Saints centre Thame 'loved every minute' of two-try showing against Cambridge

And he insists it is extra special to be playing for the first team alongside so many of his fellow Academy graduates.

The 19-year-old, son of former Saints centre John Thame, impressed as the black, green and gold secured a bonus-point 55-5 Premiership Rugby Cup win at the Gardens.

Saints again selected a blend of youth and experience, with Thame partnering Tommy Freeman at centre.

And the Banbury-born back, who now has four Saints appearances to his name, said: "It was nice to be out there.

"Last year I had a couple of Prem Cup games and I felt like I was just building into it because it's men's rugby and it's a completely different pace.

"Now I've had a year under my belt in the Academy and I'm feeling comfortable.

"I've got a good relationship with the boys outside of me and I loved every minute of it.

"Saints do a great job of bringing boys up and I've been with these boys for five or so years and it's just so much better in the heat of the moment because you can rely on the players next to you because you've known them for so long."

Thame scored twice in as many minutes against Cambridge, bagging his first tries for Saints.

And he said: "I couldn't believe it!

"I give credit to the guys who gave me the ball but it's always good fun getting up and celebrating a try.

"I got to have a couple of beers with the lads after as well."

Thame would love to experience more first-team action in the near future, though Saints are set to add more senior faces to their side for the cup clash with Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Thame said: "(Sam) Vesty and Dows (Phil Dowson) are going to rearrange the squad for Bristol to get some more first-team players in the squad so they're ready for the Prem, but hopefully I've put my hand up in the game at the weekend and we'll see what happens from that."

With a father who played so many times for Saints, Thame admits he finds it tough to step out of the shadow of his dad, but he is delighted to be able to do him proud.

"It's hard to get out of his shadow sometimes because he had something like 111 caps," Thame said.

"But it was lovely walking out for the game because there's a board down there with his name on it and you see it so you're reminded of the work he's put in to make me a rugby player and what he's done before me.

"I'm just going out there to try to make him proud because he was in the stands.

"Everyone this side of Northamptonshire seems to know him so the amount of 'you look like your dad' that I get is ridiculous, but I don't see the comparison myself."

Thame joked: "I'm a lot faster and better than he was!

"I used to spend many years on the beaches of Cornwall passing a rugby ball around with him so I feel like I've played with him but I haven't."