Thoughts from the Chron 1st October
By Chris Gleadell
October 3 2009
Onwards and upwards. Another victory for the Saints at the weekend making it three out of four in the Guinness Premiership. The win may well have been wrapped it by halftime, and perhaps too much emphasis was made by some of a second half which failed to live up to the expectations of the first, but all in all a job well done.
October 3 2009
Onwards and upwards. Another victory for the Saints at the weekend making it three out of four in the Guinness Premiership. The win may well have been wrapped it by halftime, and perhaps too much emphasis was made by some of a second half which failed to live up to the expectations of the first, but all in all a job well done.
It may be early days but the victory left Saints sitting pretty at the top of the Guinness Premiership. Yes maybe for less than 24 hours, and with a long way still to go in the season but I thought reaching the summit was a minor achievement in itself given where we were 18 months ago.
Shane Geraghty again wove his magic at flyhalf, picking up his first try for the club before having a major hand in Jon Clarke's brace of scores. Both players are being talked about as England possibles and on this form who would bet against it?
Personally though I thought it was good to see Chris Ashton get a start and get his name on the scoresheet into the bargain too. After setting the world alight in his debut Union season in Division One he did not have the best of runs last term and had the try scoring exploits of Paul Diggin to contend with for a starting berth. On Saturday in some respects he looked reborn, the bit back between his teeth and it may well be a long hard battle for the wingers shirt with Digger. As each raise their game that can only be good for the club.
Certainly on Saturdays display Diggers got a fight on his hands.
As for Saturday's opponents, Leeds, they made a much better fist of it than many had expected. After their drubbing at home to Irish the previous week even some of their own supporters were forecasting doom and gloom for their side on the visit to the Gardens. However, apart from those fifteen sublime minutes when we blew them off the park with those four quick bonus point tries, they were pretty much always in the contest on the pitch even if the scoreboard did tell a different story. Neal Back can take some heart from the performance and a little look at our history. We were the new boys just a year ago and it took us time to get into our stride. If Leeds start to string some form together then some of those ‘bigger' clubs that are failing at the moment might have to start looking over their shoulder with a sense of urgency.
OF WASPS
And so it is all off down to darkest deepest south Bucks on Sunday for the trip to Wasps. Adams Park, or the ‘Lost' Causeway Stadium as was, has never been a happy hunting ground for Saints. A 19 all draw in February 2006, is the best that we could muster. Looking back on that game you have to smile at the report on the official Guinness Premiership site which accused Saints of "spoiling the afternoon with their determined to win at all costs over-aggressive attitude". I though that was the aim. Did they expect flower arranging and group hugs all round?
Last year it looked like the tide was finally turning. The lads dominated proceedings but fluffed several try scoring opportunities and a single Ben Foden score was cancelled out by three Danny Cipriani penalties. We all knew they were there for the taking and it was an opportunity lost but I still look back on that game last season as the one where the squad first started to show their true potential.
After an absolutely abject display down at the Stoop against Quins in the previous away game the team had a point to prove. Yes a loss against Wasps but a lot of people stood up that day and gave one of the games biggest clubs a real test. It was a vein of form that carried forward, bar a blip against Newcastle, to season end.
So what about this time round? Well Wasps sit just two points below us in fourth in the GP table. Much like Saints they look to be finding their way gradually this early in the season but are still racking up the wins. I may be hedging my bets yet again by saying it is one that looks close to call but who knows a bounce of the ball, the rub of the green or maybe just a little touch of luck might squeak it for us on the day.
IAN MCGEECHAN - LION MAN
I am burning the midnight oil writing the column this week. This evening Ian McGeechan's autobiography was waiting for me on the doormat when I got home. It looks a very good read as an account of Geech's whole rugby career, and of course his life outside the sport, but being the impatient person I am I headed straight to the chapter on his time at Saints ‘Northampton - Rugby's in Town' and read it before penning this.
I will not divulge too much, go buy the book, but he has a lot of good things to say about his time at Northampton, especially about the people from Uncle Keith as chairman down to us the supporters. Perhaps the most interesting part of the chapter is his summing up when he comes to the conclusion that in hindsight his biggest ever regret was leaving the Saints. Who knows what might have been had he remained. Of course we will never know but I do know he is still looked on with affection by a lot of Saints supporters. A view that it seems is well reciprocated. Called Ian McGeechan - Lion Man, it's available from all good books shops and some bad ones too.
MUNSTER TICKETS
Once the Wasps game is out the way it will be all eyes on, the biggest game at the Gardens in quite a few years. The Heineken Cup clash against Munster. In fact I know I am not alone in having half an eye on it already.
As always when the Munstermen are on their Heineken travels tickets for the game have become as rare as hens teeth. There was a bit of disquiet last week from some Saints supporters when it became clear whilst reading the Munster supporters website that some of their number had been buying up Saints associate memberships. This gave them an option to buy tickets for the game when they became available. Being the resourceful bunch they are they kept monitoring the situation daily, in fact probably hourly, and as soon as there was an announcement in they jumped buying ticket after ticket.
Personally I cannot see anything wrong with that, good luck to them. In fact I know in exactly the same situation I, and a fair few others, would try the very same ploy to get tickets to a Saints game if we could not get them by the usual channels. Next season though the club might notice that quite a few members from Macroom, Clonakilty and Skibbereen do not renew. Unless of course we draw a certain team in red in the Heineken again.
