Boyd hails Ma'asi as hooker returns to Saints training after kidney transplant

Academy graduate Ma'asi returned to training at Saints on Tuesday for the first time since undergoing a kidney transplant on November 14.

The 20-year-old's father, Vili, proved to be a successful donor, meaning Ma'asi junior has been able to resume his rugby career.

And Boyd says Saints will do all they can to make sure the hooker, who has three Northampton first-team appearances to his name, can get through the challenges that still lie in wait.

"It was his first day back at training today and for a young fella, hopefully he's got a big upside in the game," Boyd said at Tuesday's weekly media session.

"He's had his medical challenges but he's faced them front on and worked really hard.

"The next challenge for him is going to be to get back into some sort of physical shape and that will give him the ticket to get selected going forward.

"Samson is very keen on the game and wants to do well in the game.

"He's had a setback but he's embraced that, and time will tell whether he's got the discipline over a long period of time to get all parts of his rehab right: his sleep, his diet, his training.

"He's going to have some challenges and hopefully we can help him get through all of that."