Myler honoured to reach milestone
Stephen Myler said that he is honoured to become just the second player to hit 2,000 points in black, green and gold of Northampton Saints.
The flyhalf's 17 points against Newcastle on Friday night , one try, three conversions and two penalties , took him to the double-millennium before hour mark. The final conversion both put the seal on the Saints' fourth try and allowed him to sit out the final quarter of the game, after having received a warm reception from the capacity Franklin's Gardens crowd.
But, always self-effacing, Myler said the achievement was something of a surprise. And what an achievement it is. In the 135-year history of Northampton Saints, only two players have come even close to the milestone, let alone achieve it, with Myler joining Paul Grayson in the most exclusive of clubs.
Myler's 2,000th point came eight years and one month after his first, a penalty in the Anglo-Welsh Cup win over Leicester in December 2006, and three years and nine months after he passed 1,000 points in the European Cup quarterfinal win over Ulster.
"It's not something I was aware of at the start of the game, but it was something that made me proud when I was made aware of it at the time.
"It's a proud moment for me to be held in that kind of company. It's not something I ever envisaged when I came to the club, but I'm proud that I've got there and hopefully I can get a few more before my time's up.
"My first points were against Leicester in the Cup, and I had a bit of a shocker, only kicking one from five. But I look back with fond memories of that game because we won. It seems a very long time ago but it's been an enjoyable journey and I'm glad it's not over yet," he said.
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder paid tribute to Myler's achievement.
"Stephen's been here longer than I have, and is still playing well and kicking goals. To achieve that milestone, not just how many games he's played but how many points he's kicked, is phenomenal. A lot of our good play comes through Stephen.
"He doesn't always get the headlines, but he's always that main man behind our attacking play," he said.
