'An absolute privilege' - Saints centre Thame determined to prove Dowson right

Some supporters may have expected a new signing, but Dowson was more than confident in his in-house options.

The player he namechecked may have surprised some as he had just nine appearances, two of which were starts, to his name. And he hadn't played since last September.

But having seen more than enough of him during his rise from the Saints Academy, Dowson had full faith in Toby Thame.

"Toby is going to be in the environment full-time and he's someone with an outrageous ceiling, so we're excited about seeing how he goes," Dowson explained in June.

Those words didn't go unnoticed by Thame, who was on his way back from an ACL injury suffered playing for Durham University, where he is studying finance, in a game at Leeds Beckett University.

"It's an absolute privilege to have that kind of trust put in you," said Thame, speaking to the local media for the first time earlier this week.

"It's been 10 hard months of physios and S&C coaches putting a lot of work in, namely Ben Rhodes and Kiera Ruddy. I really want to give back to them and to myself really.

"It's all well proving to other people, but proving to myself is the biggest thing this season and trying to put myself in and amongst the PREM side each week."

Thame certainly displayed that determination last Friday, pulling on the Saints shirt for the first time since his injury.

He scored a try in a successful 40-minute outing in the pre-season success at Bedford Blues.

"It was so incredible,” he said. “It couldn't have gone better for me.

"A trip down to Goldington Road, 40 minutes to test the knee out and a quick try as well so I was extremely happy with it."

Having completed his comeback, Thame said: "It's been a long, old road to recovery but I was glad to get that first game back under my belt after 10 months.

"Talking to (S&C coach) Ben Rhodes, we (Saints) hadn't had a contact ACL injury in about five years and then we had Burger and then three in about a month.

"It's just been the way it goes, really unlucky but what a privilege it's been to have Sam Graham and Robbie Smith alongside me to go through the process as well.

"I got my injury playing for Durham away to Leeds Beckett so it was a tough phone call into the medic.

"I'm really lucky to have the support of the clinic and the coaches here throughout the whole process because I know a lot of amateur rugby players in the same situation as me playing in that game would not have the help there."

While his full focus is now on impressing for Saints, Thame will still be able to finish his Uni course.

"I'm still at Uni," said the 21-year-old. "I had two years up at Durham full-time and I've still got my last year of my degree.

"I've had a lovely time, I loved the environment, playing a bit of rugby and I've got some proper mates for life from up there, but now I'm back here full-time and really looking forward to the season.

"It's agreed with the Uni and they've been very good and flexible because they've had stars like Guy Pepper and Fitz Harding do similar stuff where for elite athletes they can do an online version of their course.

"As long as I get there for some essential modules, which Dows is very kind at letting me go to, they're happy for me to do it online from here.

"It's finance degree I'm doing and I've always been interested in maths and English at school.

"We had a couple of talks here from Ethan Waller, who is now in finance, and that has been really interesting so I'd maybe like to try my hand at that post-career or having a little something running alongside my rugby career."

Former Saints prop Waller is clearly someone who has had an impact on Thame.

"He is (an inspiration) in more than one way for the lads," Thame said.

"He was such an inspiration over the last two years he was here for the non-23, bringing the vibes and humour to the bunch.

"Now he's an inspiration off the pitch with your bank account!"

Someone else who is obviously a great template for Thame is his dad, John, a former Saints player.

"I never got to see him play so I was never first-hand in his rugby career and it was a semi-professional era so I didn't immediately have the matchday element of it," Thame junior said.

"We didn't really come to many Saints games until the age of about 10 to 12.

"It was mainly just instead of having a football on the beach, you'd have a little rugby ball kicking about with dad and I'm very lucky because of that."

Those rugby genes clearly served Toby well as he powered to victory in the gruelling pre-season test, the Blakiston Challenge, last month.

"Being around rugby from a young age helps, but I'm by no means the fastest or the strongest of the group," Thame said.

"I pride myself on ability with ball in hand more than that.

"But it was a massive honour (to win the Blakiston Challenge).

"You never really think about it because it's not to do with rugby and the team playing, but it's always something in the back of your head that you really want to earn the right to win and be part of that pretty cool bunch of boys who have won it.

"I wouldn't say I got bragging rights. With the England boys coming back, I've had all of them in my ear saying 'if I was here, I would have won that, Thame', but you can only beat who's in front of you!"