Young Gun: Tom Stephenson – Northampton centre

Centre Tom Stephenson is the third generation of Northampton season ticket holders in his family and it might not be long until his granddad and dad witness their own kin running out at Franklin’s Gardens.
The 18-year-old is one of the most highly-rated prospects in Saints’ productive academy and is already a regular in the second-string Wanderers team, often sharing midfield duties with England international Tom May, who has taken the teenager under his wing.
At 6ft 1in and 14st 11lb Stephenson already has the physical attributes to play at first-team level although he accepts there’s a lot he needs to learn before he can move up a pecking order that includes May, George Pisi, Dom Waldouck, Luther Burrell and James Wilson.
He said: “Tom helps me out a lot off the pitch and has become like a mentor to me.
“It is all off his own back but he stays behind after training and does a lot of one-on-one work with me, particularly with my handling. It is brilliant to have a guy who has had such experience with Newcastle and Toulon willing to help me out and I am learning a lot off him and the other centres at the club.
“I’m lucky that the club have lots of centres with different styles: Luther Burrell with his power, George Pisi with his skill and Dom with his creativity.
“I don’t know what my style is compared to those guys. People might see me as a crash centre because of my size but I hope there’s more to me than that and that’s why I am trying to learn as much off these guys as possible.”
Stephenson’s main focus this season is adding speed to his bulk and he has been undertaking some intensive sessions under the watch of Alan Dickens and Dusty Hare in the Saints academy.
His playing goals remain rooted around the Wanderers but it would not be a surprise if he gets his chance in the LV= Cup.
He added: “This season I just need to keep my head down and work hard in training. I am not naturally the quickest so speed is the most important thing I need to add to my game.
“There are a lot of guys ahead of me in the pecking order but playing first-team for Saints would be a dream come true –  I have been a season ticket holder from the age of five. My granddad, Richard and my dad, Jerry, still go every week and I am a Saints boy through and through.”
It is not just Northampton who have been guiding Stephenson’s development, having just returned from England Under-18’s tour of South Africa. After a run of ten games without defeat, England lost to France and then South Africa Schools – the latter starting JWC winning fly-half Handre Pollard. But Stephenson, who was captain against France, refused to be too disheartened.
He said: “South Africa were a set of big boys who probably had the edge over us in physicality but skill-wise we were all over them and outscor-ed them five tries to three. We were going round them while they were relying on brute strength. The England coaches really encourage you to play rugby and emphasis is on willing to take a risk, which has encouraged me to try new things.”