Painter showcasing his huge potential at Saints

But now Saints supporters are starting to see what the tighthead prop, who turns 24 later this month, is capable of on a more regular basis.

Painter and Manny Iyogun have been the Saints starting props in recent matches against Sale Sharks and Exeter Chiefs.

And they have more than gone toe to toe with two tough packs, with Saints suffering late heartbreak in both matches.

Iyogun and Painter helped to put Saints in control against the Chiefs last Sunday, and the black, green and gold were actually 28-17 ahead when they left the field.

The exit came just after Saints had smashed Exeter in the scrum to provide the platform for Juarno Augustus to walk a try in.

And it is clear that there is huge potential in Saints' young props.

"We've gone pretty well in the past couple of weeks but I feel like that's to do with a lot of the foundation work we've done over the past couple of years," Painter said.

"Our process doesn't change even if our players do, and we've got to a point where we just think about us, we don't need to think about the opposition.

"We know if we get ourselves right, what they do doesn't really matter.

"It takes a lot of the pressure off and all of us, from the youngest front row to the oldest, we're all pretty confident."

On the scrum at which Saints systematically demolished Exeter, Painter said: "It was a nice moment.

"I'm as tighthead as you can get really and moments like that are exactly why I love scrummaging.

"Especially when you can mix a good scrum and we actually get a try from it.

"It's a fantastic feeling."

Painter came through the Academy and looked up to the likes of double-winner Salesi Ma'afu and England man Kieran Brookes.

"I was in the Under-17s when the boys won the Prem, and obviously Salesi was a big part of that," Painter said. "Watching him was fantastic.

"Watching Brookesy and then becoming a part of the team and seeing those boys train was fantastic.

"I'd always just watch Saints and the Academy coaches kept saying 'keep watching the boys play' and that's what I did."

Painter has already played 71 games for Saints, and he continues to strive for improvement week by week.

"Defence has been my biggest focus," he said.

"Making my contacts impactful is important and I've done that pretty well so far.

"It's about when someone runs straight at me, being good in that space.

"Then my foot movement is something else I'm working on, which is pretty universal for any big guy.

"I'm working on my breakdown, my maul attack and defence and I top them up weekly."

Painter has enjoyed seeing 21-year-old Iyogun flourish on the other side of the scrum.

"It's fantastic," he said. "You wouldn't have known Manny started propping at 18 or something like that.

"He's still a super baby and he's done phenomenally well.

"He hasn't had any of those really tough lessons I remember having in my first couple of years.

"I'd come up against the likes of Clermont and think 'flipping heck, I've been taught a serious lesson'.

"He doesn't seem to have had those yet, which is fantastic, but every prop has those lessons, it doesn't matter how old you are.

"He's got myself and everyone around him to guide him, but he doesn't need it because he's just doing so well."

Next up for Painter, Iyogun and Co is a crucial Gallagher Premiership clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday afternoon.

And Painter said: "It's a must-win.

"They've certainly progressed and they've used their Astroturf well.

"They've had some really good performances at home and they've got that confidence that has come into their away games as well.

"They're a serious outfit and we know we're going to get a super tough battle with the scrum, maul.

"Their forwards are really good and we've got to match it and above."