From the Archives - Saints v Biarritz 2001

By From the Archive
January 7 2003

In the run up to Saints game against Biarritz at the weekend we look back to the Heineken Cup game at the Gardens in January 2001. The Saints were already out and were just playing for pride, step up Ben Cohen......

Saints32 Biarritz24

By Saint On The Spot
Date: 14/1/2001

The Saints, already eliminated and with nothing to play for but pride, put in a storming display of fifteen man rugby to overcome French outfit Biarritz at Franklins Gardens today. The team ran in five tries including a hat-trick for England wing Ben Cohen and one by returning fullback Nick Beal.

The Saints laid their cards on the table right from the start and attacked from the off. In the opening moments they had the visitors defence in all kinds of trouble.

On three minutes this pressure paid dividends. Ali Hepher found Luca Martin on the left wing.
The Italian international stepped inside his marker but was held up just short. He had the presence of mind though to turn and pop the ball up to Nick Beal, who was returning after eight months absence with a broken leg, to go over for the try.

Hepher hit the upright with the conversion but the standard had been set. Biarritz pulled themselves together and hit back with a try from Nicolas Couttet after good work from French internation No.8 Thomas Lievremont.

Ex Wigan star Franco Botica hit the conversion to give his side a thin lead. Botica and Hepher then exchanged penalties before everones favourite Frenchman, Philippe Bernat-Salles got his name on the scoresheet. Botica converted to give his side a nine point lead and at that point the Saints could have wilted but spurred on by skipper for the day Tim Rodber they regrouped and surged up field.

A series of forward drives took them deep into French territory before ably assisted by his usual front row partners Steve Thompson, playing at blindside flanker due to injuries, was bundled over for the try. Hepher converted to reduce the margin to two points going into the break.

Half time: 15-17

The second half started with the game evenly balanced but it was the visitors who took first advantage.A dummy from Botica made the room on his inside to send centre Philippe Bidabe into the gap. Bidabe in turn found fullback Sebastien Bonetti who stormed through at pace and over the tryline for the score.

The Saints though were far from dead and buried.
Orchestrated by Ali Hepher and Allan Bateman the backs started to make good use of plentiful ball supplied by their forward comrades. Again and again they were held back, both legally and often as not illegally.

However taking a quick tap Dom Malone saw the gap and went for it. He was held up short but found Ben Cohen who dived over for the score.

Three minutes later the Saints scored their best try of the season. It was beautiful for the pure simplicity of it. From a ball tapped off the top of lineout Malone and Hepher combined to send Mark Tucker into space in the centre.

Tucker made good ground and fed Ben Cohen on the wing. Still with a lot to do the England wing put his foot on the gas and sped round the outside of the defence to score in the corner.
The Saints were in the lead by a single point but they and Cohen were not finished.

With the French now resorting to killing ball after ball it appeared that despite playing aginst fourteen men after Thomas Lievremont was sin-binned the Saints were not going to add to their tally.

But nobody was going to stop Ben Cohen getting his hat-trick. After attack after attack was held up it was the England wing who managed finally to storm over for his third and his teams fifth to send all those of the Gold, Black N Green persuasion home happy.

Tough choices to be made by coach John Steele when the injured and non Euro registered 'stars' return to action. Although this was essentially a scratch side they played some of the best rugby we have seen this season but i'm sure Mr Steele wouldn't have it any other way.

RESULT:
Northampton Saints 32 Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque 24

TEAMS:
SAINTS: Nick Beal; Luca Martin (Simon Webster 75), Allan Bateman, Matt Allen (Mark Tucker 60), Ben Cohen; Ali Hepher, Dom Malone; Garry Pagel, Steve Brotherstone, Matt Stewart, Andy Newman, Tim Rodber (capt), Steve Thompson, Andy Rennick, Grant Seely.

Biarritz: S Bonetti; P Bernat-Salles (B Daguerre 59min), P Bidabe, N Cuttet, S Legg; F Botica, S Bonnet (N Morlaes 60); E Menieu (M Fitzgerald 60), J-M Gonzalez (capt), D Avril, L Nauroy, J-P Versailles (O Roumat 49), S Betsen, M Lievremont (C Milheres 64), T Lievremont.

SCORERS:
SAINTS:
Tries: Beal, Thompson, Cohen 3

Cons: Hepher 2

Pens: Hepher

Biarritz:
Tries: Couttet, Bernat-Salles, S. Bonnet

Cons: Botica 3

Pens: Botica

NAUGHTY BOYS:
SAINTS: None

Biarritz:
Yellow: T Lievremont

REFEREE:
Nigel Whitehouse (WRU)

ATTENDANCE: 6019

WEATHER: Sunny, but cold