Saracens V Saints AP MoTM
By Saint Tim
October 16 2010
Saracens – our nemesis team from last season – was next up and this time at Vicarage Road. Now last season there was definitely a nasty tinge to some of the comments said on both sides, clubs and supporters, fortunately this season all seemed to work hard to put that behind us.
I was due to go to the game but due to a family commitment, a little dislike of the venue (not the club), that I dislike Sunday games and the fact it was again on the box I finally decided not to go. I did however get a pass to go up to the vaults to watch the game as another little foible of mine is a refusal to buy sky tv (or ESPN at the moment). So I went to watch in the Vaults with a couple of other hardy souls. This is the second club that has missed out on my direct revenue due to TV coverage. It has saved me money – but has TV gained it for the clubs. I guess the jury is out on that as there certainly appears to be overkill now, four games played, four games televised.
Who was your MoTM as Saints went down at Vicarage Road?
So to the game itself. Saints started well with what looked like a dominant set piece. Some of the phase play was sloppy and possession was kicked away too quickly, in my opinion. Watching the game I was getting surprised that more penalties were not coming Saints way at the scrum and indeed I was surprised that the full compliment remained on the pitch. Having said that Saints did butcher a couple of chance – certainly with a pass slightly too low to Bruce to comfortably collect and he didn’t – knocking on with the try line in sight and no covering players. So early on and Saints should have been well ahead – they were dominant. Slowly however that dominance turned around. From winning scrums suddenly Saints were conceding penalties from scrums. Nothing seemed to have changed but the referee’s interpretation of events. I don’t like to criticise referees in print (or electrons if you prefer) but it is becoming very hard not to. In my view a good game is one in which you hardly notice the 31st man on the pitch. This season that 31st man seems to want to be 1st and is starting to determine the outcome of games – and certainly ruining the game as a spectacle.
As the game drew on Saints lost their collective cool at the perceived injustices and the cool and collected HooHarr kept slotting over the penalties and a drop goal leaving Saints with a big deficit approaching the end of the game. Two yellow cards for Saints had been flourished – one extremely harsh on Geraghty and one slightly less so for Clarke. Finally Saints rallied (after yet another butchery of a magnificent overlap opportunity) to put Diggin over in the corner.
The final image I have of this game and it may well be what tinges my whole memory of it was of Pearson laughing and joking with HooHarr at the final whistle. It didn’t look good.
So, who caught the eye?
Christian Day’s good form continued – with over 13% of the votes. He really is becoming the lock around which most of the forward work revolves.
Bruce Bruce Bruce Reihana was next with 17% of the votes. Bruce is the epitome of a Saintsman – nothing more needs to be said.
The winner and on his first start of the season was local boy and pocket dynamo Paul Diggin. Paul always plays his heart out for his home town team – he knows he is a squad player at the moment but when called on he has never let the side or the supporters down. Paul got 25% of the votes and is the fourth different winner in four games. To see the previous winners and the stats please click through on the link below.
Finally thanks to the 52 people who voted. I know it was our first defeat and away from home but I hoped for more votes (insert unhappy smiley here)
To see the full results and analysis please click through to the following page.
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Thank you.
ClaireJ
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David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
Saint til I die