Saints boss Dowson tips centre with 'outrageous ceiling' to help fill Odendaal void

Odendaal's contract is up this summer and he is heading to Japan to join Division Two side Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.

The South African ace made 17 appearances for the black, green and gold, producing some big performances in big games.

But injuries hit him hard, stopping him from having a more consistent on-field impact at Saints.

Still, his departure will be felt at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, leaving Saints in a position where they need someone else to step up.

And Dowson feels one of the players who has the potential to do that is Toby Thame, son of former Saint, John Thame.

Thame junior came through Saints' youth system, signing with the club's Senior Academy ahead of the 2022/23 season.

He progressed from Northampton’s Under-13 DPP into the Under-18s side – and caught the eye as he featured heavily at fly-half and centre at that level as an Under-17.

The centre’s first appearance in black, green and gold came in his fledgling season as he featured against London Irish in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Two more appearances would follow that season, with Thame making four more in his second term at the Gardens, including a Gallagher Premiership bow against Bath on the final day of the regular 2023/24 season.

Thame has recently been prevented from playing by an ACL injury, but the 21-year-old is on his way back.

And Dowson believes Thame and Henry Lumley, the teenage centre who made his Saints debut on the final day of the Gallagher Premiership campaign at Gloucester, are capable of having a big say for the black, green and gold next season.

When asked about Odendaal's departure on BBC Radio Northampton's Saints Show, Dowson said: "(Saints will miss him) a huge amount and we'd have loved to have kept him, but as I keep saying, we need to balance the squad and we've got to make tough decisions.

"Burger was brilliant for the group - not only from a playing point of view, but also off the pitch as a senior player and a leader.

"He quietly went about his business in a professional way and I've got a lot of time for Burger.

"There's a couple of players in the midfield coming through the Academy. You obviously saw Henry Lumley (against Gloucester), but there's also Toby Thame, who's had an ACL injury.

"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."