Releasing the shackles has been key as McParland continues his rise at Saints

For Archie McParland, the 41-21 Gallagher PREM victory at The Rec proved to be a turning point in his young career.

He shifted his mindset before the match and it paid off in grand style as he scored and starred in an epic victory.

McParland had been through the school of hard knocks prior to that encounter, playing in so many incredibly tough away games at such a tender age.

He had some difficult times, particularly in his first PREM start at Bristol Bears in March 2024, and he knew he needed to find a way to become more comfortable at the top level.

A player who Saints boss Phil Dowson says is often very hard on himself, needed to find a way to turn fear of mistakes into confidence to get the job done.

And that was exactly what he did against Bath, building a platform for what has turned into a breakout campaign for the 21-year-old scrum-half.

"I feel like in the past I’ve been quite conservative with my approach to games and to be able to let the shackles off in my own mind and play freely and not worry about mistakes has been great for my game," said McParland, discussing his new approach.

"It’s been great having the confidence to go out there and show what I can do.

"There’s obviously a process – as you play more at this level you gain confidence over time – but there was obviously a moment where I hadn’t been playing how I wanted to be playing at the start of the season.

"As I said before, I was quite conservative and I got dropped for a few games. Then we went into Bath away and I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to start in that game, and I felt like that was sort of a make-or-break game for me.

"I went into that game with a mindset of ‘let’s go now’ and ‘let’s not worry about mistakes, otherwise it’s going to put me down'.

"I sort of had to (go for it) then and from then on, it’s felt a lot better."

McParland shone again last Saturday as he scored two tries, including what proved to be the winner, in a memorable 21-17 PREM victory against Saracens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This week, he has been nominated for both Saints' player of the month for March and the PREM player of the month prize.

So it's clear his new way of thinking about games is bringing the best out of him.

"I’ve probably been guilty in the past of over-thinking it, but you’ve got to look at it as just being a rugby game and if you have that mindset, you’re a lot calmer and you can make decisions a lot more calmly," explained McParland, who has scored 10 tries in 16 appearances so far this season.

"I think having a consistency of game time is really good and getting that momentum has been massive in terms of how I play at the weekend."

With Alex Mitchell injured, McParland has stepped up to ensure the loss of one of Saints' star men hasn't hampered the team too much.

And the young No.9 will get another chance to impress at the top level this week as he starts against Castres Olympique in the Investec Champions Cup round of 16 clash at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.

McParland actually made his Champions Cup debut in a game against Castres last season.

And looking back on that match last December, which Saints won 38-8, he said: "I remember it being a very wet and very windy day – it was absolutely torrential!

"But they’re a good outfit and we got the better of them last time, then coming into this week we both have different teams, they’ll be looking to come out strong and I’m looking forward to it.

"The Champions Cup is the pinnacle of rugby, in terms of domestic teams, and to be getting my first start this weekend in this tournament is great.

"I just can’t wait to play.

"Friday night games are one of the best things to be involved in and playing in front of a full house here on Friday is going to be great.

"I can’t wait for the opportunity."

McParland should be on a high this week after his heroics against Saracens last weekend.

"It’s the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of, probably the biggest stadium I’ve played in and it’s a very fond memory of mine," he said.

"We probably didn’t get the full performance we wanted, but there were lots of good things in the game and to be able to get the win away from home was great.

"We had a lot of chances and to be able to get through at the end and score was just great.

"I was just thinking ‘quickly get to the try line’ when I received Tom Litchfield’s pass because I saw Maro Itoje on my right, so I just knew if I ran away from him, I would be alright.

"I just couldn't wait to put the ball down and celebrate."