Centre Odendaal still proving himself at Saints

Northampton Saints centre Burger Odendaal feels he still has to beryllium himself to his team-mates contempt scoring a effort successful their Premiership semi-final triumph against Saracens.

It was nan South African's first effort for nan nine adjacent nan extremity of a play which began pinch wounded problems that kept him retired of action until nan extremity of December.

Now, though, he has a chance of stepping retired astatine a sold-out Twickenham successful nan Premiership play-off last against Bath arsenic Saints look to triumph nan title for only nan 2nd time.

"It's astir apt 1 of nan hardest years I've had successful my career," he told BBC Radio Northampton.

"The measurement it's turned out, I wouldn't person imagined it being for illustration this.

"It was a struggle nan first mates of months I sewage to nan nine and I'm truthful grateful we are really successful a position to triumph nan trophy."

Because of nan title for places astatine Saints, Odendaal will person to hold to find retired if head of rugby Phil Dowson - a personnel of nan 2014 title-winning Saints squad - starts him against Bath.

But Odendaal has learned to travel to position pinch nan ups and downs of nan crippled complete nan past fewer years.

He was successful nan Bulls squad beaten by Cheetahs successful South Africa's Currie Cup last successful 2016 and his dreams for a caller section successful England pinch Wasps ended aft 4 appearances successful 2022 when they went into administration.

Odendaal returned to Japanese rugby, wherever he had played earlier successful his career, earlier being picked up by Saints for nan 2023-24 season.

Asked astir his feelings of lingering insecurity astir his worth to nan squad, he said: "I deliberation it's not a bad thing. We've sewage very beardown title successful nan group and that will conscionable bring retired nan champion successful me.

"I don't want to fto immoderate of nan boys down and that's a attraction aliases mindset that helps maine beryllium connected nan apical of my game."

Odendaal described his first-half effort against Saracens arsenic a "surreal moment" which will unrecorded successful his representation for galore years - and he would emotion to adhd 1 aliases 2 much against Bath to thief Saints bring location nan trophy.

"I was fortunate to get nan nod. I didn't cognize really squad action was going to go," he said.

"It was an awesome triumph for america against Sarries. We knew it was going to beryllium a reliable 1 but we said if we put nan attraction connected america and put our rugby connected nan pitch, we'll get nan consequence successful nan end. I americium super-stoked for nan last this weekend."

He added: "This is going to beryllium monolithic for me. I've ne'er played successful a stadium that large and it's already sold out, truthful it's decidedly going to beryllium nan biggest crowd I've played before."