ComeOnYouSaints.com - Thoughts from the Chron 301008

The Saints travelled down to Watford on Sunday for the EDF game against Saracens with a mostly second string side but with the 1st XV cavalry on the bench should things start to get away from us. On paper the Sarries side looked fairly similar, a blend of their up and comers among a scattering of more experienced players like the new England captain Steve Borthwick.

As Jim Mallinder said afterwards too many mistakes cost us the game. We got into a position to maybe take more from the afternoon, how vital the way things have panned out a bonus point might have been, but that cavalry charge came too late.

So the 33-19 loss for the Saints at Vicarage Road sets up an almost winner takes all game against the Scarlets of Lllanelli on Saturday at the Gardens.

Sarries are in with a shout still if they get maximum points at Bristol but for Saints and the Welsh side their destiny is in their own hands. It might be a tall order but a bonus point win should see us through bar the Scarlets scoring four of their own and staying with seven points of the Saints score. So it is still all to play for and the much maligned competition, especially by me, has thrown up a game of real interest. We both might have players from various nations but its an English v Welsh club tie with something tangible at stake, a semi final game for both and for Saints just two games from a Heineken Cup place in the 09/10 season should they be successful. It could be one of those no love lost, no quarter asked or given games at the Gardens. Scarlets are probably quite rightly the bookies favourites to progress but who knows with a bit of a favour from Bristol we might just edge it. At the end of the day it might be quite close to call, I'm quite looking forward to it.

END OF AN ERA

Saturday's visitors the Scarlets find themselves between homes at the moment. Last Friday night in an emotional night for the locals they said goodbye to Stradey Park in their last competitive game there, an EDF tie against Bristol. The whole event was covered quite well by BBC Wales and by the end of the night there wasn't a dry eye in the stands or studio while even some players taking part got the odd spot of dust in their eyes.

Stradey was one of the last traditional old rugby grounds that has seen some historic moments over the years. Most famous is probably the day two hundred thousand Welshman packed the stands (well that would have been the number if everyone that declares they were there were actually there) to see Llanelli beat the All Blacks. Many of the players that played that day were there to say goodbye the ground and everyone gave the old place a good send off.

One nice touch from a Saints point of view was an interview with Welsh legend and former Llanelli player Phil Bennett who reflected on the move saying how he wished they could have stayed at Stradey to do what Northampton had done as the revamped Frankilins Gardens was ‘a wonderful place to play rugby'.

The team now move across town to the new Parc Y Scarlets where they hope they can recreate that unique atmosphere they had at Stradey. The regional team has also dropped Llanelli from the clubs name, henceforth they will be known, in official terms anyway, as just The Scarlets. Whether this is to mark the start of a new era I don't know but I find it sad in a way that one of the great names of the past has been consigned to history. Yes the name Llanelli will live on in the team playing in the Welsh Premiership but I know for a lot of us outside the locality whenever we play the top class side, the Scarlets, again, and who knows that might be in a Heineken at the Parc Y Scarlets in years to come, the name Llanelli will still be the one we think of and use.

WHATS IN A NAME Part 2

I am sure I am not alone in thinking how daft it was that lawyers from the New Zealand RFU are threatening legal action against National Division Two side Launceston for trying to officially register their name as the Cornish All Blacks.

I do think the NZ authorities are being heavy handed and for want of a better word a bit precious about the whole affair. It is not as if this is anything new, New Zealand might be known worldwide as THE All Blacks but Launceston have apparently been know by the moniker for the last 60 odd years too.

Of course, as always nowadays it seems, this is not a sporting decision it is a marketing one. Quite what a threat a team that is sometimes watched by no more than a couple of hundred people poses to probably the biggest brand in worldwide rugby is beyond me and I hope sense prevails

On the other hand if sense does not win the day and the NZRFU are victorious will a precedent be set where the descendents of Saladin can sue Saracens, Arsenal pursue the Edinburgh Gunners and Cardiff and Auckland go round and round in circles. On the plus side I wonder how much we would get dragging the multi, multi-million dollar New Orleans Saints through the courts?

There is of course one simple solution. Perhaps someone should call Helen Clark, New Zealand's PM and say "Ummm Helen, sorry but you can't call your three major cities Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, we used those names first."

That should do it!

ANDREW BLOWERS DINNER

On Wenesday 26th of November there is a celebration black tie dinner in honour of Andrew Blowers

at the Gardens. For more information visit www.andrewblowers.com or call Mark Heath on 07957 397808.

Guests will include: Sammy Tuitupou, Rico Gear, Greg Rawlinson, Chris Jack , Eddie Jones, Bruce Reihana, Paul Grayson, Jon Sleightholm

AB and friends will be doing a review of his career for the All Blacks and in the UK for Saints and now Bristol, and in the week leading up to NZ vs. England at Twickenham theres a chance to tackle Wayne Smith (not literally) and other All Black's on the game ahead.

ADRIAN SMITH

It was sad this week to hear of the untimely death of Saints supporter Adrian Smith. I am sure a lot of you knew Adrian if not by name. He was as large as life in many ways, his 5XL shirt being testament to that and he also spoke as he saw, and during the game quite loudly especially where referees were concerned. Everyone who knew him had a story or two to tell.

Adrian suffered health problems but got on with his life as he knew it was not a dress rehearsal and lived it to the full. Sadly aged just 39 he suffered a fatal heart attack last week. Usually it is proper in these circumstances to say that you hope the person rests in peace but as someone commented this week if there is any such thing as an afterlife and Adrian is there it will be anything but peaceful.

So this Saturday at the Gardens there will be a few people raising a glass to Adrian (you may even hear the odd Mooooo from the crowd but that's another story), one things for sure though it will be a touch less colourful and definitely quieter place. And I am pretty sure referee Wayne Barnes will wonder whatever happened to his ‘advisor' in the stands.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

Thoughts from the Chron 300408

Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)

Date: 31/10/2008 00:32

Thoughts from the Chron 300408

Options: Reply To This Message•Quote This Message•Report This Message