By PAUL REES

On the ball: Northampton hooker Robbie Smith

Robbie Smith joined Northampton from Newcastle last summer because he wanted to spend more time on the pitch than on the sidelines and the move is paying off.
The 24-year old hooker was third fiddle at Kingston Park to George McGuigan and Jamie Blamire and only featured in three Premiership matches last season, all off the bench for a total of 40 minutes.
“I was happy in Newcastle and enjoyed the training, but the lack of game time became massive for me,” said Smith, who started his career with Glasgow before joining Championshi...