Saints Q&A: Tom Vickers talks to Curtis Langdon ahead of the PREM final

Last year, Langdon suffered a shoulder injury in a Gallagher PREM game against Saracens the week before the Investec Champions Cup showpiece against French giants Union Bordeaux Bègles.

It was one that would prove serious enough to rule him out of much of the season that would follow - this season, to be exact - but he somehow played through it to complete 61 minutes at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Saints suffered heartache that day, but now they return to a final stage for the third year in succession, taking on Exeter Chiefs in the PREM trophy tussle at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Ahead of that game, I sat down with Langdon to discuss the past year and how happy he is to have another shot at silverware.

The full question and answer session is here…

Q: It's been a tough past year with injuries for you, so how much does it mean to have a final to look forward to this week?

A: "I'm just hugely grateful to be part of this team.

"I've not played much this season and the lads have done a great job.

"There's loads of lads who have taken the field for us in a Saints shirt in the PREM and it's been a real collective effort to get us to where we are now.

"The lads who take the field at the weekend, I just hope we put a good representation of the whole squad out there on the pitch and then we can all enjoy it together afterwards."

Q: You've had plenty of recovery to do so how much of that was spent thinking about playing in these sorts of games again?

A: "I don't want to miss any games, if I'm honest with you.

"It was tough with my shoulder injury because it put me out for just over half the season and then I got back, was really enjoying it and we had that (Champions Cup) quarter-final at Bath (in April) where I felt like we were in such a good place, we started so fast and then I broke my thumb and had to have that operated on and be out for another seven weeks.

"I got back for the last round of the PREM against Quins and a few people have said I've timed it well, but if truth be told, I want to play every game.

"It has been really tough and it's almost felt like such a long season because I've been injured for a lot of it but it now feels like it's gone so quick because now I'm back playing, I want to carry on playing every week.

"This being the last game of the season, it almost doesn't feel like that.

"I'm just really excited about this weekend, and some of the performances I've watched and been a part of this season have been special.

"I know this is such a special group and I'm just really excited to go there and hopefully put a good reflection of us as a squad on the pitch. If we do that, we'll get the result."

Q: Have you had that desperation to be out there every weekend for your whole rugby life?

A: "Yeah, 100 per cent - that's why I play the game. For me, it's the best day of the week.

"I probably struggle to motivate myself in the week for training, when my body is a bit sore from the weekend, and the thought of playing at the weekend is what gets me through the week and what motivates me.

"Even through the injuries I've had this season, just that feeling of being out on the pitch, especially with this group of players, is what keeps me going."

Q: Are you a terrible watcher of games or do you enjoy them?

A: "I'm a terrible watcher. I've been on the radio a few times and I quite enjoy that, but I don't enjoy watching the games.

"Some of them have been tough to watch this year - they're so close - and as a supporter or someone sat in the stands when you can't do anything about it is very hard at times.

"I'd definitely rather play than watch from the stands."

Q: With that in mind, it must have been so tough to have to come off during the first half at Bath in the Champions Cup quarter-final?

A: "I was gutted about that one because I'd played a few games back from my shoulder injury and I was probably getting back to a point where I was feeling good, my body was recovering as quickly as it normally would, I was feeling good, I had the confidence back in my shoulder and everything was going well, then I went into a collision and broke my thumb and I was a bit like 'not now, not again'.

"But I got through that one, I've got a couple of games under my belt, I'm feeling good and I've got the opportunity to play in a massive game this weekend."

Q: Does it take you much time to get back into it after injury?

A: "Not really. I think sometimes it's hard because you can't get match fitness from just training - you need to play to get that match fitness.

"My thumb injury obviously didn't keep me out as long as my shoulder - my shoulder injury kept me out for quite a while so I maybe needed a couple of games to get my body back in condition to play in terms of recovering and fitness wise, but this time round it's not been as bad because it's not been as long.

"I had those few games when I came back from my shoulder injury and managed to maintain that fitness and then I had my thumb injury so I've come back in and felt pretty good from the off."

Q: How much of a help has your partner been for you?

A: "She's been really good. There have been some tough and frustrating months this season with my injuries and she's probably found it hard as well because of the mood swings that I've had but she's been really good.

"It's massive to have her and to be able to get away from rugby on my days off to take my mind off things sometimes.

"She's hugely supportive as well.

"She couldn't make the weekend because she was on her sister's hen do but she was watching on her phone, really excited to see us get to the final and she can't wait for this weekend as well."

Q: And I understand you're going to be a father in the not too distant future?

A: "She's 21 weeks pregnant today so we're expecting a boy in October.

"She's doing really well, she copes really well with that stuff (Saints creating tension in games) and she's handled the pregnancy really well.

"She really enjoys coming to Saints and she's buzzing for the weekend."

Q: How much experience do you take from the experiences you've had in finals in recent years?

A: "Looking back at the last time we won the PREM, we probably didn't have as much experience in these big games, these finals but we had Courtney (Lawes) and he was massive for us that year in terms of his messaging going into those big games.

"I think back to the Leinster semi-final (in 2024) and the final against Bath, he was awesome.

"Since then, we've played in quite a few knockout games so this team is pretty experienced in these big games.

"Boys are ready for this weekend, some of the messaging has been really good.

"For some of the boys who haven't had those experiences, there have been some leaders who have spoken to them and spoken about their experiences.

"There have been messages about making sure you don't play within yourself in these big games, don't hold anything back, don't wait for anything to happen, just go and throw yourself into it, like everyone has in every game this season. Nothing needs to change.

"Also there's that knowledge that you don't need to do anything different or special this weekend for us to be on the right side of the result. You just need to do your job and do it to the best of your ability."

Q: Are you feeling better than last time you went into a final, because you had a tough experience before that Bordeaux game last year?

A: "Yeah, 100 per cent. That was tough.

"That was obviously my shoulder and I did that the week before the Champions Cup final last year so I wasn't able to prepare as well as I have this week."

Q: Were you just hoping you could get through that final?

A: "I didn't do any training during the week, I was in the hyperbaric chamber and the physio room all week.

"The morning of the game I went into the barn on the indoor training pitch at The Vale and made sure I could throw a lineout, which I could.

"I made a couple of tackles off each shoulder with Chunya (Munga) holding the bag and kind of decided it was going to be good enough to play.

"I got through it luckily, but this week has been a bit different because we've had some good prep so far and all the boys seem in a really good spot."

Q: Were you able to put thoughts of your shoulder injury to the back of your mind when you were playing that final last year?

A: "Once you get playing, you kind of just forget about it.

"What often happens when you're carrying an injury like that is you'll whack your head or you'll whack something else and then you'll just forget about it."