Northampton Saints strengthen front row with Nick Auterac signing
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: Nick Auterac of Harlequins looks on during the Heineken Champions Cup Round 4 match between Harlequins and Ulster Rugby at Twickenham Stoop on December 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Northampton Saints have announced Harlequins prop Nick Auterac will be making the switch to Franklin’s Gardens at the end of the season.
As revealed by The Rugby Paper on Sunday, director of rugby Chris Boyd is keeping one eye on the 2020-21 campaign whilst in a position to challenge for silverware on domestic and European fronts.
Loosehead Auterac will end a two-year spell with Harlequins to become a Saint, and includes Saracens and Bath among his former clubs.
“I’m really excited to be joining a massive club in Northampton Saints, who are proving themselves to be genuine contenders for silverware this season,” Auterac said.
“Saints play an exciting brand of rugby in front of a partisan crowd – having experienced the Franklin’s Gardens atmosphere first-hand, I can’t wait to run out there every week.
“The club’s ambition and upward trajectory over the past couple of years has been clear to see.
“Their scrum in particular has come on leaps and bounds, so I’m really excited to get to work with a talented group of coaches and to challenge for that No.1 jersey in Northampton.”
Competition for the starting loosehead job will pit Auterac against Saints co-captain Alex Waller and Francois van Wyk.
Boyd said: “He is highly respected and experienced within the Premiership, and has shown throughout his career so far that he is not only a strong scrummager but very capable around the park too – which of course fits the mould for how we play at Saints.
“But Nick’s also a player with plenty of potential to improve; he’s just entering what will be his peak years as a front-row forward, so I think he can take his performances to another level under Matt Ferguson, Phil Dowson and the rest of the coaches at Franklin’s Gardens.”
A product of the academy at Saracens, Auterac has yet to represent England at senior level but was a part of the Under-20 side which won the Six Nations in 2012.
Saints confirmed last week that star scrum-half Cobus Reinach would exit the club in June.
