Saints Q&A: Tom Vickers talks to England ace Alex Coles

And he's now preparing for it all to get going again as the black, green and gold begin their title defence at home to Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm).

This week, Coles took some time to speak to this publication about what has previously unfolded and what's to come.

Here is our full question and answer session with a man who is now one of Saints and England's most important forwards…

Q: Does it feel like only a short time since last season ended?

A: "It actually feels like a long time! I know this, in pre-season terms, is quite a short pre-season, but it feels like there’s been so much gone one, with me going away with England then holidays, and then coming back here and then going to Sri Lanka, and all sorts - it feels like a lifetime ago, the PREM final. That’s probably a good thing. It’s nice to feel like we’re in a new season, with a new group, new energy and that we can’t hold on to last season too much."

Q: What was it like going straight into England camp after the PREM final celebrations?

A: "It’s tough, that bit, always. We still managed to celebrate and embrace it, but then you do have to snap straight back into rugby mode and get back into international stuff. I think, for the most part, we did a pretty good job of that amongst the Saints lads, in terms of flicking the switch again. That is just what professional sport requires, and you see it with the footballers as well; you see them go from tournament to club to country the whole time. It can be tough, but you’ve just got to do it."

Q: Having experienced the transition between winning the PREM and playing for England in 2024, were you more prepared for it this time?

A: "The first time it happened (winning the PREM in 2024) I went away to camp before we went to Japan and New Zealand for the summer tour a few years ago. I found that really hard, winning your first Premiership and then wanting to fully embrace that moment and letting that sink in. Then you’re also being called up for your first summer tour and there’s just so much going on emotionally, while you’re physically shattered after a long season. That was the first time it happened, but definitely the second time I was more prepared for being able to enjoy it but then switch back on into the next thing."

Q: Are you feeling better prepared for this PREM title defence than you were before the 2024/25 campaign?

A: "I’d like to say we’re considerably better prepared. We’ve spoke at length, as a group, about what went wrong last time and the different challenges you face as reigning champions. There’s a reason it’s so hard to go back-to-back, historically, in all the leagues around the world and in all the different sports. We spoke about all those things and we were quite up front and explicit about all that. I think having had those conversations and having the direct experience of it a couple of years ago means we should hopefully be in a good place. That said, it’s still not going to be easy and all those reasons are still going to exist, whether or not we’ve spoken about them, and it’s going to be a challenge to overcome those, but we’re excited to do it. As a group, we like challenging ourselves and doing different things, and individually it’s exciting to try and do something not many teams have done."

Q: How much confidence do you have that this squad can compete for silverware again this season?

A: "There’s so much belief in the group, in terms of the way we’ve built our game, that different players can drop in and out and you still expect to see a Saints performance and know what that looks like. We have high standards that we hold ourselves to and there is a lot of belief within the group that we can overcome different challenges, whatever they may be. There’s still a long, long way to go before we can even think about the end of the season. While we’ve had those chats in pre-season, it’s still very much clicked into going back into our normal process and routine week-to-week, so we’re focused on Newcastle and focused on our own fundamentals of the game, so we won’t get too far ahead of ourselves."

Q: What do you make to taking on a new-look Newcastle on Friday night?

A: "I’m excited to see what they’re going to be about. In pre-season it looks like they’re moving the ball around really well, they’ve got a lot of exciting talent and you can tell they’re energised and excited about their project as well. It’s going to be a real good test and I’m expecting the crowd are going to be in fine form for our first home game back in the PREM against a new-look team. Everyone is really excited to get their teeth into it."

Q: How desperate are you to maintain that strong home record this season?

A: "If we’re serious about wanting to be back-to-back champions, it’s pretty much a non-negotiable that your home form has to be really strong, and we’re looking to start that on Friday."

Q: So many international stars have re-signed at Saints during the past year. What do you think that says about the club?

A: "That’s testament to the environment, the culture, the rugby performances that we’ve put in. It means people want to stay, even in a marketplace as competitive (as the PREM), where finances are squeezed, and I think that’s great. It just builds a lot of confidence and belief in the group that the players themselves are all wanting to stay on and wanting to be part of something. You’re signing yourself up for this group and that shows a lot of trust, and that really excites us."

Q: How desperate are you all to possibly create something of a dynasty here?

A: "I don’t know if that will be at the forefront of anyone’s mind exactly – it might be – but that definitely is part of the fact we’ve been successful, we have a good environment, we’ve had good times and good memories on the pitch with each other. That all probably feeds into the equation when people are deciding what they’re going to do."

Q: Does winning your second PREM title feel any different to the first?

A: "I think there definitely was a difference in feeling. Obviously, it’s more impressive to win something twice than once and you hope it makes more of a statement about the team. In the grand scheme of things, if you can say in this period we won it twice, we won it three times, we won however many, rather than once, it’s still just as exciting but there’s a different feel to it.

Q: What are you expecting from the PREM this season?

A: "I think it’s going to be another hugely competitive season. You look at the teams and the recruitment around the league has been really strong. Everyone’s best 23 on paper looks ridiculously strong, so there’s going to be no easy games and I think we’re going to see a lot of form fluctuating between teams. I think it’s going to be a real challenge to get consistent results in the league, that’s something we’re aware of and something we want to make sure we do."