News: Lacklustre Saints Succumb to Saracens - again!
By Stockham
February 12 2011
Oh dearie me….The two teams closest to my heart, Saints and Scotland, both as narrow favourites, both playing at home, produced performances of such stunning error strewn averageness that the rock solid defences of the visiting sides could simply soak up the pressure and wait for an opportunity to pounce.
Aviva Premiership, Round 14
Northampton Saints v Saracens
Frankin's Gardens 12 February 2011
KO 12:30pm
By Jonathan Stockham at Franklins Gardens
Both Saints and Scotland went through multiple phases of pick and drive only for mistakes and impatience to ruin promising attacks. Even when both sets of visitors were down to 13 men through sin binnings, neither Saints nor Scotland could translate their superior numbers into an advantage on the scoreboard
At Franklins Gardens on a sunny but nippy day Saints replicated their poor showing against Quins at the start of the year with another lacklustre display against Saracens. The team were off the boil and the crowd were, as a result, subdued apart from the odd burst of song. The referee, Andrew Small showed little empathy at the scrum and his Crouch, Touch etc etc was so slow that the front rows would doze off and collapse forward. Result, completely unnecessary penalties.
Saints were strangely devoid of passion. It needed a fine individual performance from Bruce Reihana, running from deep, to inject any go forward, ably assisted by Paul Diggin. Admittedly Saints were missing 4 regular starters away with England but it was their fellow senior pros that looked tired and lacking in ooomph.
Saracens were well briefed and ready for what has become Saints’ very predictable first up attacking option, i.e. ball to Myler, ball back inside to James Downey (or occasionally John Clarke) and into a Saracens brick wall. Can we have a bit more imagination and variety please?
Can we also have more intelligent restart kicks? The kick offs from Steve Myler were usually far too long and merely gave away possession. Remember that, at the tackle zone, refs are encouraged to favour the team going forward with ball in hand, so why give possession away? In addition, on your home ground is there any excuse for repeatedly kicking the ball too long over the dead ball line or repeatedly straight into touch outside the 22?
Also, when the ball should have been kept in hand in attack, why kick it away? John Clarke, who won’t enjoy watching the match video on Monday, brainlessly kicked a grubber through on the stroke of half time when the only option was to run and recycle.
The good bits? Well, there were some. Saracens looked comfortable running the ball out of defence and it made for an exciting game although they caused themselves problems in the second half when Saints showed some grit and started getting stuck in.
Saints scored two good tries. The first came from Clarke after a Saints line out on the Sarries 22 after 18 minutes. A clean catch and drive through the line gave Saints some go forward and with the ball driven on by James Downey, quickly recycled out to Clarke who with a show and go cantered through for a try just left of the posts. Myler added the extras to lead 10 – 3.
Saints second try came 20 minutes into the second half, again from a line out won by the home team. The Saints attack was the usual pass back inside from Myler, twice, but with the ball being recycled quickly and out by Commins (on for Ryan Powell) to the short side to Tonks who lit the afterburners to burst through and pass out to Diggin for an Ash Splash dive over the try line in front of the Sturtridge.
Sarries failed to get over the try line until after half time but they did score 13 points whilst they had one or two men in the sin bin, without reply from Saints. Sarries first try came from an overly long restart kick by Myler. The visitors cleared upfield to the Saints 22 and, although the line out was won it was scrappy ball. Clarke tried a clearance kick, only for it to be charged down. Brad Barritt got the ball and was driven over the line by his pack to be awarded the try by the TMO. A gift from the home side.
Their second came after 28 minutes of the second half. Sarries had a one man superiority after Roger Wilson had been binned for a slap on Sarries player who’d stepped him, right in front of the Assistant Ref. Several phases of play by the visitors lead to a Matt Stephens try under the posts with Goode adding the conversion. Goode added another penalty and Barritt a drop goal as time wore down . Saints might have narrowed the gap after the award of a penalty against Joubert for not releasing but Myler kicking for touch overcooked the kick. Touch in goal!
It summed the day up really, as did the final Saints attack which went through several phases only for the ball to be knocked on.
A well deserved victory then for Saracens, who, whilst not creating a huge amount, defended strongly and lived off scraps. Unfortunately, such was Saints’ inaccuracy and error count that the scraps would have fed an army.
Teams:
Northampton Saints: Tonks, Reihana, Clarke, Downey, Diggin, Myler, Powell, Tonga'uiha, Sharman, Mujati, Vickerman, Day, Clark, Dowson ©, Wilson.
