Mission accomplished!

With four games still remaining the Saints secured a return to Guinness Premiership, and European, rugby next season in the 18-8 win over Exeter Chiefs at the Gardens on Saturday.  Whilst it may have been a step down in competition Jim Mallinder and his assistants have taken a team that looked sometimes at odds with each other and moulded them into a unit that has beaten all before them.  26 games and 26 victories is testament to that. I am not sure you could put your finger on one single item that has turned the club around but whatever Jim & Co's methodology is the players appear to have bought into it in spades.  Apart from the landslide victories it has been tough for the odd game too but the team has shown some character, collectively stuck to the task and dug themselves out of potential holes on more than one occasion over the course of the last six months. That collective teamwork throughout the side and a never say die attitude are attributes that I am not too sure were always in abundance during our relegation season. More importantly everyone now looks like they are playing for everyone else. Well done to all.

Carlos Spencer commented this week that the coach journeys to, and probably more importantly back from, far flung places like Cornish Pirates and Launceston helped bond the side together as a unit. Well if this is the product of those few beers on the way home can we tell the bus driver to take them the long way round on all our away trips next season. Or given what happened last weekend locally, just send them by train.

For the first time in a while the national media spotlight has been back on the Saints this week and there has been talk that we are ‘back where we belong'.  I tend to disagree. We were in this division in the first place because we did not deserve to ply our trade in the top flight. In simple terms despite our history and facilities etc we belonged in this division because we could not cut it with the big boys in the Guinness Premiership, we were just not good enough. In essence nothing but positive results on the scoreboard buys you league status, that's where we failed. Whilst we all celebrate a return to the GP let's hope Division One this season was one huge lesson learnt and one that never under any circumstances is allowed to be  repeated but let's never think our place at the top table is guaranteed. In some respects, as far as the hard work is concerned, this is only the beginning. Onwards and upwards...

NOTTINGHAM

Whilst we can now all breathe a sigh of relief that the main objective has been secured there is plenty to get out of this season yet.  Apart from that EDF trophy Final at Twickenham in a couple of the weeks the target must surely be to end this campaign undefeated.

Next up is Nottingham who visit the Gardens on Saturday.  Nottingham showed in the away game at Meadow Lane that they are more than capable of ending that run. The boys ground it out that day but Nottingham have gone on to prove that effort was no flash in the plan are they currently sit just below us level on points with last week's visitors Exeter in the Div One table. Whilst the top spot is already assured (hooray again) it looks like there may well be a battle royal for second place in the division. It is a battle that could go down to the wire and with Nottingham hosting Exeter next week they will be going all out to get something out of Saturday's game. With less resources than Exeter they really have a point to prove and given what is at their disposal you might argue that they have been the team of the division this year all conquering sides or not.

The danger is that with the main objective attained the Saints might unknowingly take their foot off the pedal on Saturday. On the other hand now that promotion is assured the weight of expectation is off the team's shoulders and the lads might just cut loose. It could be a very good game.

SHARKY

Now that promotion is assured over the coming weeks the club have said that next season's squad will continue to take shape. Some players will be moving on. The first announcement this week is that Sharky Robinson is leaving by mutual consent. Whilst you realise all things eventually change and personnel going is all part and parcel of that it is always sad to see a favourite go. And Sharky has certainly been that where the Saints crowd is concerned. Once the whisper was out that he may be off to pastures new you only had to listen to the rapturous applause he got for just coming on the pitch from the subs bench in recent weeks to see how much people hold him in regard.

Personally I've always liked Sharky because he has been a battler who has given nothing but his all in the Gold, Black and Green. Okay maybe a couple of times he has fallen foul of the rugby authorities but barring Mark Regan's Oscar winning display the other times Sharky found himself up in front of the beak it was stepping into the breach when a fellow Saint was getting a battering.. If only we had had a few more like him at times.

It might sound like sacrilege to some but when Matt Dawson moved on, Sharky had originally joined us as cover in Dawson's absence, and I thought we got the better part of the deal as pound for pound the New Zealander brought a lot more to the Saints than Matt had in his last season or so.

For the next four seasons he became one of the mainstays of the team. Who can forget his match winning try at Welford Road last season or the score when we nilled the Tigers at the Gardens? I hope he leaves with some happy memories of the club too. We'll miss him.