News: Leeds Carnegie vs Northampton Saints - Match Preview

By Rich Lindsley
December 2 2010

Well, at the time of publication it's very much touch and go as to whether this Aviva Premiership fixture will go ahead this weekend. Assuming it does place, it will be bottom versus top on Sunday and Rich Lindsley looks forward to the game...

LEEDS CARNEGIE vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

AP: Sunday, 5th December 2010 - 3pm

HEADINGLEY CARNEGIE

MATCH PREVIEW

“What a difference a week makes,” is a common phrase in many walks of life. The same could be said of this weekend's Saints fixture away at Leeds. Last week it was a top of the table clash whereas this week Northampton face a team cemented to the bottom of the league with just three losing bonus points to show for their efforts. So that’s a 5 point banker then? Well maybe but there are no easy games in the premiership and for anyone who has forgotten, there once was a team destined for relegation that went to Welford Road…well you know the rest.

The formbook could not be further in the Saints favour. During the Autumn Internationals the Saints lost the services of six players and also missed club stalwarts Bruce Reihana and Lee Dickson through injury. Despite this they drew at Saracens and beat the Dragons in the LV cup, won away at Sale and frankly humiliated London Irish at a freezing Franklin’s Gardens. Over the same period Leeds have lost to the Scarlets and Sale in the LV cup and the Chiefs and Harlequins in the league. Two of those losses, Scarlets and Quins, have seen them concede more than fifty points.

A glance at the Leeds sportnetwork site led me to their last match report. (link: http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/leeds-carnegie/s102/st164551/its-grim-in-grimsville) The amusingly named Hack Toff opens with:

“When the Chief Executive of a rugby club goes to its supporters at the end of a game to apologise for the teams display, then you can begin to appreciate exactly how bad Carnegie played at The Stoop yesterday.”

Clearly Neil back’s side are having a ‘difficult second season’, in the Premiership. So is there any hope for them at all? Well they do have some good players. Former Saints mammoth Steve Thompson and the impressively powerful Hendre Fourie return from England duty. They also have experienced players such Michael Stephenson and another ex-Saint in the bewilderingly indifferent Dan Browne. I’ll issue the warning again. There are no easy games in this league.

Well I’ve done the humble respect bit, I’ve erred on the side of caution and I’ve tried desperately not to get carried away but come on now! Does anyone expect the Saints to go to Headingley and not leave with at least 4 points? Anyone who does and fancies a bet will get great odds but ask yourself this, have you ever seen a poor bookie?

Here are the facts. The Saints set pieces are strong. The scrum appears capable of destroying any opposition. The lineout is going really well with Christian Day’s hand firmly on the tiller and the restarts aren’t bad either. In the loose the forwards are not just ferocious but also show amazing skill. Tiny leads the way with his offloading and who could fail to be amazed by Sharman’s kick through for Diggin’s try? Perhaps the only criticism that could be levelled against the pack at this stage is that they’re having too much fun shoving sides around and at times their advantage is not reflected on the scoreboard.

In the backs the Myler/Geraghty debate appears to have swung back to the former Salford City Red seen by many as the steady Eddie option. Clarke and Downey in the centres appear to be the most un-droppable combination anywhere in the squad and despite his two recent Scotland caps Joe Ansbro really will struggle to get into the first XV. In the back three the Saints have unearthed two new talents in Greg Tonks and Jamie Elliot. These two got their chances due to Foden and Ashton being away with England and Bruce Reihana being injured and they have done brilliantly.

This time last year the Saints were being described as one of the few teams in the Premiership capable of playing exciting open rugby. Supporters were enjoying the style greatly but worried how we’d go in the winter months when the going got soft. This year all the plaudits have been for the pack who were described by Edinburgh coach Rob Moffat as one of the most powerful in Europe. This shift from running flair to dominant destruction is in this writer’s opinion, no less attractive to watch and also very difficult to defend against.

Time to guess the teams. I for one am hoping that Jim Mallinder will not rush his internationals back into the team and despite a good recovery also expect Diggin to miss out following Friday’s injury. As it’s a Sunday match Murray will also not be available for selection. I’m assuming that Tonga’uiha and Mujati are recovered from their knocks. I also hope Northampton have the sense that England lacked and rest Chris Ashton. Another knocked out Saints winger, Paul Diggin, is judging by his tweets, feeling fine but surely he gets a rest too. Therefore I predict the following:

Saints

15 Tonks

14 Elliot

13 Clarke

12 Downey

11 Reihana

10 Myler

9 Powell

8 Wilson

7 Wood

6 Dowson

5 Day

4 Sorenson

3 Mujati

2 Sharman

1 Tonga’uiha

Replacements: Hartley, Dreyer, Mercey, Lawes, Easter, Foden, Ansbro, Commins

For Leeds I suspect they do not have the luxury of easing people back and that Thompson and Fourie get straight back into the team. I’m not sure on the progress of an ex-Saint, Christian Lewis-Pratt but I know he was injured at Sarries and hasn’t featured since so I doubt we’ll see him this weekend. My guess:

Leeds

15 Stephenson

14Blackett

13 Fa'afili

12 Barrow

11 Wackett

10 Thomas

9 Mathie

1 Hardy

2 Thompson

3 Gomez

4 Denton

5 Wentzel

6 Myall

7 Fourie

8 Browne

I don’t think you need the skills of Mystic Meg to know where I’m going with my match prediction. Leeds do have a chance but it requires an off day from the Saints to align with their best performance of the season. I expect a winning bonus point and if I’m brutally honest at least 40 points. Lets hope pride doesn’t come before a fall

Finally…Despite the weather the prospects for a game this weekend are good. The Leeds ground staff have stated their intentions of getting the game on. Given that Headingley is a good stadium with the combined resources of the Union and league clubs it seems likely that they will beat the big freeze.

Enjoy it if you’re going. If not there’s a plethora of media to stay in touch by including Twitter, Facebook, various websites, Radio Northampton and of course HERE! Maybe you’ll join us in the chat room. COME ON YOU SAINTS!

News: Leeds Carnegie vs Northampton Saints - Match Preview

Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)

Date: 02/12/2010 12:37

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