Saints farewell interview: Alex Waller

In it was, in his own words, 'a mix of absolute rubbish and quite sentimental bits', collected during his 378 appearances for his boyhood club.

Earlier that day, another Saints legend had also emptied a locker at the Gardens, and Waller exchanged messages with him as both men tried to come to terms with the fact they won't be returning to a place that has meant so much to them during the past two decades.

"We weren't together when we did it but Courts (Courtney Lawes) and I cleared out our lockers on the same day and I text him after he text me in the morning asking whether it had sunk in yet," Waller said.

"I said 'I don't think so', then I cleared my locker out and I text him and said 'clearing the locker out certainly makes it sink in' and he said 'I know, tell me about it'.

"We've both been at the club for more or less 20 years so it's certainly going to be a change of lifestyle and scenery. He's going to France and I'm staying in Northampton.

"It's a changing of the guard, 1,200-odd caps lost with people leaving so I'm looking forward to seeing how they fill those spaces and what the team can go on and do in the next few years."

While Lawes will continue his incredible career at Brive, Waller has headed into retirement at the age of 34.

Both men were able to sign off their stay at Saints in the style they deserved, lifting the Gallagher Premiership trophy at Twickenham for the second time in black, green and gold.

So how did it feel, beating Bath in the showpiece and experiencing the events that followed?

"It was a weird one for me because you've got the elation of winning and in that moment you're in it, it's the world's best feeling and you've won it," Waller said.

"Then it sort of subsides a bit in the changing room when everything quietens down and lads are getting changed - not in (George) Hendy's case!

"I had a moment to myself and I realised 'that's it, it's done, I'm never doing this again' so there was a bit of reflection and emotion there.

"But then in the next two minutes you'r'e back on cloud nine again, you're celebrating, having some beers with the lads.

"You put in so much effort not just during the season but the years leading up to that.

"I'm not 100 per cent sure it's sunk in yet.

"Speaking to Courts about it, we were both saying it's a little bit strange and that it hadn't sunk in even on the Monday, Tuesday after the final.

"When we cleared out our lockers, that made it hit home a bit, so I'm sure there's going to be some ups and downs to come in retirement and accepting I'll never play again.

"The fact I'm going to stay involved in some capacity with the club, not in coaching but in some other aspects, I'll always be in Northampton and be one of the lads' biggest supporters.

"I'm looking forward to getting my weekends back, spending a bit more time with the family but also watching rugby without any pressure on it and any career-defining moments to come out of it.

"I'm going back to what it was at the start, and that's the love of the game."

Waller has certainly had that love of the game for a long time.

Had he not, he knows he wouldn't have got to where he is today.

There were times when he could have given up as he experienced some tough times as a teenager.

But his iron will to play for Saints meant refused to relent in the face of adversity.

"I was in the Academy 14 to 16, had a bad leg injury, got released, came back as a 17-year-old prop having been a back row to start with," Waller explained. "I turned miraculously into a prop when I had my leg injury.

"I was released when it came to contract time at 18 so I went and played in the National League for Rugby Lions, pestered Rob Hunter, who was the Academy coach at the time, sending him clips, letting him know how I got on etc and then he'd give me an A-League every now and again when none of the senior props wanted to travel.

"We had to travel to Newcastle on a Monday evening so he'd chuck me in and give me five or 10 minutes off the bench for the Wandies.

"At the end of that year, he gave me a contract for one year - and the rest is history.

"I signed three or four contracts in that one year, increasing what I got paid because as soon as I was in that door I was like 'I'm going to take this opportunity with both hands' and that was 16, 17 years ago.

"I only wanted to get one cap and to finish on 378 was beyond any of my expectations.

"I relished and treasured each one of those caps and I look back on it very fondly."

Waller certainly didn't have it easy when it came to establishing himself as first choice at Saints.

After all, he has competed with the likes of Soane Tonga'uiha and Alex Corbisiero for the No.1 shirt since making his debut against Ospreys in 2009.

"I owe a lot to Saw (Tonga'uiha), he spent a lot of time with me when I was younger, showing me the way," Waller said.

"It's not like I've had an easy ride.

"Even looking at this last crop last season, myself, Beef (Ethan Waller), Tarek (Haffar), Manny (Iyogun), there's four pretty decent looseheads and any one of us could start in the Premiership in our own right.

"What's been really refreshing and why I think the club has been so successful and will continue to be is the environment that Ferg (Matt Ferguson) has created is one that we all want each other to do really well.

"Of course there's some personal disappointment if you're not starting, the lads don't hide away from that, but once that's parked it's about how we get the players who are playing prepared and it's about how we win as a club.

"It's the environment that's been dealt and there's a great crop of looseheads.

"They're bringing Westy (Tom West) and Greener (Luke Green) into the front row for next season so the competition doesn't get any easier.

"I'm just happy those days are behind me now and there's no worrying whether you're going to start each week, for me it's now about whether I've got enough sandpaper or if there's any wood in the workshop I can work with."

The next chapter in Waller's life will be spent working alongside another Saints legend, Tom Wood.

And they won't be grafting too far from the Gardens, having just purchased a new premises for their flourishing woodwork business.

"Everyone talks about retirement and I've not really retired, I've just changed careers," Waller said.

"I'll be in the workshop with Woody, with Waller & Wood Woodworks.

"We've just purchased a new premises, which is actually by the Saints, so our commute can be very similar to how it has been over the past many years.

"We're creatures of habit so we'll only be five minutes away from the club so we'll be nipping in there looking for a coffee now and again."

Wood is one of a number of friends Waller has gained during his stellar Saints career.

And the Kettering-born prop is so grateful for what life at the Gardens has given him.

"The main thing that sticks out is the whole club, the support staff, you spend more time with those people than your family so they become like a second family," he said.

"I'll certainly miss those people and I said this in my leaving address to the lads, but I've been fortunate or unfortunate to be involved in people leaving the club and if they're your mates, those relationships will long outlive the playing career.

"Friendships will last a lifetime.

"In terms of playing, the moments that stick with me are the ones where we've faced adversity and come back. You look at the likes of the games where we've been down to 14 men, been the underdog, come back and won.

"You look at the trophies, that's why you play the game, and doing that with a bunch of boys you've gone through highs and lows with really stick in the memory.

"The biggest thing rugby has given me is a second family and it gives you a few holiday homes to disappear to.

"Those relationships last forever and that was emphasised when we had the 10-year double-winning anniversary a few months ago. It was like we'd left training yesterday even though we hadn't seen each other for so long."

Waller, who scored the extra-time try that saw off Saracens in the 2014 Twickenham showpiece, has now been part of both Premiership-winning squads at Saints.

And he said: "I'm pretty content with the way it ended! It's very special.

"My oldest lad is probably just about grasping that dad did something good so to share that and be able to look back on it with them, it's why you play the game.

"To have those memories to reflect on with your family and to win some stuff with some cool blokes - I managed to do that."