Boyd still expects to be back at Saints on a couple of occasions next season

Boyd is vacating his position as director of rugby this summer, with forwards coach Phil Dowson stepping up to take that on alongside Sam Vesty, who will go from attack coach to head coach.

But Boyd will still have some involvement with Saints despite the fact he is moving back home to New Zealand.

When asked what his new role will involve, the Kiwi told BBC Radio Northampton's 'The Saints Show': "It's really interesting because when we tried to put some scope around that in terms of time required and what you want to do, really what you want to do is nothing when people don't want you to do anything but do plenty when they do.

"One of the things I do know is that the role has no authoritative decision making at all in it, so in terms of selection, the way we play the game, recruitment and planning the week and organising the season, I'll have plenty to say and plenty of opinion but I don't have any authority to implement any of it.

"There will be some people at the Saints who will use me a lot, and there's already been some guys who have asked if they can set up a weekly chat - these are guys outside of the coaching group.

"The brief either had to be really structured and rigid so everyone knew what they were getting into, or the brief is 'this is where we think you can have some impact and some help, and let's wait and see where that grows organically'.

"It's a bit wishy washy I know.

"I'm probably going to be in Northampton for two weeks, three weekends so it might be rounds six, seven and eight.

"I'll do something before I go and then somewhere between the December, January, February time I'll fly out for a couple or three weeks.

"Then in April, May time I'll come back and I'll 100 per cent be back at the Gardens.

"I'm not sure I'll be wearing my Macron kit. There's a reasonable chance I'll have a pair of shorts on."