Chris Gleadell's thoughts from the Chron 5th March

By Chris Gleadell
March 5 2009

Well all good things come to an end. If it was horse racing we followed rather than rugby the commentary might have gone something like this. "And here we are approaching the final straight in the Two Year Champion Steeplechase (yes it's a marathon not a sprint folks) and with just one fence to jump the red hot favourite Fortress Franklins strides away to victory,

Chris Gleadell's Thoughts from the Chron

5th March 2009

but wait, calamity, the hope of so many has just gone headlong into the final fence and Flying Falcon edges it on the rail to steal the day. Now surely that's the biggest sporting upset since Shaun Edwards was seen smiling, etc etc..."

Joking apart the truth is that on Saturday we were not at the races and for the first fifteen minutes quite literally so. Those Flying Falcons were straight out of the starting gate at three o'clock, with all guns blazing, mentally we did not turn up till around a quarter past the hour. By that point the damage had already been done. Three quick fire tries and 19 points were enough of a cushion for Newcastle to defend and although the lads fought back to get into the game, and it was touch and go until the final minute, in the end we did not have enough in the tank to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

So the (almost) two year undefeated home run can be consigned to history.

It was good while it lasted though. There may not have been many memorable games during the season in Division One but the wins over Wasps, Tigers and Quins and the draw with Bath were top class entertainment from a home supporters perspective at least. However that is all now in the past. Next week we start again and it is back playing off scratch against Sale in an attempt to build a new fortress at Franklins Gardens. Jim Mallinder spoke after the game about us not having strength in depth. I guess some hard decisions are going to be made over the coming weeks if new building blocks are needed for foundations of that fortress if we are going to see this type of run again.

WORCESTER

But then as one record ends perhaps it is about time we put another to bed to keep it company. On Saturday we travel to Worcester and with just three away games in the Guinness Premiership remaining, and with the other two coming against top three sides Sale and Irish, it is probably a better time than any to consign our away record to the bin too. Eight games on the road in the GP and eight defeats. Yet there have been some close calls and if the lads can recreate the effort they showed against Wasps two weeks ago and we can find a little more killer instinct in attack then perhaps we might just break our duck up at Sixways.

A look at the Premiership table tells you that with everyone above and below Saints having games in hand sixth place now looks a very, very tall order for us. Indeed a glance at the fixture list is even more daunting. After this weekend's game against Worcester in the remaining five games not only do we play the aforementioned high flying Sale & Irish away but also at home too, and to compound things the other fixture is against table topping Gloucester.

It looks ominous but if we are going to try and get a bit of momentum going towards season end, especially as we still have interests in both cups, a win at Worcester on Saturday might just set us on our way and give us the confidence builder we need. I have a sneaking suspicion with the international returnees we might just pull it off!

WANDERERS

It was not all doom and gloom at the club this week though. On Monday night down at the Stoop the Wanderers secured their place in the Guinness A league final with a hard fought 16-7 win over Harlequins second string.

Those who went were full of praise of the effort of our team as were some of very gracious home support. One player who raised a few eyebrows was Nils Mordt playing at flyhalf. Signed as a centre from London Irish over the summer Nils has not really had a look in for the first team so far yet reports of his performance on Monday night suggest he might be the answer to Saints current lack of depth in the number ten shirt. Time will tell how the experiment works but I can remember a slightly overweight blindside flanker at the club being given a shot at hooker a few years ago and he ended up winning a World Cup medal in his new position, if Nils is half as successful then good luck to him.

As for the Wanderers they play the winners of the game between Wasps and Gloucester over a two leg final towards the end of April.

INTERNATIONALS

With the British & Irish Lions due to tour South Africa this summer, and with the Six Nations currently at around the half way stage, it is getting to that time of year when everyone who follows the game are discussing and picking their selections for the trip to SA. On Saturday a group of us were talking about who might be the starting flyhalf for the Lions and it quickly became clear there is no real standout, or indeed no real outstanding talent playing in that position currently in the four nations. My view was that Ian McGeechan has always thrown a couple of ‘odd' selections in the mix - remember how uncapped Will Greenwood and fourth choice England scrumhalf Matt Dawson made the last trip to South Africa - so I would not be wholly surprised to see a hopefully fit again Jonny Wilkinson on the flight and given a shot at the shirt.

However much as it pains me to say this, on current form he might be the only Englishman traveling south. Our own Ben Foden and Dylan Hartley might be outside bets as two of Geech's wildcards (while Scottish Saint Euan Murray is a cert) and other players Wasps connection might see them on that flight but given England's showing so far in the 6N you would not currently have any Englishman in the starting lineup come the 1st Test on June 20th.

I am still not wholly convinced that England are heading in the right direction under Martin Johnson. One of the reasons given for Johnson's kneejerk appointment was the fact that he is a disciplinarian. That may be true in some respects, we have had no reports of late nights in clubs or shenanigans in hotel rooms since his appointment however what is happening on the pitch is a different story. Discipline seems to have gone out the window come match time with the side averaging around two yellow cards a game over the last half dozen or so games. Simon Barnes in The Times suggests England are just not good at cheating and are paying the price. While he may have a very limited point about cards issued for technical offences others have been given to players for acts of pure daftness. In Johnson's day as skipper you would never have dared to commit an offence as crass as Danny Care's on Saturday that ultimately let the whole team down, in that respect Johnson should be looking at his appointment of captain too.

In the short term I cannot see England turning that form around too quickly and it will be the players who will suffer in their non-selection for the Lions but then I may be totally wrong. As a master tactician perhaps Geech will be looking at the potential in some English players that Johnson and his coaching panel are not currently utilising but try as I might, on current form, I cannot see anything but a wholly Celtic Lions side starting that first test. As an Englishman that is somewhat of a depressing thought.

Chris Gleadell's thoughts from the Chron 5th March

Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)

Date: 05/03/2009 23:20

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