(F) Northampton Saints vs Argentina - Preview
By Barfly
February 6 2007
"It is a measure of the club’s standing that they clinched a fixture with a national touring side. With rugby so passionately supported in the town, club officials had no fears abut meeting the financial guarantees…"
So writes Brian Barron of another match the Northampton Football Club played against an international side, 101-and-a-half years ago. In September 1905 the Saints played the touring All Blacks the only such fixture in the club’s long history. Sure there have been games against invitation XVs containing illustrious players – remember when John Kirwan stormed down the touchline in front of the old Main Stand in 1993? – but that defeat to
September 14th 1905 was an historic day for the Saints in more ways than the aforementioned one. Not only did they (along with a few friends – maybe it was 30 players against 15) restrict the All Blacks to their lowest number of points scored on that tour but it was also the first time that the famous black, green and gold was worn by the home side.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs. ARGENTINA
WEDNESDAY, 7th FEBRUARY, 2007 - 8pm
(Live on Sky Sports)
MATCH PREVIEW
Will February 7th 2007 be as memorable? Well for one thing we’re not sending out a full-strength side, regardless of the number of first team squad members in the line-up. And neither are the opposition which, when considering that it is
That’s certainly what the posters on the Dark Side message board seem to think. Oh, and the spelling and grammar aren’t mine by the way.
‘…we have been cheated, by unfullfilled promises.”
‘I could be very tempted to give the tickets away…’
‘This is the club taking the p*ss.’
‘A Half ar*ed game that really isnt worth the ticket price…’
‘…we have been let down by the management, i for one will not be conned by this offer or the huge injury list con.’
‘I really thought this was going to be a night of half decent rugby.’
And plenty of posters stating their intention to ask for a refund.
In the interests of fairness I wanted to quote similarly from the COYSDC message board. But you lot are far too reasonable and there was nothing approaching controversial to fill some preview space with.
Unlike the last post I think that it’s going to be cracking game, not least because the players will be so cold that they’ll go all out to try and stay warm – easier for the forwards, not so easier for those out wide. Which is why, even though I’m not going to be working at the Gardens tomorrow evening, I’m going to be there regardless.
To a certain extent the promise of full-strength Argentine and
Let’s say that a major injury was suffered by a first-choice Saint. Not out of the realms of possibility given the freak injuries we’ve had this season you’ll admit. But if it happened we’d all be saying “why was he played in a meaningless game? Why didn’t we give the kids a run-out?”
And that’s what we’re getting: some game time for the first team squad members who have hardly played in 2007. And the possibility that Adam Barnard and Danny Pointon will get their first Saints’ appearances under their belts. If these lads are our future, and I believe that Barnard in particular is, then this is the type of occasion that should be used to blood them. If either get on the paddock then a big cheer should be theirs.
Oh, nearly forgot that the next big thing at fly half, one Stephen Myler, makes his comeback from injury and Mark Hopley plays for the first time this season in a Saints shirt.
15 Rob Laird
14
13 Chris Wyles
12 Seamus Mallon
11 Matthieu Bourret
10 Stephen Myler
9 Johnny Howard
1 SOANE TONGA’UIHA
2 Dan
3 John Brooks
4 Damien Browne
5 Matt Lord (capt)
6 Alex Rae
7 Ben Lewitt
8 Mark Hopley
16 MATIAS CORTESE
17 Roger Ripol
18 James Percival
19 PAUL TUPAI
20 Danny Pointon
21 Luke Myring
22 Adam Barnard
For the opposition I’d love to do a player-by-player analysis. But I can’t because there are none that I recognise.
Nevertheless this match will be integral in the World Cup plans of Argentine coach Marcelo Loffreda for a number of reasons. For one thing he’ll be seeing how players gel into a team both on and off the pitch, the latter being hugely important during a long tournament such as the World Cup. Developing a large squad is essential with nine months to go before the main event begins.
Every other major rugby nation has their chance – the Six Nations and ‘A’ team internationals, Tri-Nations and Churchill Cup for example.
Granted, they have been decimated by the refusal of English and French clubs to release their players (at least with Matias Cortese we’ll be able to understand their lineout calls). And if at least one of these players makes a huge impression in
And in future years whoever took to the field won’t matter. It will still have been Northampton Saints v
1- Rodrigo Roncero
2- Pablo Gambarini
3- Santiago González Bonorino
4- Jaime Arocena
5- Patricio Albacete (capitán)
6- Agustín Creevy
7- Lucas Ostiglia
8- Génaro Fessia
9- Nicolás Vergallo
10-Juan de la Cruz Fernández Miranda
11-Rafael Carballo
12-Hernán Senillosa
13-Martín Gaitán
14-Ignacio Corleto
15-Federico Serra
Suplentes:
16-Juan Gómez
17-Alberto Vernet Basualdo
18-Rimas Álvarez Kairelis
19-Federico Genoud
20-Lucio López Fleming
21-Horacio Agulla
22-Juan Martín Hernández