Flexibility key for Dye as young prop starts his journey with Saints and England

At the age of just 18, he has already showed his ability to play on both sides of the scrum.

And the Saints Academy player, who started at tighthead for England Under-18s against South Africa on the final matchday of the 2024 International Series on Tuesday, is taking it all in his stride as he continues on his path to the top.

Dye explained: "Saints see me as a tighthead but I'm able to play both loosehead and tighthead.

"It was quite funny because on Academy signing day, I had a conversation with my Academy manager and you get given a shirt when you sign, but he had no idea whether I was going to get a number one shirt or a three, but I got given a one.

"But I've been playing more tighthead this pre-season.

"Saints wanted me to learn both from the get-go so I've always just been playing both positions. In the Academy league I was playing loosehead because Ollie Scola, who also got a contract, unfortunately blew his knee out so he was ruled out for all of last season.

"I was meant to be at tighthead but ended up playing loosehead all season.

"Now I'm playing at tighthead and I'm going up against Manny (Iyogun) and Tarek (Haffar) in training so I'm learning what they're doing to try to beat me.

"It's definitely turning the tide and there are more and more props coming up who are able to play both sides. It's becoming more standard now.

"When you can play both sides, you can beat the other because you know what makes you weak in that position and you know how to exploit it.

"I understand I'm not going to be able to be great at both. I'm going to have to specialise but it's going to be good if I'm able to perform at loosehead and be amazing at tighthead when I get older."

The Saints Academy has become a real production line for the first time in recent years.

And Dye knows he couldn't be at a better club when it comes to development.

"I signed my contract at Saints back in May and Saints is really good in how it's fully integrated between Academy and first team," he said.

"It's not like other clubs where you're just on the side of the pitch, and it's one of the best Academy systems because you're constantly training with players better than you.

"Now all the England players are coming back so it will be really good.

"You can say everything you want and write everything down on paper but it's just really good to be able to put it into practice against really good opposition.

"No one wants to beat down on the Academy boys and make a point, everyone just wants to make everyone else better.

"Saints have this mantra of trying to have homegrown players so it definitely gives you confidence knowing they want to develop you and if they see something in you, they'll keep going and try to get you there as long as you just buy in to everything."

And how has Dye found it in the England Under-18s environment?

"It's definitely different from club because it's so compact," he said.

"We're quite a new team so we don't have all the time in the world.

"You're working until 9pm at night and it's on to the next thing and the next thing, whereas at your club, it's like a job and you clock off at 4pm.

"At the moment we're in a place called Stellenbosch, just outside Cape Town, and it's beautiful here. There's mountains everywhere.

"I'm one of the older lads in this group and it's pretty cool."

Dye is clearly an intelligent young man and he has just earned the A-level results he required to get into Loughborough University.

He explained: "I'm going to be loaned out to Loughborough and study economics there as well.

"I'm happy to be going there because it's such a prestigious sport Uni and I know I'm not a rare case there, being a professional player.

"There's Olympians there and I saw the other day that if Loughborough University was ranked as a country in the Olympics, they'd be fourth in the medal table!"

Dye knows which areas of his game he wants to work on while he also sharpens his mind at University.

He explained: "Currently in my individual development plan, I'm going after my carrying really hard, moving onto the ball and having a really good set-piece platform, performing well at scrum time.

"My set piece is good, my carries are good and my decision-making in the line is good, but the speed of the game at Premiership level is so quick and once opportunities are there, they're gone in the next phase because the defence is set.

"It's about working on your comms and being able to keep up with everyone."