We will miss Carlos Spencer : Reihana

Northampton Saints captain Bruce Reihana admitted that he was ‘sad’ to see his good friend and fellow Kiwi Carlos Spencer leave the club.

The former All Black who they called Los left the club last week after he had gotten tired of warming the bench and agreed a substantial deal to pay off the last 18 months of his contract.

Reihana is one of just two of the fast-diminishing band of Kiwis left at Saints spoke on Monday of his sadness at seeing the end of Spencer’s reign at Franklin’s Gardens.

“Me and Carlos have been through a lot of ups and downs, a lot of good times and a lot of bad times,” Reihana said.

“But we have stuck true and stuck with the club.” he told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo.

“It is his time to move on, it is very sad, because he is a close friend as well, but I wish him all the best.”

As Spencer left the club mid season the Saints will be short of a player but Spencer himself will find it difficult to find a club straightaway and it understood that he has no club lined up yet.

.Reihana added: “It must have been the right time for him to go. I don’t know what has happened with Los, he knows what has happened. We just know that he has moved on, but I wish him all the best, because he is a top man.”

Saints boss Jim Mallinder also paid tribute to Spencer’s influence at the Gardens and surprisingly to a player who he gave a two-year contract to this time last year.

“He has been great for Saints,” said Mallinder.

“He is a real entertainer, he has always played with a smile on his face and been a real crowd favourite.

“It is sad, that is sport in a way, everybody moves on in time, teams do progress and that’s life.”

“I’m happy with the two players we have in Stephen Myler and Barry Everitt, but we always need to be looking to improve and bring people in.