Saints sign locks Spencer and Thornbury on short-term deals

Locks Will Spencer and Gavin Thornbury have both joined Northampton Saints on short-term contracts.

Spencer, 32, and Thornbury, 30, have linked-up with the men in Black, Green and Gold to provide injury cover for the first few months of the 2024/25 season.

Saints are currently without second-row pair Emeka Atuanya and Tom Lockett, who are rehabilitating from shoulder and pectoral injuries respectively, while Temo Mayanavanua has only just returned from international duty having won the Pacific Nations Cup with Fiji last weekend.

Spencer arrives in Northampton from French Pro D2 side Soyaux-Angoulême. The 6’7” lock is no stranger to the Gallagher Premiership having made 76 appearances in the competition over stints with Worcester Warriors, Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby.

Coming through Bath’s Academy set-up, Spencer made his senior debut in 2013 before spending time on loan at London Welsh and helping them top the Championship that season.

He moved to Worcester Warriors in 2016, where his 30 appearances across two seasons earned him an international call into England’s squad for a training camp in 2017.

Spencer’s form also attracted the attention of Leicester Tigers, and he made 33 appearances for the East Midlands side in another two-season spell having joined in 2018, before returning to hometown club Bath in 2020.

The lock featured in both the Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup in his second stint in the West Country, racking up 42 appearances, and Saints’ Director of Rugby Phil Dowson is confident Spencer’s wealth of experience will be invaluable during his time at Saints.

“I played alongside Will at Worcester Warriors, and Sam Vesty coached him there too, so we know him well,” he said.

“Will feels he still has a lot to offer the game. He’s got a lot of experience in the Premiership and he’s played a lot of games over his career – that knowledge is vital.

“Something we’re always looking for in the second row is a real set-piece focus, and that’s something you get with Will. He’s a big man who’s happy to get involved across the park, and hit hard.

“Will wanted the chance to prove he’s still got something to offer the Premiership, and we always like players who are desperate for an opportunity to play and compete, so we’re delighted to have him on board.”

Meanwhile Dublin-born Thornbury arrives at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens from United Rugby Championship side Connacht Rugby, where he made 77 appearances across seven seasons at the province.

A former student of both Blackrock College and University College Dublin, Thornbury initially began in Leinster’s Academy system but – after a short stint in New Zealand where he helped provincial side Wanganui lift the Meads Cup – he joined the then-reigning Pro14 champions Connacht during the 2016/17 season.

The 6’8” lock’s debut at Connacht would come the following term, and Thornbury’s 19 matches during the 2020/21 campaign earned him a place in the Pro14 Dream Team that season.

And with Thornbury making the short-term switch to Northampton, Saints Director of Rugby Dowson is looking forward to having the former Ireland Under-20s and Irish Wolfhounds lock in the mix.

He said: “Gavin comes to us on a short-term deal, and has already thrown himself into things here at Saints.

“He’s a great character and he’s ambitious. Gavin’s a big man and a set-piece orientated player, but he’s also mobile and hits hard in defence.

“Gavin’s got a great knowledge of the game, he’s an experienced player and very highly thought of – you have to be to get close to that Ireland set-up as a lock.

“He has been unlucky with injuries over his career, but we felt we could give Gavin the space to contribute something while he’s here in Northampton, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he goes.”