The win over Bristol down at the Memorial Stadium on Sunday secured a European Challenge Cup quarter final berth for the Saints with two group games still to play in Pool Two. Whilst the first aim has been achieved there will be no resting on laurels when we return to the competition in January as, as was mentioned last week, there are still top seeding places up for grabs.

The games against Montpellier and Toulon may look like dead rubbers but there is still a lot to play for in the group and I have no doubt come the Toulon game at the Gardens slide rules and calculators will be out gauging who we play and where in the next round. If we can hold on to the second seeded place we hold at the moment we will be in a strong position to go the whole way in the ECC and potentially reap all the benefits the competition offers. Certainly at the moment getting through to the knockout stages of both cups looks our best prospect of a Heineken Cup spot for next term and there is plenty to play for in both competitions.

As for the game at Bristol itself well the noises afterwards may have been that it was a proverbial game of two halves but in all truth Saints were well in control for the first hour. Once the bonus point had been secured a flurry of substitutions were made that allowed Bristol back into the game. It may have been tight at the end, and there may have been a few palpitations for those involved with the Saints, but the lads were well worth the win that preserved their 100% record and maximum points in the competition.

Europe goes onto the back burner now until the third week of January as we return to the bread and butter of the Guinness Premiership starting with the visit of Harlequins to the Gardens on Saturday. Coming off a couple of fine wins against Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup Quins travel to Northampton in a rich vein of form. I think of any other game we have played so far this season Saturdays encounter will tell us most about exactly how we stand in the big scheme of things. I know I am not alone in looking at Quins with some grudging admiration, seeing just what is achievable for a club whose path over the last couple of years we have followed. 

Just like us Quins spent a year in National Division One and used the experience to put the foundations in place for a rebuild from the bottom up and on their return to the top flight have continued to build on that base year on year. This season they look like a team that might be in with a shout at the end of the season finale, something we should be aspiring to in the same timeframe. So good luck to them but first we have got to try and derail their upwards journey albeit for a week anyway as we try to preserve the home record at the Gardens and start to climb the table ourselves.

It is the last game before Christmas and whether it's the spirit of the season, or sprits of a more medicinal kind, for atmosphere it is always one of the best of the season and I have no doubt Saturday will not be any different. With the 16th man in good voice and the lads leaving the season of goodwill to all men till after the game I think we can edge this one and put down a marker for the visit to Bath the day after Boxing Day. I suspect it is going to be close though, very close.

MONTPELLIER

I knew I was tempting fate by saying last week that there always seems to be some kind of delay in the announcement of the dates for the final rounds of the European Challenge Cup. Well true to form on Tuesday, the date ERC said the fixtures would be released, a delay was announced first to Wednesday then to today, Thursday. Hopefully by the time you are reading this the dates will have been announced, though I'm not holding my breath on that, so here is the second part of Gleadell Tours guide to Montpellier .

In last weeks piece on travel and accommodation I mentioned that life in Montpellier , for the visitor at least, revolves around the Place de Comedie.

It's a good central point to get your bearings from and is host to many bars and eateries. It is not the be all and all though there is plenty more to explore in the city and beyond. To the east of Comedie spreading up a slow incline is the old town a maze of small streets and alleyways that would take you a good day to explore in its entirety. Home to even more places to eat and drink it is well worth spending an hour or so wandering this area if you are that way inclined as there are several gems, including the cathedral, hidden away up backstreets and in small squares too numerous to mention here. If you follow the main drag up through the old town you will come to Montpelliers own Arc de Triomphe then over the road to the Place de Peyrou a tree lined garden that gives you good views over the city and on a clear day the Med glistening in the distance.

To the west of Comedie through the Polygon shopping centre, or a two minute ‘blue' tram ride, lies the new Antigone district, some of you may well be staying in the numerous hotels here. Again there are a few bars and restaurants dotted around this area, especially riverside at the far end, but in the evenings this area is very quiet. You should take time for a stroll down here too though as it is an impressive setting. Although new all the buildings are Roman and Greek in style leading down to the River Lez.

So what to do when you have exhausted Montpellier , and that will take some doing. Well it may be January but if you want a bracing day by the seaside the Med is a stones throw away. For the time of year Palavas is your best bet and is reachable by a local bus or better still if there are a few of you by taxi. I have walked it before but unless you are a very hardy soul I would not recommend it at this time of year. For those interested in history the walled village and former Crusader port of Aigues-Morte , the gateway to the Petite Carmargue lies to the east of the city, again accessible by bus or slightly more expensive taxi. Further afield and easily reachable by train are Nimes with its Roman architecture including a very impressive amphitheatre that is still in use to this day and the port of Sete , famous for its water jousting, though unfortunately not at this time of year.

And of course we should not forget we are there for the rugby. Rugby being fairly new to the majority of Montpellierians means that there is not really anything like the tradional rugby bars we may have encountered elsewhere, at least I have yet to find one, I would be pleased to hear from anyone that has.

Most bars will shows games on the television if asked but your best bet is probably O'Carolan's Irish bar along an alley on the way up Le Arc mentioned earlier though of course you might just find your own little bolthole anywhere in town. As for getting to the ground itself well the simplest way is by tram. Wander down to the Gare St Roche (the railway station) and take one of the multicoloured trams to the Sabines stop then follow the crowds for a 15 minute walk or take the shuttle bus. The Stade Yves du Manoir must surely be the best dedicated rugby club ground in Europe . Built for the World Cup last year as a training base for the Australians it has to be seen to be believed and you even having the option of sitting in Tribune Twickenham!  So while we may have been messed around by the powers that be over the fixtures try and make it if you can, it will be well worth the effort.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

And finally as this is my last column till the first day of the New Year can I wish all you and yours a very Happy Christmas and may you all get all you wished for, including a few GP points over the Xmas period. Have a good one.

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