Saints showing they can unearth gems again, with Ramm the jewel in the crown

They have not picked up any current world stars as they did back in 2013, the summer before they delivered the Premiership title.

But what they have picked up is a group of players who can all, so far, be considered a hit relative to the money that is most likely being paid for them.

From Aaron Hinkley to Fin Smith, from Angus Scott-Young to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, from Robbie Smith to Sam Graham - Saints are starting to show they can grab gems again.

And perhaps the jewel in the crown is 24-year-old Australian wing James Ramm.

The English-qualified back has been nothing short of superb in the black, green and gold this season, influencing game after game of late.

Among many other things, he is electric in attack, secure under the high ball and defensively resilient - the ideal combination whether he players on the wing or at full-back.

So just how did Saints get their hands on a player who most supporters at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens knew little about when he arrived from NSW Waratahs last summer?

"Paul Shields and Eamonn Hyland run the recruitment side of things in terms of identifying talent," explained Saints boss Phil Dowson.

"You see guys who have played Super Rugby, who are EQP and who have certain metrics and talent in their game.

"We were looking for someone who was good in the air, who was physical and who was keen to get better.

"On the stats, James scored highly. He hasn't had huge experience, he'd had a few injuries that laid him off a little bit.

"We watched some of his games and Sam (Vesty) really liked him in terms of how he got involved, his kicking game and his ability to win the ball in the air, all those bits and pieces.

"We then had a phone call with him to see if he'd be keen and it all snowballed from there.

"We then looked at character referencing so we spoke to Rob Horne to see what he was like as a bloke.

"With Andrew Kellaway being very flattering about the club and his experience here before going back to play international rugby, it was the same.

"You want to make sure you develop these guys and do the best for them.

"These guys talk and they give opinions to people who we want to come and join us so we want the best environment and hopefully that spreads our reputation as a club that wants to develop players.

"You basically find these players based on who's playing in a top division, who is available, who statistically does what we want them to do - we try to recruit what the team needs in different positions - and then we go from there."

Just as important as the signatures of Alex Corbisiero, Kahn Fotuali'i and George North prior to the memorable double-winning season of 2013/14 was the work done to find the likes of Sam Dickinson and Luther Burrell.

Dowson was part of that side that delivered such success, and he knows how important it is to unearth talent from every corner of the England and the globe.

He said: "The most important thing we talked about was identifying these players statistically so we know what they can do and we know they can back it up and that they are durable enough to contribute regularly.

"When we speak as a recruitment team - Shieldsy, Eamonn and myself - we talk from a character point of view to get references on that.

"Are they people who want to play, who want to be physical, who want to get better, who want to win, who are competitive?

"We do lots of different things to identify people to come into the environment."