'Squadfather' Hutchinson aims to help Saints see off the Bears

With the likes of Alex Waller and Courtney Lawes having left last summer, Hutchinson is now the player in the Northampton squad who made his debut for the club the earliest.

And he's even assumed the tag of 'Squadfather', which is something current boss Phil Dowson used to carry during his playing days with Saints.

"I'm only 29!" Hutchinson says, smiling.

"It's weird because there's a board up in the changing room with all the caps and the faces of the squad and there's about 200-odd people between me and the latest (debutant).

"I'm right at the top and when I joined 11 or 12 seasons ago or whatever, I never thought I'd be in that position because it was always Courtney (Lawes) and Alex Waller up there.

"I never really thought about it but it is strange seeing my face up there."

Hutchinson, who insists he still only feels 21, was certainly a senior figure for Saints last Friday as he started at full-back in a team that included Premiership debutant Will Glister, who is just 19.

The black, green and gold ultimately got the blend of youth and experience right as they picked up a 35-34 win at Kingston Park, earning their first Gallagher Premiership away success since January 2024.

"It was good - we definitely got that string of losses off our back," Hutchinson said.

"It wasn't perfect and it went to the wire, but it's five points away and Newcastle is a tough place to go so it was good.

"The last two results we had away (at Harlequins and Sale) was a combined five-point loss so they were fine margins.

"We're glad to get back on the right track in terms of away results.

"We defended 20-odd phases at the end and that brings everyone a bit closer so you make sure you enjoy those results even more.

"We had the likes of Luke Green, Craig Wright, Will Glister making their first Prem starts and they all scored so it was great for those boys and great experience moving forward."

Hutchinson had played at full-back on a few occasions before and he was thrust into the role a few hours before kick-off as James Ramm had to withdraw due to a neck issue.

"You're always learning and I was playing in a different position so that's an extra string to my bow," Hutchinson said.

"I got about a five-hour heads-up but I'm fortunate to have played in that position before and the backline we've got makes it a lot easier to help me slot in.

"I just tried to do a job and we just managed to scrape it over."

Hutchinson is now setting his sights on helping Saints to secure a fourth successive win in all competitions as they welcome Bristol Bears to cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

"We know the threats they bring," Hutchinson said. "They've got some pretty dangerous individuals.

"For us, we need to make sure we don't give those individuals the time and space to make offloads.

"We know the challenge that comes but also I feel like we're in a good place with three wins in a row.

"I feel like we've got a bit of momentum moving forward so we know what challenge comes at the weekend and we're looking forward to it, especially at home."