James Pater details Northampton development after opening-day hat-trick

Northampton Saints full-back James Pater has described the work behind his emergence after scoring a hat-trick in the club's Prem opener against Newcastle Red Bulls. In an interview published by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the 19-year-old discussed his route into rugby, his physical development and the competition for places at Northampton.

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Pater started at full-back following George Furbank's move to Harlequins and made an immediate impact on Friday. His first try arrived inside four minutes and his second within 15, before he completed his hat-trick. Fin Smith, who was initially named player of the match, passed the award to him. The performance followed appearances for England Under-20s and Northampton's age-grade teams.

His progress has come despite a relatively late introduction to the sport. Pater told the BBC he began playing rugby at 12 after starting secondary school and joining Huntingdon Stags. Football had previously been his main sport, including time in Cambridge United's senior development squad, alongside county cricket and hockey. He entered the Saints academy at 16, choosing to concentrate on rugby as his GCSEs approached.

A kicking session with Jonny Wilkinson also influenced that decision. Parents from Pater's Shelford Under-16s team pooled money for a charity-auction prize, allowing about 15 players to visit Pennyhill Park. At Northampton, his development has included a different kind of learning: ahead of January's Champions Cup meeting with Bordeaux-Begles, he was asked to imitate Matthieu Jalibert in training, testing team-mates with kicks and opportunities against unsettled defences.

Pater said his summer work had focused on becoming physically stronger, with the aim of handling collisions and playing consistently. His pre-season target was to feature in half of Northampton's matchday squads before Christmas. He also described competition from younger academy players as a motivation, recalling that he was placed among the older players during a warm-up activity before September's Prem Cup game against Saracens.

Although eligible for Ireland through his parents, Pater moved from Ireland's overseas-player programme into England's pathway. He has spoken with England A head coach Mark Mapletoft, but told the BBC that further ambitions depend on performances. Establishing himself regularly for Northampton remains his immediate focus after an opening league appearance that delivered three tries.