Semi-final week 'exciting' and 'a bit emotional' for departing Saints skipper Furbank

But he knows it won’t truly hit home until he has no more black, green and gold fixtures on his calendar.

This Friday night, Furbank will run out at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens as a Saints player for the final time.

It could well be the perfect conclusion to his Gardens life as he looks to propel the club he loves so much to victory against their old foes, Leicester Tigers.

But Furbank, a player who has been through his fair share of pain during his career, knows fairy-tale endings don’t come easily.

"It would be a dream, a fairy-tale ending but I'm pretty aware they don't happen just like that - you've got to go out and earn it,” Furbank said, discussing what a win would mean to him this week. “So that's what we're looking to do."

He added: “It's pretty exciting, a bit emotional.

"I obviously had a nice little send-off in that Gloucester game last month and did a few things after to start saying goodbye.

"It's going to be weird.

"I'm relishing the game and a Friday night at home is going to be a pretty epic way to go out at the Gardens.

"I don't think I'll reflect or think back on anything until after that's done."

Current club captain Furbank came through the Academy at Saints and he played a key role as they won the Gallagher PREM in 2024, beating Bath in the final.

He hoped to help them claim European glory last season but suffered incredibly bad fortune as the knee of Romain Buros hit him in the head at high speed and ended his Investec Champions Cup final appearance inside the opening five minutes.

The exceptionally brave England full-back has had more than his fair share of injury issues to deal with in recent years but was able to get a rest last weekend for the clash with his future employers, Harlequins.

"It was nice to have a little refresh but we were in here training fully,” Furbank said.

"We came back from a week off in that Leicester game (which Saints lost 41-17 last month) so we were never going to have a full week off again.

"It's nice on the body to have that Saturday off but plenty of the lads played last weekend so we feel game-ready.”

And now Furbank’s full focus turns to taking on Tigers on Friday night.

"Edo (Todaro) just spoke to me in the gym and he asked me what the atmosphere will be like on Friday night because he watched the PREM Cup (game against Leicester) and thought it was pretty epic, then watched the Champions Cup (knockout) game and thought that was even more epic and I said 'it's going to go up a notch on Friday night, I can tell you that',” Furbank said, smiling broadly.

"Friday nights here are always special, add a semi-final, add derby day on top of it and it's going to be an epic occasion.”

Any thoughts of his own situation and the fact he won’t be a Saints player when this season ends will be put firmly to the back of the mind for Furbank when the game kicks off on Friday night.

“I guess being a fan of this club growing up, playing here for 10 years, it's all I've ever known,” he said.

"It's a place you come and it feels like home.

"You're almost guaranteed a sell-out now, week after week, and the crowd bring an unbelievable atmosphere so it's definitely something I'm going to miss.

“It did (sink in that he will be leaving) a little bit after the Gloucester game when we were doing the shirt presentations.

"I don't think it will sink in until after the season's done, whenever that is.

"I actually said it to the group, that normally you watch those boys say goodbye and do their speeches in the little players' thing we do after, and you never think it's going to be you.

"It does feel weird that my time is now and my journey is coming to an end, but I'm pretty desperate to finish it on a high and I know this group is hungry for more silverware as well.

"I'm looking forward to it.”