22nd April 2010

 GLAWS

The game against Gloucester at the Gardens on Saturday might have been in danger of being a case of after the Lord Mayors show after the Heineken Cup defeat the previous weekend in Limerick but there was no hangover in evidence once the lads got in full flow. Maybe not quite as fluent as we have been in the past but once Chris Ashton scored after an angled searing dart through the middle around the quarter of an hour mark the lead was never relinquished as nearly 40 points were racked up in the 38-23 win.

Along the way there was a try, and a slightly harsh yellow card, for skipper Dylan Hartley and a further brace of tries for the prolific young Ashton for his second hat trick of the season and his umpteenth scores in the Guinness Premiership this term. He was gifted the last try by the everygreen Bruce Reihana who spotted half a chance on the outside after Saints had wrestled the ball away from a last ditch Gloucester attack. Bruce used his never diminishing pace from halfway to make the score a certainty before popping the ball up to the grateful England winger.

So it was a further five league points in the bag but with third placed Sarries also gaining a bonus point win over Harlequins at Wembley it was still all to play for as Saints headed south west on Tuesday night to play their second West Country giant in four days, resurgent Bath. With twelve changes from Saturday’s side and Bath on a bit of a roll having lost only one out of their last ten Premiership games as they aim to sneak into the playoff places at the death it looked ominous. Indeed the bookmakers were offering around six to one on a Saints victory a huge price given it is virtually a two horse race so those travelling to the Recreation Ground probably did so in hope more than expectation. The locals were of course confident of a five pointer, surely there could be no other outcome given their current form and it being largely Saints second string. However no one told the team that and they ran Bath very, very close losing 21-20.

BATH

Perhaps the term ‘second string’ is a bit of a misnomer. If anything Tuesday nights’ performance was all about usage of the squad, the depth we have and their attitude to the game rather than any notion of first and second choices. Unfortunately I missed the game due to work commitments and could not even listen online but by all accounts, from the media and both sets of supporters the team made a very good account of themselves especially in defence as Bath went for try after try and were unlucky to lose it at the death. Perhaps I’ll leave the last word to a follower of Bath who posted on comeonyousaints.com about our lads heroics.

“To make that many team changes and to play with that much cohesion, precision and vigour can only augur well for the rest of your season. Given how crestfallen some of your players looked at the final whistle it seems to me that your team travelled with huge self-belief rather than arrogance. A vital distinction, I feel.  I fear for your next opponents. There could be a hell of a backlash coming after going so near and yet so far.”

SARACENS

Which brings us nicely to the visit of Saracens on Saturday. To say there is a little history between the sides this season is a bit of an understatement. From the disputed try at Wembley back at September when we were ‘robbed’ of victory through to the whole sorry Soane Tonga'uiha saga and that’s even before you consider that Saturday will be the fourth time the clubs have clashed this season with in all probability a fifth to follow next month.

It is perhaps the Tiny on-off transfer episode more than anything that leaves little or no love lost between the clubs.  A supposedly amicable agreement in which both sides agreed to make no further comment – though that has not stopped thinly veiled attacks on the integrity of the player emanating from the Watford club this week – seems to signal peace in our time but I tend to think if you believe that you will believe anything.  What perhaps should have been said behind closed doors was instead shouted from the rooftops to the media re Saints being ‘April Fools’ destroying the fabric of the game and working in an underhand way to try and get Soane to break his ‘contract’ with Saracens and stop him going to somewhere where something special is happening. Those kind of outbursts might be the norm in the media circus that is the roundball game and it might be seen as old fashioned by some but in my view its just not rugby.

But do you know I have half an inkling that at the root of all those barbs was a cockeyed attempt at some amateur psychology. I am only guessing but perhaps Sarries knew all along where they stood re the not legally binding head of agreement and the chance to have very public rant to try and unsettle our camp was just too good an opportunity to pass up knowing this clash was on the horizon.

I must say if true it is a bit of a gamble. Rather than unsettle it might just galvanise a tight knit group besmirched by those words. But then of course in a truly professional game when has anything said by someone from the opposition fuelled a team to perform? Well if Chairman Barwell will excuse the reminder remember when his ‘iffy players’ comment was taken out of context before the cup final against Wasps in 2000. It suitably fired up Messrs Dallaglio and co, they even had it on the dressing room wall before than put one over us. So come on you April Fools, rub their noses in it!

Joking apart though in some respects it is a bit of a shame that recent events are overshadowing this game. It has the markings of a great match up. Second versus third and all to play for. Sarries have found some form of late and Saints at the Gardens are a match for anyone. It could be close but one added incentive is that Saturdays result could have a huge psychological effect on the semi should we meet again. If its close or they squeeze it they will fancy their chances on the return however if we are at the top of our game and put them to the sword they will not relish the visit back in a couple of weeks.

I think we will have enough to beat though I am not sure in what manner that will be. How much have Sarries come on in recent weeks since the clear the air meeting with their players finally curtailed a brand of rugby that even had their own fans booing them or might it be a day for them to batten down the hatches once more. Time will tell but I think we may be in for one hell of an afternoons entertainment.

Of course we as the 16th man can play a vital part too. We simply have to make the Gardens a bear pit on Saturday. The Fezheads may turn up en masse with their kazoos or whatever once more trying to drone (no that’s not a spelling mistake) us out, though how that supports their team well… So let’s just raise our game a notch or two too this weekend, leave your voice on the terraces and set down the marker for the semi final both on and off the pitch. Come on you Saints!

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