The big interview: Tom Vickers talks to Saints star James Ramm

In 2024, Ramm was fit and available but so deep were Saints’ options at the time that he didn’t even make the bench for the Gallagher PREM final victory against Bath.

A year later, he was very much in the thick of it as he quickly overcame an injury suffered against Saracens on the previous weekend to line up against Union Bordeaux Bègles in the Investec Champions Cup final in Cardiff.

However, trouble struck again early in that match, with Ramm only able to play the first minute before a leg issue ended his game and his season.

This year, injury reared its ugly head once more as the affable Australian suffered a hamstring problem in the Champions Cup win against Castres Olympique on April 3.

And with Ramm having previously announced he will be leaving Saints this summer, he admits he was ‘terrified’ that would be his final game in black, green and gold.

But he was able to return last weekend, coming off the bench in the dramatic 36-32 win against Gloucester at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

And how he would dearly love a more settled and joyous end to what will be his last campaign at Saints before he departs for good.

"It's why we play, when it gets to the pointy end of the season and there is a different buzz around play-off games and finals,” Ramm said.

“We definitely want to finish on a high!”

Looking back on how his previous two campaigns ended, Ramm said: “It's been a whirlwind, for sure!

“But I'll look back on the time here and hopefully I won't remember those bits.

“I'll remember the time when we made that European final, not remember breaking my leg in the first minute.

“And then to be part of the squad that won the PREM that year, I'll take that away rather than dwelling on the fact I didn't get to play in that last game.”

Ramm arrived at Saints from NSW Waratahs in the summer of 2022 and he has since been part of plenty of pushes for silverware.

"I've been so lucky in the fact that I came in at a time when things were just sort of turning around for the Saints,” said the 28-year-old.

“Boydy (Chris Boyd) had a big impact and then Dows (Phil Dowson) stepping in has obviously continued and taken that in his own way.

“The first year I was here we were in a semi-final, which I thought was unreal, then we won the thing (the PREM) and then we had a European final so it's been an amazing four years.

“But there's still one more to get.”

So can experience of so many big matches play a part for Saints in the PREM play-offs this season?

"It's a big thing because we've been there and come out both sides of it,” Ramm said.

“The first year I was here, we had a semi-final that we lost, and we took a lot from that into the next year and were able to win it.

“It's only through exposure where you realise how to get through these games and these moments, and it doesn't become such a big thing because you think 'right, we've done this before'.

“It's back to basics and do what we do.”

Ramm feared he may not be able to do what he does during the closing stages of his Saints career when he suffered that injury against Castres in early April.

“It's always worrying before you get the scan results,” he said.

“Your mind wanders and you think 'have I played my last Saints game?', which was pretty terrifying for me because I didn't feel like I'd finished yet.

“But the physio department has done such a good job and we've really pushed hard to make sure that I can get back, get a couple of games, get some time under the belt and see what happens in the pointy end of the semi-finals and hopefully a final."

Looking back at the recovery process from the hamstring injury, Ramm said: “It feels like a long time ago for me!

“There was a massive cherry at the end of it with the potential of finals rugby so it was always a drive to get back and make sure we had enough time.

“I didn't want to go into the semi-final completely undercooked because we sort of had that experience with the European final where we were getting through training that week and being like 'yeah, there's a bit of pain that week'.

“We didn't want that to happen again so I'm happy that we've been able to shift the timeline to make sure I can get some rugby in and see what happens come finals time.”

Ramm wants to get some more minutes under his belt in the PREM final-day fixture at Harlequins on Saturday.

And though Saints have already secured top spot, the players insist they will not be taking the trip to the Twickenham Stoop lightly.

"We've talked a bit about it this week and we're trying to really flip it on its head and talk about what an opportunity this is for us,” Ramm said.

“We've given ourselves this opportunity to be top of the table and just go and express ourselves.

“There's two ways of looking at it, with one being that we're not really playing for anything and then the other, which is how we're trying to look at it, that we've worked hard all season to put ourselves in this position and we want to go and express ourselves and make sure we perform the way we want to perform then hopefully take that momentum into the next couple of games.”

And the players who take to the field this weekend know they will be auditioning ahead of the home play-off semi-final six days later.

"Competition in every position throughout the whole year is always a big part of our success in that if someone drops out, there's no drop off with the next one in,” Ramm said.

“We train the exact same way, the skill level in the whole squad is very similar.

“There's always competition for positions but that's what's bred so much success.”

With one more home match to go, Ramm will hope for more Gardens game time.

But he got the chance to say a farewell to the fans last weekend during the traditional post-match leavers ceremony that follows the final home game of each regular season.

Ramm, who is set to spend some time playing in New Zealand before heading to new club Western Force later in the year, said: “The ceremony was beautiful. They do it really well every year and you really feel like you're part of a family here.

“Saying goodbye was tough, but it doesn't feel like the end just yet.”