Over the last three decades, at least one Northampton Saints player has featured on every Tour for The British & Irish Lions except one.
The anomaly came in 2013, when Franklin’s Gardens-bound George North starred against the Wallabies.
Twelve years on, four Saints players were selected by Andy Farrell for the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2025, with winger Tommy Freeman revealing that North’s heroics – notably his fireman’s lift on Israel Folau in the second Test – are one of his earliest memories of the team.
He said: “That 2013 Tour with George North, he had a monumental impact on that Lions Tour. If I can follow in his footsteps, it would be pretty good.
“You want to make the best of what you can on the pitch and be involved in as many moments as you can and create those memories. The likes of George North in 2013, we all remember that, how special that was. If we can create something like that, it would be unbelievable.”
Freeman made his Lions debut alongside fellow Saints and England backs Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith in the 1888 Cup clash with Argentina in Dublin, with the fourth Lion from Northampton, Henry Pollock coming off the bench.
The quartet had all been in the room when the squad was announced back in May, leading to some wild celebrations before an emotional phone call with Freeman’s parents to acknowledge just how much they have helped him get to this point.
“It was a bit of relief when you see your name up there and then when the boys surround you and jump on you, you’re just trying not to get hurt,” said Freeman, whose parents, girlfriend and girlfriend’s dad are all heading out for the Tour.
“It was an awesome moment and to share it with your best mates and the lads you play with week in, week out is really special.
“I called my parents straightaway. Mum and dad were actually working so told me to call them as soon as I found out. The floodgates opened and we were crying down the phone. We didn’t really have a conversation to be honest.
“It was good for them, the years of travelling up and down the country for me and it paying off for them, it was really special.”
Now on the ground in Australia ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Western Force at Optus Stadium, Freeman is hoping to hit the ground running.
Part of the squad bonding involves making life difficult for Pollock, the youngest player Down Under who has to take care of BIL, the Lion.
Freeman said: “We’re going to make his life hell! It will be good, we’ll get stuck into him as the other lads will, we’ll put pressure on him with the lion.”
As for the Test series, Freeman knows that the aerial battle against former rugby league superstar Joseph Sua’ali’i could be crucial, but is also looking forward to the prospect of potentially facing former teammate Andrew Kellaway.
He added: “Australia have got a lot of connections growing and they are building something quite nice. They have got some special talents, Sua’ali’i obviously is a star man for them. Andrew Kellaway, I used to play with at Northampton so it will be good to go up against him. I’m really buzzing for it and it will be good to get stuck into the best.”
