'A lot of potential' - Dowson's thrilled as Saints sign fly-half duo

English-qualified Savala extends his stay in Northampton after arriving on a loan deal from Edinburgh earlier this season, while former London Irish fly-half Makepeace-Cubitt arrives from Reading Rams with immediate effect.

The pair, who are 23 and 20 respectively, will both be involved with the black, green and gold until the end of this season and beyond, and are in training ahead of this weekend’s clash with Gloucester.

And Saints boss Phil Dowson is looking forward to seeing both players make an impact at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.

“We’ve been impressed with Charlie since he came in on loan in November,” Dowson said. “He’s come down here, got some consistency into his training, and a few appearances under his belt.

“With his rugby league background, you can see that he has a real ability to go and play at the line and create space for others.

"Charlie’s also got skills across different positions – playing at 10 or in the centres – and it’s really useful to have that kind of flexibility.

“We see a lot of potential in Charlie, and with some more time as a Saint we think he’s got a huge opportunity to develop.

"He’s a good man to have in the group, but most importantly, Charlie’s a very good person with great character and we’re looking forward to seeing him push on.

“George is another flexible player – he can play at 10 or 15. He’s a self-starter, keen to put in the work to get the rewards.

“He dropped out of London Irish’s Academy system when they went under, but rather than sitting in another Academy set-up and training, went to Reading Rams where he knew he could play regularly.

“It was that attitude that really impressed us about George. Players who drop out of Academy systems and fight their way back in often have an edge to them, and that’s what he has.

"We’re grateful to Rams for allowing him to pursue this opportunity with us.

“George came in on a trial and the way he spoke, his confidence, the way he went to the line and put his hand up to have the ball, was really impressive.

"He showed some great maturity at the end of that trial period, he’s very driven and we’re thrilled to have him in the environment moving forwards.”