Oh When The Saints, Go Shambling About

Grin and bear it?

Grit teeth and hang on, hoping for some miracle?

I dunno.

I’ve waited overnight before writing this match report, so that I could reflect slightly more dispassionately on yesterday’s events in Bristol. I haven’t watched the re-run of the game on Sky either. This is all from the head rather than the heart………………oh hell, I can’t be detached about the impending relegation of the Club I have supported throughout the UK and Europe as a season ticket holder since 1987 (the year of the committee revolution…now there’s an thought!).

What on earth have we done to get to this position? One day, someone with inside knowledge will tell the tale of this season and the reasons for failure, for failure it is, if measured by the high standards of one of the greatest clubs in European rugby. Can it only be seven years since that day in Twickenham when we beat the mighty Munster to crown a glorious season? How has it come to this, staring relegation in the face and playing rugby that simply isn’t going to get us out of the poo?

Look, I’ll devote a whole paragraph to the first half of the game. Bristol had most of the ball, stole several Saints’ lineouts and kicked their goals whereas Steve Myler missed three opportunities. Bristol scored an early try by Rob Higgitt on 7 minutes when the exciting Bernardo Stortoni waltzed through weak midfield defence after catching an aimless Myler up and under. Saints did have their own flash of brilliance when Myler lobbed a kick into the right hand corner where Sean Lamont leapt to tap the ball down into the hands of Ben Cohen, who went over for a straight forward try. The conversion should also have been straightforward but it wasn’t.

Half time score 16 – 5 and many Saints fans wondering how on earth a side coached by one of the finest goal kickers in recent times had allowed so many points from the boot to go astray when the Bristol fly half, Danny Gray, starting for the first time in 3 years, found the target much more regularly.

For once, Saints had a half time team talk that worked. From the off, the Saints backs were running at the Bristol 12 and 13 channels at speed and the ball was zipping around with some fine handling. I may even have seen a pass of the left hand! Saints managed to keep the ball through phases and as the clock struck 4 minutes Sean Lamont dashed off a maul to score Saints second try. Myler somehow made the ball fly over the bar for a decidedly wobbly conversion and Saints were back in touch at 16-12.

Now we’ve all seen a side who’ve just scored relax a tad too much and Saints were no exception. Four minutes later, Dave Hilton thundered over from 2.75 centimetres out (he’s a prop remember) after Andy Blowers had made the hard yards from the base of a ruck.

Andy Blowers! I ask you! To see that ultimate Saintsman, the man for whom the saying was probably invented, set up a try against us and play his well known game at the base of the pack was hard to take. He’s as good as he ever was and the crying shame is he isn’t still at Saints. We need a leader like that.

At that point, Saints made some major substitutions. Myler, Hartley and Brooks left to be replaced by Going, Cortese and Tonga’uhia respectively, with Carlos moving from outside centre to fly half, whereupon he promptly kicked the restart straight into touch. At the scrum, Saints were pinged with a free kick awarded to Bristol. Shaun Perry hoofed the ball downfield. Saints won the lineout and mauled 30 metres upfield. Tom Smith broke away as the maul stopped but was on his own and the ball was turned over. Bristol attacked and won a kickable penalty when Saints tackled a man who hadn’t actually quite received the ball. An error strewn passage of play by Saints, which lead to another three points for the home side. Typical of the afternoon unfortunately and the Saints line out went from bad to worse with Cortese not understanding the calls and Bristol easily pinching a Saints throw when we should really have been on the attack.

After 20 minutes Grayson brought on 2 more subs in the shape of Gerrard and Lewitt, on for Damo Browne and Fox. The change brought some better fortune for Saints pack and they started to gain the upper hand, leading to a try for Cortese and a superb conversion kick from Spencer in the breezy conditions. Score 26-19 and Saints were back in touch. Or were they?

However, what I shall call “post score torpor” struck again, as Sharky let the Bristol restart kick bounce just infield before going into touch well in Saints half. Saints then lost the ball from the line out and gave Bristol a scrum 15 metres out. This allowed the home side to lay siege to the Saints line and despite heroic defence, Bristol eventually went over for their final try by Winters and possibly opened the last bag of nails in Saints relegation coffin.

Saints had opportunities to improve their score and attacked strongly but missed chances and ignored overlaps were a cameo for the season as a whole and as Ann Robinson might say,  ”Saints, you are the weakest link, you leave with nothing!”

Bristol, by no means perfect had been the more cohesive team and capitalised on Saints errors to gain the upper hand.

Final score, 31-19 to Bristol

The good bits for Saints were both wingers, Cohen and Lamont, industrious throughout and the other backs for brief spells in the second half. The pack improved after David Gerrard came on and it is to be hoped that we can retain his services next season. Fox and Labit strove all afternoon.

On the other hand, Myler may need counselling this week after a very poor performance with the boot. The shabby excuse for a line out, through much of the game, needs root and branch repair before we meet the likes of London Irish and Wasps in the final knockings of a dreadful season for this once great club.

One final mention for Ben Cohen. I am told (by one who was there) that he was the only player to talk to supporters after the game and later still as the team were getting on to their coach next to that of the supporters club. Good man, Ben. It is a shame and also a symptom of how low this current squad of coaches and management have sunk that only Ben could be bothered to say something to their most loyal fans. I know the players are disappointed, but so are we.

The start of next season, whichever division we are in, will be my 21^st year as a Saints fan. I hope to see improvements in leadership, team morale, the standard of rugby and manners.

Bristol:

Stortoni (Taumalolo, 70); Morgan (Strange, 80), Brew, Higgitt, Lemi; Gray, Perry (Nicholls, 80); Hilton (Clarke, 65), Regan, Hilton, Crompton, Winters, Llewellyn (capt), To'oala (Budgett, 70), El Abd (Pennycook, 80), Blowers.

Tries: Higgitt, Hilton, Winters. Cons: Gray 2. Pens: Gray 3. Drop-goal: Lemi.

Northampton Saints:

 Reihana (capt); Lamont, Spencer, Kydd, Cohen; Myler (Going, 50), Robinson; Smith, Hartley (Cortese, 50), Brooks (Tonga'uiha, 50), Damien Browne (Gerard, 60), Short, Tupai, Fox (Lewitt, 60), Labit.

Tries: Cohen, Lamont, Cortese. Cons: Myler, Spencer