'Exactly what our Academy aims to produce' - Dowson salutes departing Saints wing Collins

Collins, who has been strongly linked with a switch to London Irish, was due to be out of contract ahead of next season.

And he has now opted to move on, having made 144 appearances since graduating from the Saints Academy, scoring 48 tries along the way.

The 28-year-old made his debut for the black, green and gold back in 2013, and he has been involved in some of the club's most memorable wins.

But he now feels the time is right to try something new, and it is a decision Dowson fully understands.

“TC is exactly what our Academy aims to produce; he’s a top-quality player and a very good person," Dowson said.

“He’s always been a ‘Saints First’ character, he’s fantastic within the environment here, and he’s always tried his absolute hardest to get in the team, play well, entertain the crowd, and achieve something with the club.

“Tom came to us and said he felt like he had been at the club a long time and needed a new challenge.

"I respect the fact that he wants to experience a new environment and see something different.

“It would be the easy thing for him to stay here at his hometown club, where he’s comfortable, but he wants to push himself.

"I’ll miss him here, and we wish him all the best moving forwards.”

Collins joined Saints’ Junior Academy as a teenager, having also spent time in Northampton Town FC’s youth team.

At Northampton School for Boys he impressed in Saints’ junior sides, and rose through the ranks at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens while also earning international honours, representing England up to Under-20 level and winning the 2013 Under-20 Six Nations.

He made himself a first-team regular during the 2013/14 campaign, starting the dramatic Premiership semi-final win over Leicester Tigers, and was named the LV= Premiership breakthrough player of the season for his standout performances the following year.

Collins’ most appearances in a single season came in 2018/19, where he appeared 25 times as Saints reached the knock-out stages of every competition and lifted the Premiership Rugby Cup.

After reaching 100 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign against Bristol Bears, Collins claimed the club’s try of the season award in 2021/22 as he finished a stunning length-of-the-field move against Gloucester at Kingsholm.

He came off the bench in the win against Saracens last Saturday and will hope to feature in the final game of the regular season, at Newcastle Falcons, on Friday night.