Northampton Saints
News: Mr Diamond Tonight He Sleeps With The Fishes
By Bonso
April 3 2011
Mr Bonso Writes --- What a strange old game we saw yesterday, it had everything from the sublime to skulduggery.
Avia Premiership Round 19
Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks
Frankiln's Gardens Saturday 3rd April KO 2pm
Northampton Saints 53 Sale Sharks 24
Sale started reasonably strongly gaining an early 3 point advantage, but the real indicator of the future course of the game came with the first series of scrums. Sale simply could not compete with the power of the Saints 8. This power was also starting to assert itself in the loose as well resulting in Dickson’s try from a quickly tapped penalty from 5 yards out
The wind briefly went out of the game with Peel's injury, which thankfully I have now learned was not as serious as it appeared on the pitch.
Saints then turned the screw with an incisive run from Digger sending Flash in for a splash in the corner.
Pressure continued to be applied to the Sharks pack who really started to crumble resulting in a penalty try and a binning for Briggs.
So the score lay at 19-3, the saints pack is dominant and the backs starting to flow. Curtains for Sharks? Well no. An excellent passage of play from the men of Stockport and Jones finishes well down the slope. Two rushes of blood to the head by Hartley and Wilson saw Hodgson take Sharks to within 3 points. This pain was compounded by Wilson’s sin binning for self service at a ruck.
This seemed to wake Saints up and from some excellent mauling the Mooj showed great strength in crossing for the bonus point try.
Half –time and time to gather our breath after a very good half of rugby.
Just after half time Sale scored a good try with Lewaravu crossing by the shrubbery. However their elation soon turned to despair as Briggs was given a second yellow for getting himself involved in a fracas under the posts. As concerning the fracas I will not comment too much but I am sure that the citing officer will be very interested.
Sale being down to 14 men effectively killed the match as a contest, but to their credit they continued to attempt to play.
Northampton were now purring and the trys continued to come.
Tom Wood crossing in the
corner after a searing break from Foden.
With 20 minutes left to go Mallinder made a raft of changes and was able to rest a few guys a bit ahead of next week.
Another penalty try was conceded by Sale and we started to speculate on the terrace if whether David Rose would have to buy a jug if he gave a 3rd.
It was all Saints now and the move of the match saw Foden and Geraghty combine at pace to send the one and only Bruce in at the corner. Saints should have had another straight after but Sharman’s pass went behind the excellent Roger Wilson.
The 8th try finally came for Dowson from some slick hands following a scrum after McLeod was Courtneyed.
Final score 53- 24 and a good feeling to take to Milton Keynes next week.
Pictures Courtesy X-Block Dave
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“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
04/04/2011 03:36
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
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