Tales from the Members’ Bar

No. 12 Alex  Rae (Revisited)

The first thing that occurred to me was what on earth has Alex done to be called to the media session twice in less than three months? It turns out that the Saints’ Communications Manager is using Alex as the programme feature in the near future and he might just be killing two birds with one stone.

It may have sneaked up on a few of you but we are now past the season’s half-way mark. If our season mirrors our games, we are just getting into our stride and ready to stretch away and Alex has been a busy boy. He has started 17 of 20 first team games and has been widely mentioned on our board and in the local press as having done well. His work in the line-out and around the fringes of the breakdown has caught the eye. Was it coincidence that one of Alex’s absences coincided with the haemorrhaging of line-out possession at Meadow Lane?

When not playing for the first team, Alex has turned out for the Wanderers. He played a big part in the Redemption match the night after the horror that was Nottingham. By playing so often in the National League 1 side and calling the lines-out, Alex is achieving all the objectives he had set himself for the season.

The fact that the teams are winning is promoting the camaraderie that runs right throughout the club at the moment. Northampton is a good place to be. It seems that pretty much the whole squad is mates with one another. Some characters are a bit larger than life and it comes as no surprise to find the name “Ashton” mentioned in this regard – again.

There is a general feeling about the team that this year’s regime has it right. The squad works and plays together. Celebrations do not become out of hand but after a hard week’s work and a successful weekend’s match a little letting off of steam is not out of the way.

In chatting about our play at the moment it was encouraging to hear that much effort is being put into diagnosing what is right and wrong with the line-out. Alex is one of those that sits down with the hookers to establish what has been wrong and how it can be improved. He was keen to point out that it is rarely just one thing and all aspects are considered.

Another aspect of play which seems to be working really well at present is the defence. Extensive work has been done to produce the effective coverage of the important areas. Taking away the interception tries, the defensive organisation has yielded one try to Moseley and one to Plymouth’s mass maul in the past month. Part of the work the team does is to be smart about the numbers and ferocity with which it commits to rucks. We do not put in too many bodies at the expense of coverage elsewhere and we are not so aggressive as to overstep the mark and give away too many penalties.

I am delighted to report that Alex has reconsidered on the biscuit question. He has realised that perhaps he can allow himself a little treat now and then. It cannot do that much harm to tuck into the occasional Jammy Dodger.

arw

23.01.2008

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