THOUGHTS FROM THE CHRON

12^th September 2008

The return of Guinness Premiership rugby on Sunday and who could ask for anything more? Like probably most of you I went to Sunday’s game with some doubts in the back of my mind. Would a year away from the big time, however well we performed there, leave us out of touch and have us chasing shadows all afternoon, had the GP moved on too much for us? Thankfully it seems my trepidations were unfounded as the lads got stuck in from the off against Worcester and never let up all afternoon.

Nick Johnston, our new fitness guru, said the squad was two years off the top GP clubs pace a few weeks ago, he says we have made up some ground but on Sundays showing I would hate to be the opposition when he gets the players fully fit. Whilst that fitness told as the game went on it was not the only factor that secured the victory. There was no shortage of skills and passion too but probably more importantly the team looked like they were playing for each other and looked cohesive and drilled as a unit.

While they all played their part certain players deserve an extra mention. It seems I owe Scott Gray an apology. In last week’s column, written after seeing him in just one pre-season game against weaker opposition, I said that openside looked like a weak area for the squad. How wrong could I be? The guy was all over the shop, not giving Worcester a moments rest, ably assisted by his other two back row colleagues Neil Best and Roger Wilson. As a unit they look like the most balanced back row we have had since we lost Budge Pountney to injury and Andy Blowers returned to New Zealand. It is an area that we have struggled in in recent years but at last, although of course it is still early days, we do look like we are back on track.

The same might be said of the second row in some respects. Already Nacho Lobbe and Christian Day look settled in their respective roles whilst the front row ruled the roost for most of the afternoon. In that front row the media were quick to pick up on Dylan’s explosive impact when coming on and scoring within a minute or two but we shouldn’t forget the contribution of Paul Shields at hooker up to that point. Whilst some outlets are already heralding Dylan as a shoe in for Lions hooker next year and Jeremy Guscott proclaiming that the youngster is the future of English rugby his true progression this year might be as the product of trying to secure his club shirt and Saints will reap the benefits from both players.

Behind the scrum it was good to see Jon Clarke, after a nightmare couple of years with injury, coming back into form and scoring the try that secured the win. Jon is another player that could come back into international reckoning in time and the best of luck to him. All in all though perhaps not getting the same plaudits as the engine room in the forwards the back division as a whole put in a solid display too and despite my pre kick-off worries the future does indeed look rosy.

But when all is said and done as Jim Mallinder rightly said on Monday we do have to keep our feet firmly on the ground. There is still a long way to go (I almost said the dreaded ‘it’s a marathon not a sprint’ then) and there will be far tougher tests ahead.

We do have to remember for all their handful of star players Worcester were one of last season strugglers in the GP. Not taking anything away from the effort or the victory on Sunday but this week we have to see if we can take that bandwagon out on the road in Sundays visit to Newcastle while the first real big test comes six days later back at the Gardens when we take on Wasps, by then we might really have an idea of how far we have come but on first showing we look to be heading in the right direction.

NEWCASTLE

As mentioned earlier, this weekend the team travels up to the North East trying to build on that Worcester victory. It seems that Newcastle are a lot of peoples favourites for the drop this season but any team that might (injury permitting) have Jonny Wilkinson in the side should not be taken lightly. I was never really a fan of Wilkinson’s, yes even as an Englishman, thinking his game limited and there was a lot of hype surrounding his status. That was until a couple of seasons back when at the Gardens he came off the bench late in the game, after yet another injury, to almost turn a game on its head single handedly. If anything as he approaches 30 and has matured he has become even more the lynchpin of what Newcastle are all about and with Newcastle losing Tait and  Flood this summer perhaps even more so. To be honest if he doesn’t make it on Sunday and if we play up to last weeks standard I can well see us coming away with points. Should Wilkinson play, he could be the deciding factor. But then the last thing I would want on a return from injury is the likes of Neil Best breathing down my neck. Could be an interesting afternoon.

SAINTS WITH HEART 7

A date for your diaries. On October 18^th before the European Challenge Cup game against Montpellier the Saints with Heart charity walk will take place. In its seventh year SWH has already raised over £70,000 for the British Heart Foundation and this year there are four different walks planned. With the Montpellier game being an evening kick-off the walks will start late morning to mid-afternoon rather than the break of dawn starts of the past.

All walks will end at the Gardens well in time to rest your feet, recharge and refuel before the game. There will be the usual 17 mile route march from Wolverton (led by yours truly) starting at 11:30 while for the first time a more leisurely (if you can describe 17 miles as leisurely) walk over the same route starting an hour earlier. These walkers will join up with the third seven mile walk starting at Gayton village at 3:30.

The fourth 3 mile walk will be starting at Old Scouts clubhouse on Rushmere Road at 4:30. If you want to take part, sponsor someone or help out at the Gardens on the day with bucket shaking etc please call Paul Flatt 07841 104396 or visit www.saintswithheart.org.uk

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