Courtney Lawes has been hailed as "the best Northampton player in history" by Ben Kay ahead of his farewell appearance in the Premiership final this Saturday.
The England great will leave the Saints, the club he's been at his entire career, to take up a contract in France as he enjoys the twilight years of his career. At 35 the lock turned back row has aged like a fine wine, proving integral to a Northampton outfit that have topped the Premiership for the first time in a decade.
After seeing off Saracens in their semi-final Northampton now have Bath standing between them and the trophy. Lawes is one of the few players who were present when the club last won the Premiership in 2014.
Plaudits have poured in for the veteran and Kay, who will be part of the final coverage on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+, confessed he is the best player seen at Franklin's Gardens. He told Mirror Sport: "100% Lawes is the best Northampton player in history I would imagine. Certainly in the modern era and he absolutely lays claim to being one of England's greatest ever players. You can't have enough accolades him and I know the Northampton faithful would love to see him leaving with one more trophy under his belt."
Lawes has blossomed in the months since retiring from England duty, leaving after the World Cup semi-final defeat back in the autumn. His game has gone to another level just as Northampton looked to have peaked, owing in part to a new defensive coach that has given them an added steel.
Austin Healey said: "Northampton-Saracens semi-final was as intense a game I've seen all season. I've never heard Franklin's Gardens like it was that night. It gives you a sense that Northampton and their fans are on a march, the Courtney Lawes story with him leaving, it is almost like it is written in the stars for them."
Lawes isn't the only man who'll be leaving Northampton come the weekend. Lewis Ludlam, who has been the club captain, will depart and head to France to join Toulon. Prop Alex Waller, the club’s record appearance holder in the professional era, will hang up his boots.
A young vibrant side, which has benefitted from a phenomenal amount of homegrown talent, is about to see a huge chunk of its leadership move on and it has been suggested that they need to seize the moment in Saturday's final ahead of the closing of a chapter.
Harlequins star Danny Care said: "I think Northampton, not that they need the trophy, but I feel like they could do with lifting a trophy due to all their hard work, whereas for Bath, if they weren't to win at the weekend they'd still go what an awesome season, look how far we've come, this is our journey. Whereas Northampton, if they haven't got a trophy, they might be kicking themselves."
He also added: "It is a bit of an end of an era at Northampton in a way, but they've got so many young players coming through. It is natural though that players, who are there for so many years, you can't underestimate how much of a motivation that is."
Fin Smith, now an England international, will be crucial in his battle against his namesake at Bath, Finn Russell. The Northampton fly-half has been as classy a conductor of any Premiership orchestra there's been and Healey commented on the similarities that he's seeing with George Ford - a player who Smith has been in and around an international level.
"He's improved a huge amount from being with England and spending time with George Ford," he said. "Shapes his body are making when he takes the ball to the line, inviting the defence with his eyes, in the same way Ford does. So you end up learning from great players."
Watch Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby in the Gallagher Premiership Final this Saturday, live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ from 2pm.