Dickson reaches 200 for Saints
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Lee Dickson says that he will cherish the memories of a memorable day at Franklin's Gardens in which he hit 200 appearances for Northampton Saints.
Dickson hit the milestone when he came off the bench as a second-half replacement to help steer the Saints past Saracens to confirm their place in the Premiership semifinals for a sixth successive season.
But given how he is renowned for being one of the most talkative members of the Saints squad on the field, Dickson was somewhat lost for words when asked to describe his emotions after the game.
"It's hard to explain the feelings," he told SaintsTV.
"Not many people in this day and age get to 200 appearances for one club, so it's pretty special, especially at a club with such high standards like Northampton.
"Dylan Hartley and Stephen Myler have hit that milestone and I'm now fortunate to have joined that club as well.
"It's phenomenal for me, especially because it was on the same day as my little boy's birthday! It was a bit of a strange day, opening presents with him in the morning, then having a few nerves before the game, but it's something I'm going to cherish for the rest of my life."
Although he is just the 53rd player in the history of the Saints to reach 200 appearances, he is the third player in the current squad to hit the milestone. And Dickson says that this, together with a number of others having also passed the century mark, reflects long-term stability that has helped bring success to Franklin's Gardens.
"I've been here seven years now, and the core of the squad have been here a long time as well," he added.
"It reflects well on the club that we've been keeping hold of good, English talent, as well as bringing in good players like Kahn [Fotuali'i], George [North] and Samu [Manoa] to add to the blend.
"People want to stay here, want to play for the club and get to the 100, 200 appearances. It shows on the pitch, too, and we know how each other play – I must have played with Stephen 100 times now!"
The Saints may have secured a Premiership semifinal, but there is still a home tie to play for, which makes the final regular season game at Franklin's Gardens against London Welsh all-important.
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