Saints V Connacht in the ECC Quarter Final MoTM
By Tim Empson
July 13 2009
Following the exit from the EDF and the Saints lowly position in the League – perhaps the ECC was the best route to qualify for the big boys European Cup next season. The quarter final was one Saints were expected to win – except the last time the boys from Connacht visited town they went away with the spoils. It was almost the same again this time as Saints were nowhere near their fluent best.
Question: Who was your MoTM in the ECC Quarter final?
It was a nervy - lackadaisical start from the Saints as Connacht harried, ran down everything and did everything they could to put the home team off their game. It has to be said that the hareum scareum tactics were working as Saints struggled to put together any fluent passage of play. It was Penalties all round in the first half as Saints led 9 - 6. Connacht's tactics had already earned the attention of Roman Poite who had sent McGovern to the sin bin, what felt like moments after he had come on, leading to uncontested scrums for the duration of the penalty. This effectively negated what had been the Saints most effective phase of play as Euan had been tormenting the Connacht loose head and driving back the visiting scrum at a rate of knots.
The second half was pretty much the same with increasing loss of patience from the man with the whistle. There was a brief period when Connacht went ahead following a powerful run and try from their number 8. It was brief as another infringement just three minutes later allowed Stephen Myler to slot over another penalty and restore the lead which was never again relinquished. There followed two more yellow cards for Connacht and when this and injuries resulted in uncontested scrums for the rest of the game - Jim took off Euan, the destroyer, and brought on the extra speed of Mark Easter.
By now there were some very tired legs in the visitors and Saints ruthlessly exploited these - turning the screw - and scoring 4 tries in the last 9 minutes giving a very favourable gloss to the final 42 - 13 scoreline.
Afterwards there were muttering from the visiting supporters that the referee had won the game for the Saints - but in truth Connacht could not live with the tactics they chose to employ for the full 80 minutes and keep a full compliment on the pitch. Not the best of matches but Saints marched on the semi finals where they would play Saracens at the gardens.
So who caught the eye?
Only two players caught the eye to any great extent of the 93 people who voted from what was Saints lowest home crowd of the season and the first time less than 10,000 had come through the turnstiles. In second place with just over 17% was Neil Best with another powerful display in the back row.
The winner, and his second of the season, with over 36% of the vote was Euan Murray. Euan destroyed the visiting scrum, and in the process damaged two of the visiting props. Unfortunately this ascendency only led to uncontested scrums and an unfair levelling of the playing field. The Saints faithful however recognised the work done by the man broonie likes to call the "Big Evil". Well done Euan on your second MoTM for this season - the first having been at home against the Quins.
So the forwards maintain a healthy lead over their rivials in the fancy dan backs and Paul Diggin remains at the top of the leader board. It is now 10 games since Paul last had an outright win, although he did share one more recently with Barry Everitt. It is now just a two horse race as with a maximum of 4 games to go Paul is 4 wins clear of Ben Foden in third. Roger Wilson is however keeping Paul honest, as the commentators like to say (but what do they mean?).
Full Result
Previous Winners
Vote History
Who wins?
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Not too many to go now, top effort.
(in the "previous winners" column, where does Cardiff Blues Coventry come from...)
I will amend it for the next ones to be less ambiguous.
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
'twas Rob who coined "Big Evil" as a moniker for Euan. I've always thought he must dislike it , as he is after all a dedicated christian , so I have never used it .
Big Hurt might be more appropriate , but "Euan" is unusual enough in these parts, and that will do for me
Was a great display from Euan - who I call sir - that day!
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143