Replacements: Armstrong for Tonks (77), Geraghty for Downey (65), Commins for Powell (57), Waller for Tonga'uiha (70), Long for Sharman (70), Mercey for Mujati (72), Sorenson for Vickerman (70), Easter for Day (70).
Saracens: Goode, Strettle, Penney, Barritt, Wyles, de Kock, Farrell, Gill, Brits, Nieto, Smith, Botha, Melck, Burger, Joubert.
Replacements: Short for Strettle (40), Tagicakibau for Penney (63), Wigglesworth for de Kock (52), Saunders for Gill (78), George for Brits (61), Stevens for Nieto (57), Vyvyan for Botha (52), Saull for Burger (40).
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Small's refereeing of the engage was a disgrace - it took an eternity and scrums must have took out 15 minutes of the game.
There was no spark in the midfield (Downey, although never the quickest) still looked a bit 'leggy' to me and without flash roaming around that area (it was a bittersweet experience watching him do just that in a white shirt a few minutes after) we looked devoid of ideas.
Don't think it was helped by Powell taking a step before releasing the ball - IMHO Commins was quicker.
The difference in points scored by the teams when they had players in the bin just about sums it up.
When all said and done Sarries are a fine team and deserved their victory.
We were aggressive in defence and seized our opportunities. But helped by the England call-ups and some of the Saints decisions. (As we were at the end of the Semi).
Andrew Small, well what can we say. Some strange decisions.Nieto yellow, cannot complain. The others, poor.
And the scrum! C>T>P>E penalty/free kick/reset/wake-up. God help us!! Wait, one or two produced a shove and the ball emerging from the back.
Looking forward to seeing you again in the Semis, probably at FG.
Cannot say that I agree with the overrall view about the Saints' passion for the game, but I certainly love your passion for the Saints.
Bridesmaids no more.
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
ClaireJ
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top up the medication pleasse reality is seeping through.
Seriously & sadly rather well and fairly penned sir!
Top of the League 2014-2015 Season
Small's officiating at the scrum was hugely disappointing as it denied us one of our major sources of go forward ball. The Sarries defence did the rest ! Powell was, I believe the main source of poor attack as the rest of the backs were under severe pressure due to his distribution (or lack of). whether he just had a bad day or whether this was due to sarries pressure I cannot say. When they did get opportunities the decision making was poor. Thye need to stay patient and keep teh ball in hand when the oppo are down to 14 or 13 men. I hope they learn fast.
The pressure is now rising with a very difficult away trip tro Bath
Saint til I die
Quote:Stockers...
Saracens were well briefed and ready for what has become Saints’ very predictable first up attacking option, i.e. ball to Myler, ball back inside to James Downey (or occasionally John Clarke) and into a Saracens brick wall. Can we have a bit more imagination and variety please?
Can we also have more intelligent restart kicks? The kick offs from Steve Myler were usually far too long and merely gave away possession. Remember that, at the tackle zone, refs are encouraged to favour the team going forward with ball in hand, so why give possession away? In addition, on your home ground is there any excuse for repeatedly kicking the ball too long over the dead ball line or repeatedly straight into touch outside the 22?
Also, when the ball should have been kept in hand in attack, why kick it away? John Clarke, who won’t enjoy watching the match video on Monday, brainlessly kicked a grubber through on the stroke of half time when the only option was to run and recycle.
That's the game in a nut-shell for me.
Thank you for a fine report, Cap'n.
[lowrence.com]
Quote:oddshapedballs
Just a thought - why do they say, 'Pause,' just after a pause and just before another one?
big feet?
It has taken me until Saint Valentine's Day to pluck up the strength and courage to read about the game, and I hope the Saintly Valentine will come to our aid in the Bath by sticking pins in the opposition in advance!
Quote:This is a gem - magnifico Stockers!
Andrew Small showed little empathy at the scrum and his Crouch, Touch etc etc was so slow that the front rows would doze off and collapse forward...
This scrum chant
Crouch -pause' touch- pause- PAUSE-errrr- Whistle- free kick reminds me of being drilled by my RSM .
Squad atten------- ''wait for it, stop wobbling smithers minor'' ----- shun!.
Its ludicrous- every ref has a different metronome- It needs to be much quicker - ''crouch , touch, pause, engage'' as one fluid sentence- and the team that doesn't keep up gets pinged.