In discussion mulling over the half time pint there was a general agreement we were lucky the score was that close at the break but surely we would be in for a torrid second period.

Luckily the team were not thinking the same. I do not know what was said in the dressing or indeed what was put in the tea but second half the lads came out all guns blazing and took the game to Bath again and again and turned the game around to lead 28-21 at one stage before a late score from the visitors shared the spoils at 28 apiece.

The big question was though, was a draw a fair reflection on the game. The answer was probably no and not just from a Saints perspective. Even Bath coach Steve Meehan hinted that his side were lucky to get the draw and the controversy was over two ‘tries' that the Saints were not credited with.

I know referees cannot give tries on a crowd's reaction but certainly the way the corner erupted for James Downey's score you would have to say it was good as if there is ever a chance it was held up you get a more muted reaction. Tom Smith's was perhaps not so clear cut but Saints officials confirmed afterwards that their video of the game confirmed both were valid scores.

Therein lies the problem. Refs are on a hiding to nothing in these situations. Yes Mr Rose might be accused of bad positioning but he and his touch judges (I still can't get used to the moniker referees assistant) cannot always be the all seeing eyes we expect them to be while the advantage of video and especially the use slo-mo and freeze frame will nine times out of ten give you a more precise answer than a split second decision by a ref.

So if the technology is there why don't we use it? It is already used for games covered by television so why not all games at this level? Surely some laws for some games and not others makes a lopsided competition. I would argue that those clubs on television more often, and come season end it's the usual suspects year in year out, are more advantaged if they are a riding high attacking side (or disadvantaged if you are a lowly side defending against them) by the use of the video ref.  You might also argue that in the big scheme of things these things level themselves out as you win some you lose some on these decisions but that makes it even more of a lottery in my mind.

Were those tries, or just one of them, awarded on Saturday it would have meant three extra points for the Saints. By season end that could be a Heineken place gone begging, or in a worse case scenario relegation, and if you told me never mind its swings and roundabouts as the fifth try against Montpellier in a 50 point drubbing was not grounded (and don't look it up it is just an example and yes I know it was on television) then I would be none too happy.

So let's follow France's lead and make use of video for all top flight games.

Where peoples livelihoods are at stake perhaps every effort should be made to remove any doubt or the other hand putting someone in a position where they might wrongly give benefit of doubt when technology will give us a more precise answer.

BOOM BOOM

Another talking point of Saturday's game was Stephen Myler's 50 metre drop goal. I say 50 metres but just watch that distance increase as the story is retold over time. I am sure most of you will remember the monster kick from Nick Beal at Leicester a few years back, when winning at Welford Road was a regular habit, well that kick it seems went from 40 then 50,60, 70 metres out till at the last count Bealer's punt started somewhere west of Snowdonia.

But joking aside it's a good tool to have in your armour. Young Myler has slotted over a couple already this season and it might stop a few teams playing aerial ping pong with us knowing we have a player capable of slotting them over at distance.

Talking of aerial ping pong it is said it is a by-product of the Experimental Law Variations, now is it just me or as a whole are we getting used to the ELV's.  Is there slowly a degree of acceptance of them that did not exist before. Certainly Saturday's game did not seem to suffer too greatly from them. Perhaps it is too early to judge and once we get into the depths of winter and some quagmire pitches and then the more cynical (by some teams anyway) end of the season views might change again. But just like in the Southern Hemisphere where there was a very anti-ELV faction early on are people starting slowly to warm to them? Time will tell.

Saints hit the road again this week with the trip west to Gloucester. It has always been one of those fixtures that have thrown up a few suprises over the years where the form book has gone out the window. Glaws are riding high once more but if we can take the second half performance against Bath down there, please not the first half one, then there is no reason we cannot get something out of this game especially as we welcome back the Scottish contingent.

Of course Kingsholm is known as a bit of a bearpit but a big well done to the Gloucester faithful who last week let their club know quite vocally what they thought of someone's daft idea of post score music. In a classic case of people power the club relented this week to the pressure and stopped the practice. Though this week I hope the tuneful Oh When The Saints from the travelling hordes is heard after a few scores of our own.

And finally an apology. I still do not know who it is but a huge thank you to whoever made the decision to kick off at 1:00pm last week. Perhaps I was too quick to judge in berating the un-named people who allowed both the Saints and England games to overlap by a sizable chunk. By the time I got to the members bar I only managed to see an hour of the England game and that was 55 minutes too much, but thank you for saving me any further anguish.

This week alas there will be no escape for me as I am off to Twickenham to see England take on the All Blacks. I was hoping to see Dylan make his first start in the white shirt but it is not to be however I know I will be seeing a lot more points scored than those of you travelling to Kingsholm. Sadly though, after how dire England were last week, I doubt very much if I will be cheering many, if any, of those scores.

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