Saints v Cambridge 16th Sep 2023 Prem Cup - Teams Up

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:09:21:18:27:39 by Saint Ted.

Old Trafford it is then but good luck to all concerned at the Gardens and hopefully the sun will shine !

Cambridge are a little stronger than last week, as we have a few players returning from pre-season injuries. It is a pity Kwaku is still not recovered, he would have caused problems on the wing.

Cambridge know Toby and Jake Garside as they were on loan with us, and our backs can match them. I thought Toby Tame had turned Saints down and was off to Durham to study - I suppose he may yet be.

Millar Mills was at Chinnor last season, and Prowse was at Bedford, which gives me some hope, but the Waller brothers can put in a shift, it will be interesting to see if our pack can compete. If we can survive up front, it could be a good game.

But I suspect fitness will tell, and we will struggle in the last quarter - we dominated the last 20 minutes last season, but that was National 1. It is a big step up.

It is not our first visit to Franklin's Gardens, we played a Wanderers side in a pre-season game a few seasons ago, on a double bill with Quins v Saints. We lost that game, but this Cambridge side is a lot stronger.

I hope we wear the Blood and Sand, the Cambridge Blue is probably more of a clash.

I take it the loose head props parents were fans of The Blues Brothers.

They will be running out of games for the League team to play together. I can see them being picked against Doncaster and discovering that they are not on the same wavelength?

3 more cup games after this one Chris.

Bath and Bristol will most likely be doing the same as us, Bristol especially based on their team last week.

In the past, we've had only 2 possibly 3 pre-season friendlies. It makes no sense to have the first team warming up for 5 matches then needing to be rested at the end of October and having untested fringe players as back up.

We largely know what the first team can do and they will have been playing together in practice. Its the new/ young/ fringe players that will need to be assessed more to judge their readiness.

Wasn't impressed by E M-M last week when he gave his little cameo second half. Hope I'm wrong.
Looking forward to see Langdon. Comes with a bit of a reputation to live up to?
Ethan Waller? Mmm, mustn't dis the locals!
Lockett needs to up his game from last week. I still have high hopes for the lad.
Back row looks workmanlike!
Grayson needs to get a grip - he may be skipper, but last week I thought he was too quiet.
Seabrook will be interesting. Lot to live up to if he's the nominal replacement for TC!
Freeman and Thame as centres? No idea! Loose game might help!
And Hendy returns to FB - is that acknowledging last week was an abberation, picking him in the centre?

Any clues as to YouTube or similar broadcasts?
Or is it to be Radio N'pton??

Longers, I suspect it isn't on Saints TV as it is the Premiership cup and Tv rights will be with TNT?
I hope that this team isn't what we would call our "second" team. Not sure there are many that I would like to see come in to the match day squad.

There must be a lot of first team players straining at the leash to get on a pitch, or maybe they're thinking money for nothing sitting around.

Given the selection policy so far I'm surprised Toby Cousins hasn't been given a run, he's young but a big lad who has done well with england.

Whatever happened to us playing Cambridge University? I know there's no A league but the Wandies always played them as a friendly.
It was always a favourite match for my daughter as I'd pick her up from school which saved her a 90 min bus trip home.

I don’t think the Premiership Clubs are that interested in any extra rugby than they already play hence the demise of the A league. It’s easier to farm out players to Championship teams to keep some younger and fringe players in some form of match fitness. Once the mantra of ‘no second team’ caught hold it was all too readily accepted by everyone rather like the push towards a ten team top flight which came to being rather sooner than anyone expected. Games against Oxford, Cambridge or Combined Universities are as much a thing of the past as the Met Police and RAF.

The Blues cannot give Cambridge a decent match, we use the Town and Gown as a second team fixture.

Apparently we will wear our new away strip, which is a sort of blue cammo. Not the nearly green Cambridge rowing blue we used last season.



The fans will be in blood and sand.
See you tomorrow.

Thank God we didnt put a first XV out.😉

A shame we didn't play this weeks team against Ealing and last weeks team this week

Quote:

Chris Hoddle
A shame we didn't play this weeks team against Ealing and last weeks team this week

Absolutely correct, wonder why not.

Because we learnt things from last weeks game and applied them to this week's game - it's not rocket science.......

Good luck to Cambridge
But having just been promoted to the Championship
Sure it will be an eye opener and give them an understanding of where they need to be

Quote:

Chris Hoddle
A shame we didn't play this weeks team against Ealing and last weeks team this week

Possibly as much a reflection of the strength of Ealing and Cambridge as the Saints side selected?

Quote:

Stillgrinning
Because we learnt things from last weeks game and applied them to this week's game - it's not rocket science.......

And a bit more non rocket science for you. Todays team had better players in it against a much inferior opposition.

Quote:

St. Andy

Quote:

Stillgrinning
Because we learnt things from last weeks game and applied them to this week's game - it's not rocket science.......

And a bit more non rocket science for you. Todays team had better players in it against a much inferior opposition.

I'm surprised we have not yet been told that we can only play that which is put before us!

Last week's opposition was streets ahead of Cambridge, and would probably have scored even more than Saints.

But the win will do the guys good.

I think maybe some people are taking my comments wrongly, I’m not referring to you Longers
I am not criticising Northampton Saints , unless perhaps vicariously for raising the price of my season tickets pretty substantially. Even then I understand why they had to do it. That and I would’ve liked a bit more acknowledgement of what we’ve lost.
The problem is with club rugby at the top level going forward caused by 3 clubs going bust.
In the recent past I would’ve watched a game like todays on a Monday night for free as a season ticket holder. With fish and chips from across the road.
Today I am watching it as a meaningful fixture justifying a proportion of my season ticket equating to about £50. As I have 2 that’s £100.
I think the wide open spaces in the stands shows a lots of people didn’t bother, so the lack of walk ups will also take its toll.
I’m amazed there was a wish for a 10 team league, I appreciate it’s come quicker than anticipated. I hope they’ve got ideas going forward, because what we’ve got at the moment won’t do.
Now Rugby May get away with it this year due to the World Cup but if nothing is done I see trouble ahead.

