Tommy Freeman puts advice behind him as Northampton exploits push England case
Tommy Freeman was told as a kid never to be the guy who can play every position, but is now adding another string to his bow at Northampton Saints.
The versatile back, who has dealt in tries as a winger and a fullback over the past two seasons, is now proving he can cut it as an outside centre. Known as the toughest place to defend on the pitch, Freeman has excelled as part of a Northampton defence that has taken them to the top of the Premiership.
Saints, and Freeman especially, have never struggled to find the try line, but keeping tries out has been a problem in recent years. Now, with the addition of Lee Radford to their coaching ticket, they are proving a match for any team and Freeman is showing how impressive he can be in the midfield.
His exploits in the back three saw him capped three times by England under Eddie Jones. Steve Borthwick is yet to select him however but Freeman is confident his versatility can be used to his advantage despite what he was told growing up.
He told Mirror Sport : "I think there's two ways to look at it, when I was younger I was told never to be that guy who can play every position - that's the No 23 shirt. I mean I've always been a bit of utility back growing up, I was happy to go anywhere. Nowadays I think being a utility back it offers a bit more.
England star Joe Marler reflects on lowest point after fight with pregnant wife
"If I'm on the wing there's cues I can pick up because I've played in the centres, for example. Hopefully in terms of selection it is more of an asset to my game.
"I think Steve is someone who does like that versatility. He likes someone who has more aspects to their game and hopefully that's aiding me and I will get another shot. I'm still focused and I want to play well here (at Northampton) although it is on my mind a little bit, I think it always is. If I keep performing well here I've got to make sure he's got no reason not to pick me."
The versatile back has enjoyed more influence in his new role as an outside centrePlaying at outside centre has not halted Freeman's try scoring. He's crossed the whitewash 11 times in 14 outings and is on course to beat his best single-season tally. What has been a learning curve is the defensive aspect after Saints head coach Sam Vesty opted for a positional tweak.
"It was Vesty who always had it in his mind (that I move to centre)," he added. "He always thought I'd be good there, I think it was his way of getting me on the ball more and having more involvement. On the wing you can roam around a bit, but at 13 it does come to you more so that was one of the main takeaways.
"At 13 I had lot to learn early doors, it was definitely new to me in the defensive sense. It was tough at the start, but after a few games felt really comfortable and would love to have more goes at it even though there's some injured lads coming back."
Freeman was back on the wing as Saints came from 14-0 down to beat Sale Sharks in their final game of 2023. That result, their seventh Premiership win in eight games, took them to the top of the pile. In each of the past two seasons Northampton have finished fourth before falling short in the semi-finals.
Freeman has continued to score tries with regularityThere's a different feel about the outfit from Franklin's Gardens but their 22-year-old star is well aware that no one will remember who sat top on January 1.
"I think in terms of how years go nothing chances for us we want to start the year fast," he said. "It has been going well, there's a good buzz, we're enjoying playing with each other. We're fighting in each game towards the end and showing a lot of character. We're in a good spot and hopefully we can carry it on because no one remembers who was top at New Year."
Freeman was on the books of Northampton's arch rivals Leicester Tigers before being released in his teens. He found salvation at the Gardens and has made good on that opportunity, admitting throughout his youth career that he was always "second best in a way".
He's surrounded by players who thought their rugby careers might be over when financial problems saw Worcester and London Irish go bust. Finn Smith and Tom Pearson both found a new home in Northampton and Freeman admits: "It does put things into perspective with how lucky we are and having that bit of fire in your belly is definitely something to put you in the right spot."
Borthwick changes half of England team for Six Nations opener against Scotland
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
