The Return of View from Afar

By Abbers
November 13 2005

Well, as Saints fans, none of us should be used to a comfortable or predictable season, and this year is no different. Opinion on the “new” direction of Budge and Larry seems to be divided after the first 10 weeks or

 so, with those who like their rugby fluid and exciting being encouraged by what they’ve seen, while those to whom the result is the be all and end all tearing their hair out as narrow defeats mount up.

Not being too close to events can provide a different perspective. From my vantage point 100 miles away, and has been pointed out on the message board many times, the club are obviously attempting to break away from the turgid, forward and defence oriented game that has dominated the Premiership in recent seasons. The game as a global whole goes through phases where different styles of play dominate for a few seasons, to be replaced by something else (never entirely new) when teams cancel each other out by playing the same way. Unless you’re France of course, in which case the enigma is constant. It seems that Saints are attempting to steal a march on most of the rest of the top 12 clubs in moving away from the attritional game plan and seeking to join Sale, Wasps and Leicester as purveyors of a more attacking and flowing brand of rugby, only more so. Obviously for this to work, the players need to be comfortable with the style of play, and the basics still need to be solid for the intent to be turned into points. This takes time and the development process can be a long and painful one; just ask any Welsh fan, but their patience was rewarded with a Grand Slam.

It also takes bravery on behalf of those at the top of the club who instigate such a change. On their decisions hang the future of the club, as well as their own jobs. It would be easy to follow the crowd, adopt a safety first approach, protect the investment, settle for Premiership survival and move onto next season. But that’s not the way to win trophies. To challenge this status quo, and attempt a radical shift that could lead to triumph or disaster in equal measure, takes courage. It would appear that the pieces are being put into place with the Academy and squad recruitment that a particular type of player is being groomed to adhere to this new direction. If anyone was in any doubt as to how the side would play this year, surely the signing of Carlos Spencer was a clue!

To change any one of the coaching team, the style of play or squad personnel usually results in a period of consolidation. To change all three at once requires a leap of faith from all involved, but if the end result is a brand of rugby that wins games, intimidates opponents and entertains in equal measure, then it has to be worth persisting with. The challenge for the current Saints squad is to underpin that with enough pragmatism to ensure that relegation isn’t an issue and the expansive plan can be pursued and perfected without being abandoned in favour of a lower table dogfight.

Ultimately, as in any sport, it’s not just the style of play that determines the extent of success. The most attractive teams don’t always win competitions and often come up just short; witness England’s sequence of failed Slams when scoring record numbers of tries and points in the process. Whether the Saints win silverware over the next 3 seasons or not is as much down to the quality of the players, individually and collectively, as it is the way they play. But I for one am happy to wait and watch, hoping for another day like May 2000, and am prepared to be entertained and exasperated in equal measure along the way. And if it doesn’t work, then at least we won’t die wondering.