Saints v Gloucester - ZP Preview

By Chris G
December 27 2002

So now that the turkeys been stuffed and scoffed and you have finally managed to force down the last of Auntie Maureen's mince pies for the Saints its back to the bread and butter of the Zurich Premiership on Saturday with the visit of Gloucester.

For the last few weeks we have been hearing about games being 'pivotal' and 'defining' for Saints season but this game appears to be truly make or break as far as the ZP is concerned.

A win for Gloucester would see them sixteen points clear of us and just about unreachable with just nine games remaining. A win for us could see that deficit cut to just two games and no doubt with the bit between our teeth (or our dander up as the Major would say).

Lets face it, the victory is crucial because we all know deep down that whoever ends up at the top of the pile after the league season are the true champions. The powers that be may come up with money spinners to prolong the season with a grand playoff final but if you are top of the stack after 22 games then in many peoples eyes you are the true champs. To do that a win on Saturday is paramount.

That win would keep us in touch, however the loss could see us scrapping for that third playoff place with Leeds, Wasps and Leicester whose supporters quite rightly came out in arms about the proposed playoff system last term. (Although there may be a change of mind from that corner of the woods this year!)

Gloucester do come to the Gardens as champions elect though but know that after the game earlier this season at Kingsholm they are not going to have it easy. Keeping the renowned Glos attack at bay all afternoon, just keeping them to long range kicks, the Saints only released their grip on the game in the final quarter after leading at halftime.

This time round with a packed Gardens cheering them on the lads will be looking to make amends. By the same token Gloucester will no doubt also have in the back of their minds the 58-21 tonking they got in the corresponding fixture last season.

After last weeks little trot out in the Lancashire countryside the Saints, no doubt roasted along with the chestnuts this week, will certainly not taking Gloucester lightly.

The Cherry n Whites, like any team from that area of the world, are built on awesome forward power. With Vickery, Azam and Roncero (Woodman is still injured) in the front and Paramore, Boer and Forrester in the back rows they are plainly a handy outfit but it is still viewed that their lineout could be their achilles heel.

The Saints are still missing Deso Connors but Steve Williams alongside both Jon Phillips, playing his 300th game, and Rob Hunter, as a third lineout option, we could edge this area of play. The impressive Matt Lord starts on the bench as an impact player.

The big blow to the Saints is the loss of Andy Blowers who picked up a knock (it must have been one helluva 'knock'?) at Orrell last Saturday. The Saints may well struggle to contain the power of the likes of Paramore and Boer but in Hunter and Mark Soden we possess two players that in my eyes have in recent weeks, in the Leicester and Cardiff games especially, played far in excess of all expectations.

Rob is another player reborn after being given his chance by Wayne Smith while Snowy is now starting to show real potential at number eight.

The frontrow clash will be interesting to say the least. Tom Smith, Wally Thompson and Chris Budgen are given the nod to face the illustrious trio mentioned above but certainly the Saints trio have, with Chris Budgen playing like a man possessed and Tom Smith in world class form alongside Wally, the Gloucester three measure for measure.


Behind the pack at nine there will be no battle for the England shirt part two as Matt Dawson is still out injured. Young Ian Vass again deputises against Andy Gomersall.

Vassy always strikes me more as a young Gomersall than a Dawson and this could prove to be one of the key areas should the old hand or the young pretender get an early upperhand. Young Mr Vass will however need all the protection he can muster from hi back row to contain a certain Mr Paramore.

Looking past the front nine both Paul Grayson and Ludovic Mercier are very much in the same mould. Neither is viewed as an exciting playmaker but make up for this ably with the boot. Both however in recent weeks seem to have added a touch more adventure to their game with ball in hand (will we see Larrys jinx of the shoulder bluff again?).

The worry may be that without the close attention of Hurricane Blowers, Mercier might have an easier game and get into his stride. Certainly something he did not do at Kingsholm when at every breakdown AB was virtually in his face before the ball was in his hands.

For the Saints we field, what is viewed by many, as our dream back five. Nick Beal returns at fullback flanked by the number one and number four currently rated best wingers in the world in Ben Cohen and Bruce Reihana. In the centre we see a return of the tried and tested partnership of Peter Jorgensen and John Leslie.

Young Chris Hyndman is on their tails but on their day and especially with both Brucie and Ben coming inside looking for work, which suits Long Johns holdup play, they could cause Gloucester a whole multitude of problems, if of course we get the ball!

Predicting Gloucester's back five is a bit of a conundrum. As an outsider it appears that the back three would be an automatic choice of Thinus Delport at fullback with exciting youngsters Marcel Garvey and Simpson-Daniel running the flanks (although the latest I hear is that JSD will miss the game).

In the centre Shed favourite Terry Fanolua alongside the much under rated Robert Todd would again be the obvious choice but that beggars the question, just where do you play top earner Henry Paul?
I guess that's a game of wait and see.

Whatever it looks like one helluva a game in prospect.
See you there!

TEAMS

Saints:

15 NICK BEAL
14 BRUCE REIHANA
13 PETER JORGENSEN
12 JOHN LESLIE
11 BEN COHEN
10 PAUL GRAYSON
9 Ian Vass
1 TOM SMITH
2 STEVE THOMPSON
3 Chris Budgen
4 STEVE WILLIAMS
5 Jon Phillips
6 Rob Hunter
7 BUDGE POUNTNEY (capt)
8 Mark Soden

Subs from:
Dan Richmond, MATT STEWART, Darren Fox, Simon Hepher, Matt Lord, Johnny Howard, James Brooks, JON SLEIGHTHOLME, Mark Tucker, ORIOL RIPOL, Chris Hyndman.

Nigel Melville has named the following Gloucester squad:
Simon Amor, Tom Beim, Thinus Delport, Terry Fanolua, Marcel Garvey, Andy Gomarsall, Ludovic Mercier, Henry Paul, Clive Stuart-Smith, Robert Todd, Olivier Azam, Jake Boer, Peter Buxton, Adam Caves, Mark Cornwell, Andy Deacon, Adam Eustace, Rob Fidler, James Forrester, Darren Molloy, Junior Paramore, Rodrigo Roncero, Phil Vickery.



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