Shane Geraghty again wove his magic at flyhalf, picking up his first try for the club before having a major hand in Jon Clarke's brace of scores. Both players are being talked about as England possibles and on this form who would bet against it?
Personally though I thought it was good to see Chris Ashton get a start and get his name on the scoresheet into the bargain too. After setting the world alight in his debut Union season in Division One he did not have the best of runs last term and had the try scoring exploits of Paul Diggin to contend with for a starting berth. On Saturday in some respects he looked reborn, the bit back between his teeth and it may well be a long hard battle for the wingers shirt with Digger. As each raise their game that can only be good for the club.
Certainly on Saturdays display Diggers got a fight on his hands.
As for Saturday's opponents, Leeds, they made a much better fist of it than many had expected. After their drubbing at home to Irish the previous week even some of their own supporters were forecasting doom and gloom for their side on the visit to the Gardens. However, apart from those fifteen sublime minutes when we blew them off the park with those four quick bonus point tries, they were pretty much always in the contest on the pitch even if the scoreboard did tell a different story. Neal Back can take some heart from the performance and a little look at our history. We were the new boys just a year ago and it took us time to get into our stride. If Leeds start to string some form together then some of those ‘bigger' clubs that are failing at the moment might have to start looking over their shoulder with a sense of urgency.
OF WASPS
And so it is all off down to darkest deepest south Bucks on Sunday for the trip to Wasps. Adams Park, or the ‘Lost' Causeway Stadium as was, has never been a happy hunting ground for Saints. A 19 all draw in February 2006, is the best that we could muster. Looking back on that game you have to smile at the report on the official Guinness Premiership site which accused Saints of "spoiling the afternoon with their determined to win at all costs over-aggressive attitude". I though that was the aim. Did they expect flower arranging and group hugs all round?
Last year it looked like the tide was finally turning. The lads dominated proceedings but fluffed several try scoring opportunities and a single Ben Foden score was cancelled out by three Danny Cipriani penalties. We all knew they were there for the taking and it was an opportunity lost but I still look back on that game last season as the one where the squad first started to show their true potential.
After an absolutely abject display down at the Stoop against Quins in the previous away game the team had a point to prove. Yes a loss against Wasps but a lot of people stood up that day and gave one of the games biggest clubs a real test. It was a vein of form that carried forward, bar a blip against Newcastle, to season end.
So what about this time round? Well Wasps sit just two points below us in fourth in the GP table. Much like Saints they look to be finding their way gradually this early in the season but are still racking up the wins. I may be hedging my bets yet again by saying it is one that looks close to call but who knows a bounce of the ball, the rub of the green or maybe just a little touch of luck might squeak it for us on the day.
IAN MCGEECHAN - LION MAN
I am burning the midnight oil writing the column this week. This evening Ian McGeechan's autobiography was waiting for me on the doormat when I got home. It looks a very good read as an account of Geech's whole rugby career, and of course his life outside the sport, but being the impatient person I am I headed straight to the chapter on his time at Saints ‘Northampton - Rugby's in Town' and read it before penning this.
I will not divulge too much, go buy the book, but he has a lot of good things to say about his time at Northampton, especially about the people from Uncle Keith as chairman down to us the supporters. Perhaps the most interesting part of the chapter is his summing up when he comes to the conclusion that in hindsight his biggest ever regret was leaving the Saints. Who knows what might have been had he remained. Of course we will never know but I do know he is still looked on with affection by a lot of Saints supporters. A view that it seems is well reciprocated. Called Ian McGeechan - Lion Man, it's available from all good books shops and some bad ones too.
MUNSTER TICKETS
Once the Wasps game is out the way it will be all eyes on, the biggest game at the Gardens in quite a few years. The Heineken Cup clash against Munster. In fact I know I am not alone in having half an eye on it already.
As always when the Munstermen are on their Heineken travels tickets for the game have become as rare as hens teeth. There was a bit of disquiet last week from some Saints supporters when it became clear whilst reading the Munster supporters website that some of their number had been buying up Saints associate memberships. This gave them an option to buy tickets for the game when they became available. Being the resourceful bunch they are they kept monitoring the situation daily, in fact probably hourly, and as soon as there was an announcement in they jumped buying ticket after ticket.
Personally I cannot see anything wrong with that, good luck to them. In fact I know in exactly the same situation I, and a fair few others, would try the very same ploy to get tickets to a Saints game if we could not get them by the usual channels. Next season though the club might notice that quite a few members from Macroom, Clonakilty and Skibbereen do not renew. Unless of course we draw a certain team in red in the Heineken again.
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StumbleuponThoughts from the Chron 1st October
Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)
Date: 02/10/2009 23:58
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Re: Thoughts from the Chron 1st October
Posted by: Howlin (IP Logged)
Date: 03/10/2009 01:06
usual rubbish. yada yada yada. why no mention of danny's girlfriend ? insert smiley of choice ( depending on your prejeudice).
Saint til I die
Saint til I die
Re: Thoughts from the Chron 1st October
Posted by: St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad (IP Logged)
Date: 03/10/2009 08:28
Howlin, I'm shocked to discover I agree. A touch of the drama queen once again from Mr. G *
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
Re: Thoughts from the Chron 1st October
Posted by: ChrisG (IP Logged)
Date: 04/10/2009 09:37
Perhaps I should try vitriol and bile, you get more feedback...
Re: Thoughts from the Chron 1st October
Posted by: St ann (IP Logged)
Date: 04/10/2009 09:55
You should never mix your drinks Mr G! 
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