Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron

By Chris Gleadell
November 17 2006

After a week of soul searching the players fronted up on Saturday and secured the points with the tense victory at Worcester . It may have close at the death but even the Worcester support commented that it was a well deserved win.

With it also being the first away win of the season too the four points boosted the Saints, for 24 hours at least, to sixth place in the Guinness Premiership a placing we all seemed quite happy with at the end of last season.

Maybe the demise of the team has been over exaggerated in some quarters. Certainly Paul Grayson’s remarks that hinted that some players lacked desire seem to be unfounded looking at Saturday’s performance but then that was probably what Paul’s comments were intended to do. There’s nothing like a little dented pride to get someone to raise their game and whilst a lot of us were surprised and somewhat a liitle disappointed that it was suggested we might have personnel who did not have the required desire to play for the Saints when we heard the initial statement perhaps Grase is a little cannier than we are giving him credit for. The job of course is not over and that renewed motivation needs to be maintained and carried forward starting with the game against Sarries at the Gardens on Saturday.

INJURIES UPON INJURIES

On the downside, the increasing injury list, Dave Quinlan and Pat Barnard have been added to it this week, is still a major concern. I am sure the team are not playing anything like the way they would wish at present due to this but if they can hang on in there in a mid table position for the next couple of months anything might be possible come season end. To be honest I think we supporters expect a little too much at times from those that come in as replacements, especially those that are having to play out of position. If you lose a player of the calibre of Jon Clarke or Bruce Reihana they are a hard act to replace a fact that’s lost on some of us I think. Whilst youngsters may be brought in and grow into the position, and indeed some of them take the opportunity with hands, that takes time while top level quality on the transfer market is at a premium. It’s a fact of life we have to live with that while we have those top level players out overall the team is going to suffer. Perhaps that’s when that support is even more important than some of the comments I’ve heard made about individuals performances in recent weeks.

JUST LIKE THAT!

Saturday sees the annual outing of the Tommy Cooper Fan Club to Northampton with the visit of Sarries to the Gardens. The Fezheaded ones, after a somewhat disappointing season last term, are starting to show some form under the tutelage of ex Munster coach Alan Gaffney. A hard fought win over Leicester last week and a drubbing of Bath a couple of weeks previously shows that they perhaps travel to FG as slight favourites. Its certain to be a tough one and maybe too close to call. Home advantage could edge it for us, just.

Saturday also sees what is the most poignant moment in any Saints season, the minutes silence and Geoff Allens always moving tribute to the fallen.

THINGS INTERNATIONAL

One Saints player who certainly had the bit between his teeth on Saturday was Steve Thompson. Left out of the England squad Wally looks like he is returning to the kind of form that should see him back in the national squad soon. For all George Chuter’s attributes to me the Tigers hooker has been pretty anonymous in anything outside the set piece for England in the last two weeks and with the team hitting a new low in the loss to Argentina perhaps its about time for a return to the white shirt for Steve. Certainly if England are to make any impression in next years Rugby World Cup the Northampton hooker must return to the fold.

I thought our single representative Ben Cohen had a fair couple of games against New Zealand and Argentina but overall England are starting to look a little desperate at times and are paying the price for sticking with some of the older RWC03 winners a little too long and not giving youth its chance from 2004 onwards. I hope I am wrong but it now looks too late for them making any real challenge for the Webb Ellis trophy in France next year and whilst the players are still loyal to Andy Robinson perhaps now is the time to look to future and install a new broom to build for New Zealand in 2011.

Talking of the World Cup it might still be a long way off but it increasingly looks like New Zealand are streets ahead of the field. Their demolition of France on Saturday night in Lyon underlined just how dangerous they can be. One mistake to give them a sniff of a chance and bang, another try conceded. It is going to take a very good side to stop them but of course we have been in this position leading into world cups before and at then end of day with such a heavy weight of expectation on them the team that beats New Zealand mentally might be New Zealand themselves. Despite that defeat on Saturday I’ve still an inkling that come the tournament France might be there or thereabouts.