24-year-old duo Alex Coles and Fraser Dingwall have signed new contracts at Premiership leaders Northampton Saints.
The pair have been a key part of the club since they both made their bows in 2018, helping Saints win the Premiership Cup in a debut season during which they also reached the first of three Premiership semi-finals the club has played in across their five-year stays at the club.
Dingwall has yet to make a senior appearance for England while Coles hasn’t played since his first three caps in 2022, but with the pair having regularly featured in training camps for the last 18 months this will come as a boost to national coach Steve Borthwick who has seen several players become unavailable during the prime of their careers after signing contracts overseas.
Coles in particular was linked with a move abroad as the subject of a battle between Saints and the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) for his signature, with the latter hoping to make him Scottish-qualified in time for the next World Cup.
But the lock is excited at what the club have built following consecutive seasons in the play-offs, and is ready to start bringing silverware back to Franklin’s Gardens.
“On the pitch, it feels like we have something special brewing and I wanted to make sure I am involved in that,” Coles said.
“There’s a big group of guys that I’ve grown up playing alongside, and now I really want to be part of a group that delivers success for Northampton by winning some trophies.”
“Another big part of this decision is thinking about where I would be best-placed to try to get back in the England side. To do that, you have to play well and improve.”
“He’s grown into an incredibly important player for us,” said Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson on Coles.
“It’s his natural intelligence, his desire to get better, and his ability to influence those around him that is so important for us.
“To have played 100 senior games at 24 years old in such an attritional position, and to have been recognised on the international stage too, is very impressive – but we are sure there is still a lot more to come from him.”
Dingwall has played even more games than Coles with 115 appearances, and has the same number of points for the club having crossed the whitewash 23 times.
All 11 of his matches this campaign have been starts, with his sole try this year coming as he skippered the side to a convincing victory against Exeter Chiefs.
For Dowson his leadership has become a significant aspect of what he brings to the team, and the centre can feel that international honours are just around the corner.
“Despite his age, Fraser is very much one of the senior players and a leader within our squad, particularly on the defensive side of the ball,” Dowson added.
“The fact that he has been recognised internationally and picked in so many England training camps shows that he has the ability to play at that level already.
“It’s tough to break into international rugby, but I am confident Fraser can get there because of his ability to make all the players around him better.”
Echoing the words of his coach, Dingwall is also hopeful the new contract will help him get capped for his country, and like teammate Coles believes cups will be heading the way of Saints soon.
“I feel like, this year especially, we’re really pushing on towards winning some trophies,” Dingwall said.
“The coaching team here is really, really impressive and I couldn’t see anywhere else that I’d develop more as a player.
“I want to play international rugby, and win trophies here with Saints. Those are the next steps for me and I’m pushing hard on both fronts.”
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