Saints Preview

By Leipziger
April 14 2005

On Friday Newcastle have the chance to banish any relegation fears and all but secure a Wildcard place at Northampton, for whom a win is not just desirable but an absolute must in their own fight against the drop.

We have already beaten Northampton this season of course, at Kingston Park back in November when Matt Burke, David Walder and Tom May kicked 27 points for a 27-16 win, despite John Clarke scoring the game’s only try for Northampton. History is however not on our side, as in fourteen visits to Franklin’s Gardens we have only won twice - a John Player Cup match in 1974, and in the Premiership in January 1998.

John Clarke scores the try in November.

Northampton have well and truly had a season of two halves. After winning their first two matches of the year against Bath and Harlequins, the Saints then lost nine Premiership matches on the trot, including home defeats by London Irish and Worcester, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table and looking certainties for the drop. But since defeating Irish away in late December, Northampton have won four of their eight matches in 2005 to pull away from the relegation zone, only to be sucked back in after last week’s defeat at Bath, 30-12 at the Rec.

Before the defeat at Bath, Northampton had won three league games in a row, so despite this they are on better run than us (we both got hammered in France in the European Cup quarter finals) as we haven’t won a match of any sort since beating Wasps on February 6th.

But the Saints, like us, also have problems in the front row, with only Brett Sturgess, Robbie Morris and Simon Emms expected to be fit amongst their props, and whilst we welcome Ian Peel and James Isaacson back into the squad, it remains to be seen whether we can get through this game without getting more injuries.

Defence for both sides will be the key

They now have 35 points, as do Leeds, the two propping up the table but Saints having a better points difference by just four points. But within three points’ reach are Harlequins, Worcester and London Irish, whilst we are still not completely safe on 42. That is why a win on Friday night is so vital to both teams.

Northampton expects this weekend; it is their final home game of the season before the 8-pointer at Worcester on April 30th. The feeling around the town is that the club with their team are too good to go down.  Most believe that the game will be a cake-walk, with five points a certainty.  But names don’t win matches, players do, and Saints seem to have relied a lot on powerful Kiwi Bruce Reihana this season, but of course one player cannot always come up with the goods.

Northampton have already new contracts agreed with England stars Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson, Reihana and Scottish prop Tom Smith amongst others. A victory on Friday for the Falcons may well condemn these men to Division One next season, but we need a victory much more for our own sake, rather than worrying about those closer to the relegation battle.

Though we will be facing a passionate, sell-out home crowd on Friday, we must go for the win, and if we play to the best of our ability then 4 points is a possibility.  Not only will it probably secure a Wildcard spot, it will possibly guarantee a home draw.  It's winnable.  Time to turn on the pressure.

Neither team has announced their full 22 yet, although the starting line-ups (for today at least) are:-

Saints

15 Bruce Reihana
14 John Rudd
13 Marc Stcherbina
12 Chris Hyndman
11 Ben Cohen
10 Shane Drahm
9 Ben Jones
1 Simon Emms
2 Steve Thompson (captain)
3 Brett Sturgess
4 Selborne Boome
5 Matt Lord
6 Darren Fox
7 Corne Krige
8 Mark Soden

Falcons

15 Matthew Burke
14 Tom May
13 Jamie Noon
12 Mark Mayerhofler
11 Michael Stephenson
10 Mark Wilkinson
9 James Grindal

1 Galo Alvarez Quinones
2 Matt Thompson
3 David Wilson
4 Luke Gross
5 Stuart Grimes
6 Colin Charvis (captain)
7 Cory Harris
8 Phil Dowson