Written off as relegation candidates by many pundits before the season started, Irish could end the campaign as Powergen Cup winners, European Shield champions and first-time Heineken Cup qualifiers.

Diminutive fly-half Everitt, has already had a major say steering Irish towards the healthy position they now find themselves in.

He currently tops the Premiership points-scoring chart, having amassed 297 from 18 games at an average of more than 16 points a time, and bagged a further 126 in other competitions just for good measure.

Given that Irish still have at least five matches remaining this season, Everitt could blast through the 500-point barrier.

And there can be little doubt that he is the biggest single threat to Northampton in terms of destroying their cup dream before a sell-out 75,000 crowd.

Everitt though, did not take up goalkicking until just a few years ago, which makes his current strike-rate all the more remarkable.

‘‘My first season of kicking was the year before I joined Irish from Leinster,’’ he said.

‘‘I identified it as something I was going to have to do if I wanted to play at the top level, and it has come good in recent seasons.

‘‘I’ve worked very hard this season, especially, but with every goalkicker, it’s a combination of hard work and dedication.

‘‘Every kick for me is an individual thing. It doesn’t matter how many I’ve missed or kicked beforehand, although your success-rate probably has to be over 70% in order to be a consistent goalkicker in the Premiership.

‘‘I haven’t really had any outside assistance from kicking coaches I am happy with the routine that I’ve got but Rob Andrew would have been the kicker at the time that I looked up to.’’

Everitt’s distinctive around-the-corner style has helped him demolish several of Irish’s Premiership opponents this season.

And the bad news for Northampton is that he is showing no sign of losing such deadly accuracy, having amassed 26 points on his last full Premiership appearance against Bath nine days ago.