‘I just wanted to pass all day long’: meet Archie McParland, the new Saints and England No 9

Archie McParland, 21-year-old Northampton Saints scrum-half, is on the verge of a full England debut this summer after a breakthrough season. A key turning point came in a league fixture at Bath just after Christmas, where he was encouraged by coaches to play instinctively and delivered a standout performance. McParland and Northampton now face Leicester in the Premiership semi-finals, with the young No 9 having also impressed in the Champions Cup quarter-final in April.