Guinness 0.0 and a steely defence: Northampton Saints are on the cusp of glory

As they lead the Premiership and look to defend their one and only league title from 2014, Northampton Saints are also heading into their first Champions Cup semifinal since finishing second in 2011.

Beating Leinster in front of 82,000 fans at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday in the European semi-finals sets up a potentially amazing finale to the season. The domestic play-offs are held in June, and the final is held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25.

How did Northampton get to the brink of fame?

The Saints’ director of rugby from 2018 to 2022 had a brief to develop English coaches, led by Phil Dowson, who served under Boyd then succeeded him.

Boyd is home in New Zealand now, but he stays in touch with his old colleagues and makes occasional visits.

He was watching the recent win over Leicester quietly on a tablet at 4am but went downstairs to the TV after 40