'Unbelievable effort' as Saints youngsters tame Tigers

The Saints youngsters started the new year in style, with Will Hepher grabbing a hat-trick in the PREM Rugby Next Gen Academy League encounter.

Charlie Tamani and Jack Lewis also dotted down to help secure an important bonus-point success.

But it was an impressive defensive performance that put the cherry on the cake to deny Tigers a single point on home turf.

And Marshall said: “We’re just very proud of the boys.

“It was an unbelievable effort all round.

"It probably wasn’t the free-flowing game we would like, in terms of the amount of phases played, but in terms of our ability to go and win those collisions and dominate them physically, it was exceptional.”

Immediately after the Under-18s success, Saints' Under-17s side also saw off their Leicester counterparts, claiming a hugely impressive 56-12 friendly win.

The victory came courtesy of a brace from Fin Westley as well as tries from Harry Carter, Josh Miller, Tommy Karpanos, Charlie Utting, Harvey Fisher and Dylan Hooper.

Saints Under-18s team against Leicester Tigers: 15 Hardy Linnell, 14 William Howes, 13 Will Catley, 12 Ashton Cox, 11 Charlie Tamani, 10 Sonny Goode (c), 9 Jack Woods; 1 Aiden Reid, 2 Ferdi Barnett-Vincent, 3 Noah Buxton, 4 Rafferty Hewitt, 5 George Tonga’uiha, 6 Ronan Perkins, 7 Jack Lewis, 8 Will Hepher.

Replacements: 16 Kingsley Gallimore, 17 Lucas Veevers, 19 Connor Wight, 20 Charlie Hammick, 21 Caelin Chin, 22 Fin Shields, 23 Elijah Jeyes.

Saints Under-17s team against Leicester Tigers: 15 Harry Carter, 14 Finn Westley, 13 Tommy Karpanos, 12 Joshua Miller, 11 Alfred Tedbury, 10 Kai Manson, 9 Fred Oliver; 1 Toby Seaman, 2 James Slater, 3 Ben Jones, 4 William Higgins, 5 Archie McHarg, 6 Seb Dare (c), 7 Howie Barnett-Vincent, 8 Oscar Wells.

Replacements: 16 Charlie Utting, 17 Dylan Hooper, 18 George Glenn, 19 Oliver Bloomfield, 20 Will Hart, 21 Jordan Johnson, 22 Neal Tuladhar, 23 Giovanni Panariello, 24 Malachy Renihan, 25 Harvey Fisher.