here, got some consistency into his training, and a few appearances under his belt.

“With his rugby league background, you can see that he has a real ability to go and play at the line and create space for others. Charlie’s also got skills across different positions – playing at 10 or in the centres – and it’s really useful to have that kind of flexibility.

“We see a lot of potential in Charlie, and with some more time as a Saint we think he’s got a huge opportunity to develop. He’s a good man to have in the group, but most importantly, Charlie’s a very good person with great character and we’re looking forward to seeing him push on.

“George is another flexible player – he can play at 10 or 15. He’s a self-starter, keen to put in the work to get the rewards.

“He dropped out of London Irish’s Academy system when they went under, but rather than sitting in another Academy set-up and training, went to Reading Rams where he knew he could play regularly.

“It was that attitude that really impressed us about George. Players who drop out of Academy systems and fight their way back in often have an edge to them, and that’s what he has. We’re grateful to Rams for allowing him to pursue this opportunity with us.

“George came in on a trial and the way he spoke, his confidence, the way he went to the line and put his hand up to have the ball, was really impressive. He showed some great maturity at the end of that trial period, he’s very driven and we’re thrilled to have him in the environment moving forwards.”

Born in Sydney, Savala began his career in rugby’s other code – playing in Sydney Roosters’ academy before switching to union and moving to Scotland in 2020.

The fly-half made 33 appearances for Edinburgh across three seasons, featuring in both the United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup competitions there, before arriving in Northampton earlier this term.

The 23-year-old became Saint #2087 when he came off the bench against RC Toulon, and has made three appearances in Black, Green and Gold to date – starting his last match for Saints and scoring his first points from the tee against Newcastle Falcons in January.

“When the opportunity first came about to join Saints it was something out of the ordinary,” said Savala. “I was ready for a change, and was eager for the opportunity to develop and prove myself in a new environment. I’ve really enjoyed the change of scene – both from a living perspective and a rugby perspective.

“The depth that we’ve got at fly-half – with Fin Smith having an unbelievable season this year and George Furbank playing well there too – it’s good for me to have people that you can work alongside to get better.

“To have that cohesion as a fly-half group only breeds positive results. We’re all pushing each other to be better, whether that’s off the field watching film together or working on our kicking. It’s been really good to have those guys to push myself with.

“With the success we’ve had on the field this season and in some big occasions, playing in and around that is want you want as player. I’ve had a taste for it this year and would love more it.

“As rugby players we all want to play, I want to be a part of the side that we’ve got here at Saints. I want to play as much as I can and keep developing. I’m really enjoying my time here and I’m eager to kick on.”

England Under-20 international Makepeace-Cubitt came through London Irish’s Academy system, featuring for the Exiles from the age of 13 before joining their Senior Academy for the 2022/23 season.

The 20-year-old was yet to make a senior appearance before Irish went into administration, but follows former teammates Tom Pearson, Chunya Munga and Tarek Haffar to Northampton after featuring for Rams in National League 1.

Makepeace-Cubitt will also link up with England Under-20 teammates Henry Pollock, Archie McParland, Toby Cousins and Craig Wright – after featuring for his country in three matches as England claimed the 2024 Six Nations title, starting in the side’s 31-45 victory over France on the final day of the competition.

“I found myself at Rams after London Irish sadly folded,” said Makepeace-Cubitt. “I got some consistent game time there and managed to get invited into the England Under-20s camp.

“I had no expectations of playing, but ended up getting some gametime which was brilliant, and then Saints got in touch to invite me in for a trial.

“That’s the main goal for me at the minute. You want to come into a squad and compete, but it’s also about taking some learnings from the people around you who’ve done it before and who are currently doing it.

“Kicking with Fin in training, you can see the detail he goes into, and it will be good to learn from him and Furbs as well. We have similar styles in the way we play at fullback, but Furbs has really got himself into that second ball-playing role, and that’s something I want to develop. You couldn’t have two better people to learn from.

“For me, it’s all about trying to be a better player. Hopefully I get a chance to play for the Under-20s again this summer, but I want to come back here after that and really compete in this squad. Whether that’s at 10 or 15, playing games for Saints is where I want to get to.”