Dingwall knows starting spot is not a given despite being named Saints skipper

The England centre has taken over from George Furbank as the club captain this summer following the full-back's departure to Harlequins.

However, towards the end of last season, Dingwall had to make do with a role as a replacement as Rory Hutchinson and Tom Litchfield were given the nod in midfield.

When it was jokingly put to him that he may now have to pull rank and ask to start regularly, Dingwall smiled and said: "There's no givens when you're captain.

"This (captaincy) is for the overall squad and environment and it still means you have to perform - nothing changes in terms of expectations.

"I will be pushing myself to be exactly the same."

Dingwall had a huge role to play as a replacement in the massive knockout matches at the end of the previous campaign, crucially coming off the bench to help Saints turn the game around in the Gallagher PREM final win against Exeter Chiefs.

And he said: "I actually really enjoyed it (coming off the bench).

"It was a different role for me and it was complete credit to the two boys who were starting because at the back end of the year they were flying so why would you not play them together? They were doing such a good job.

"It was slightly different role for me and I actually found some real enjoyment in it and found I could contribute in a different way.

"Coming on in the final, I just sensed a bit of frustration, a bit of stress around the fact we weren't quite doing it and things hadn't quite clicked.

"The messages the boys were talking about weren't really what was being shown on the pitch.

"The few of us who came off the bench just said 'don't worry, we're very close to making this click here, we just need to settle down a bit'. Fortunately enough for us, it did.

"It's been another great learning experience for me around how the feeling on the pitch isn't exactly always how it looks and how you can take a step back sometimes and realise what the solve might be."

Former England boss Eddie Jones often spoke about his 'finishers', putting huge emphasis on the role of his side's replacements.

And Saints showed just how important having heavy artillery on the bench is as the likes of Dingwall, JJ van der Mescht and Callum Chick made a massive impact in the PREM final and in numerous other big matches.

"You see it more and more, more than in that game (the PREM final), you see it in internationals and week in, week out in the PREM," Dingwall said.

"The difference a bench can make to a game is huge because there's obviously the physical side of it because they're fresh but there's new threats, it breaks the game up in different ways.

"I know people probably get bored of hearing it and don't fully believe it, but it is a 23-man game.

"We even add to that in that it's the full squad because they contribute throughout the week to prepare.

"It isn't a starting 15's game to win the game, there's eight more players who have to come on and do a good job of it."

Following the final success at Allianz Stadium, Dingwall was given the first indications that he would be taking over from Furbank as captain this summer.

He explained: “After the final when we won and were celebrating, Dows (Saints boss Phil Dowson) kind of half mentioned it to me, a bit like 'you're my club captain next year', but we were wrapped up in the celebrations.

"Then it wasn't until just before I was coming into the club to start (pre-season training), the Friday before we came back in on the Monday, that he rang me and said 'I know I mentioned it to you briefly, but I wanted to formalise it'.

"So there was a long time over the summer where I was like 'I think it's me, but I don't know if it is actually me'.

"It was really nice.

"I spoke to Dows briefly and we're very much on the same page in terms of it being more than one person, there will be a (leadership) group and it's about not changing. That's my whole aim with it.”

Dingwall has often been spoken about as a natural leader, during his time with the Academy and since graduating from it.

"I think I've always been involved in the leadership groups across however many years,” he said.

"So I really don't want this to change how I operate at all, and I really don't think it will.

"There's probably more of a change around the whole environment and how we set up the place as a group, how we message and get the whole squad in a great place to take on another exciting year.

"But in terms of actually playing, when I've captained the side before I'd like to think it's very much the same thing in terms of offering direction, leading by my actions, don't always speak, encourage others to lead as well and perform yourself.”

With Dingwall following in the footsteps of fellow Academy products Lewis Ludlam and Furbank in taking on the Saints captaincy, it is yet another example of how well the club’s pathway is working.

"It just shows the strength of the Academy and we're seeing it more and more,” said Dingwall, who joined the Saints system at the age of just 13.

"The guys who broke through last year, started pushing on and started the final, lots of them came through the Academy.

"You see the intake again this year and the Academy is just so strong.

"It's a fundamental part of this club's success and there's constant evidence popping up.

"This relationship with Bedford is doing the same thing because I was clicking through some photos recently and there were side-by-sides of boys who have played for Bedford and Saints.

"Just how this club works with grassroots, in terms of the Academy pathway, Bedford and going on to represent the first team, we're so well aligned with that and doing such a great job of it.”

And you can see how much it means to Dingwall to be Saints captain, especially as he has been a big fan of the club since he was a boy.

"When I was younger, I just wanted to play for the club, I don't think I was ever thinking I wanted to captain the side, I just wanted to play,” he said.

"It's another strength of our Academy being so strong that we're lucky enough to have boys turning into men who were desperate to play for this club when they were young.

"It ties them in even more because it's connection to the club, connection to a bigger purpose and it means something.

"It's incredibly special for me.

"My story with this club has been special enough, and this is just another added thing.

"It never really feels real when you're in the moment because as players we're so focused on the next thing the whole time but I'll find time to reflect at some point.

"It really is special.”

Dingwall has the honour of being the captain of a club that has been competing at Europe’s top table on a regular basis in recent years, securing two Gallagher PREM titles in the space of just three seasons.

They have also excelled in the Investec Champions Cup, reaching the final in 2025.

And with the new campaign just around the corner, Dingwall said: “It really is amazing to be part of.

"It's come from a lot of consistency and a lot of hard work really.

"As cliché as that is, we've set up the place that people enjoy coming to work, they want to get better and we're consistent with the way we go about that, whether that's the mood of the place or the way we work and the way we train.

"It's given us results so there won't be much change from that.

"It will be about encouraging boys to come in and get better, to enjoy themselves, to connect with each other and enjoy spending time with each other.

"We want to try to get to the highest level once again and achieve something special.”