St Andy

Once again some pertinent points. Is it case of Nero fiddling whilst Rome burns or maybe it’s the Emperors New Clothes syndrome ? There is a lot wrong with our game at the moment and a mere ten teams in the Top Flight doesn’t cut it for me - we need to get back to twelve teams and three Euro pool games as soon as possible. If players are either restricted in the minutes they play or are not fit enough, maybe the conditioning coaches have their priorities wrong in searching for ever more bulk and power rather than stamina and speed - yes, I know that is simplistic but hopefully the point is made ?

Who was the player who replaced Sylvester on the bench and came on for the last few minutes ?

I assume James Cherry - by the look of it a recent graduate looking for a job playing rugby.

Thank you for making me feel welcome in your club.
I enjoyed the day, if not the scoreline.

Definitely a learning experience,

I had assumed, that with the number of academy players in the side, we might cope in the backs. It was the pack I was worried about. But, I should have worried about pace.

You taught us just how fast the full time professionals are.
Something the boys will ponder when back at the day jobs on Monday.

Having said that, we could end the weekend still being ahead of Bristol - but only because they were dire last week at Exeter.

If we learn the lessons, we might stay in the Championship - our goal for the season.
Our stretch goal is to be the best semi-pro club in the country.

Hopefully, next year, you will come to us - it will be a different experience.

Quote:

St. Andy
.....I think maybe some people are taking my comments wrongly, I’m not referring to you Longers......

No probs. General comment.

I was at the game yesterday and accepting Cambridge were weaker than Ealing (understandable) I thought it was a vastly improved performance.

In particular through the ref link you could hear all the chat on defence - much more organised on the whole.

Really impressed with Langdon - huge work rate. He was everything everywhere always at once.

Freeman looked classy as you might expect.

Pollock is an absolute workhorse and seems to love his job. Going to be some player.

Miller-Mills. Absolute unit but first half in particular the work rate was exemplary.

Brilliantly predictable and predictably brilliant that when the club finally win a game they are criticised for doing so with the wrong team.

Good luck to Cambridge in their league campaign.

I had not realised that Millar-Mills played tighhead in this game, having played Loosehead last week.

Can anyone tell me which is his chosen side?

Quote:

higgy365
Brilliantly predictable and predictably brilliant that when the club finally win a game they are criticised for doing so with the wrong team.
.

Hilarious, it seems some seein a post what they want to see. As I have said lots of times but continually ignored, my concern is not with what the club does on the playing side but with the ongoing viability, in the sport in general, of charging top dollar for a season ticket which is significantly decreased in value. What was seen yesterday wasn’t even a good Wanderers match and the attendance reflects the level of interest.

But the funniest thing is the person who continually tries to shut down the conversation on season ticket value is the person who 3 days ago told us he has given his up. So thanks for the advice, but I too will still speak as I please.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:09:17:15:18:54 by St. Andy.

This is a thread about the match v Cambridge though, not the state of the game (which I think almost everyone agrees is not great).

And thanks for picking up on the fact that while a committed supporter of Saints when unhappy with the clubs STH offer I actually acted on that, as opposed to impotently blathering on ad nauseam on here.

Quote:

higgy365
This is a thread about the match v Cambridge though, not the state of the game (which I think almost everyone agrees is not great).
And thanks for picking up on the fact that while a committed supporter of Saints when unhappy with the clubs STH offer I actually acted on that, as opposed to impotently blathering on ad nauseam on here.

On another thread you say you’ll carry on posting. Hypocrite

The subject is related to the Cambridge match and the value it lends to a season ticket.

Last time I looked this was a discussion board, which you seem to have become self appointed policeman of. If you don’t like what’s posted don’t read it, maybe ad nauseum to you but still gets you posting doesn’t it.
You aren’t that committed are you?

If everybody did what you did instead of discussing it and maybe think of a solution and finding out what others think there will be no club for you to be formally so committed to.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:09:17:16:01:09 by St. Andy.

So you get to sit in judgement on whether I support the club in the right way/ enough or not? But I’m the ‘policeman’?

Pathetic. And beyond parody.

Back to the rugby

I enjoyed the game, good solid defence from Saints and only conceded with a flash move that went we wrong

Will build confidence and we can only het better

And hey lets hope this is the start of a fortress gardens home record

Couldn’t care less what you do.
Will still post what I like about what I like.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:09:17:16:19:06 by St. Andy.

I see St Andy realised he crossed a line and edited his post. Guess I’ll have to credit him with some self awareness after all.

Dave, or someone else who was at the game whose opinion I don’t rate at zero, can I ask how Atuanya went?

Quote:

higgy365
I see St Andy realised he crossed a line and edited his post. Guess I’ll have to credit him with some self awareness after all.
Dave, or someone else who was at the game whose opinion I don’t rate at zero, can I ask how Atuanya went?

In what way did I cross the line? just decided I couldn’t be bothered to carry on engaging. As for opinions at least I’ve got one, instead of just trying to stop others give theirs.

I admit Cambridge are (much) weaker than Ealing.
After all, they have been in the Championship since 2015 and mainly at the sharp end.

But we are ahead of Bristol in the table for the second week, and I will take that.
I doubt that it will last.

Highlights now available to appreciate -

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