By St Dormouse
December 17 2014
After Saints' comprehensive success in Europe last time out, it's back to the nitty gritty of the Aviva Premiership this weekend as Northampton Saints welcome Leicester Tigers to Franklin's Gardens for a Saturday afternoon kick-off. Award-winning COYSDC contributor, St Dormouse, reads the runes...
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs LEICESTER TIGERS
Saturday, 20th December 2014 - 3.15pm (BT)
FRANKLIN'S GARDENS, NORTHAMPTON
MATCH PREVIEW
Myler, this is Burrell, Wood, WOOD!
“In the annals of time, in the History of Northampton Rugby Club, there will be fewer more celebrated tries than that one”
Who can forget that night?
I still get tingles down my neck when I re-watch the last few minutes and hear those words shouted above the cacophony of the crowd, I get Goosebumps seeing the sheer primeval passion on Woody’s face as his team mates hang off his rigid frame, clambering to congratulate him on possibly the greatest moment in Saints’ History. Yes, of course many will cite the Premiership final, “JP You may award the try”, the lifting of the trophy, the Heineken cup all those years ago, the Munster match. Fans will each have their favourite moment, but for me, this was the pinnacle of 22 years coming to the Gardens. Fans were jumping for joy and hugging complete strangers in the aisles. The noise was incredible, the moment was incredible. That match had everything, pride and passion from both teams, determination from the Tigers to keep Saints out at any cost, fair or foul, but deep down, even one man down, I could feel that Saints were going to win it. As a bonus every time I watch the game again, I can watch Mr. Cockerill descend from childlike jubilation, through petulant loss of control to crushed disbelief. Worth the BT subscription on its own. The monkey has been evicted, the Tigers beaten and Toby flood sent across the channel with his ten fingers shoved firmly where the sun don’t shine.
Of course I can go on and on all night but actually what I am doing will eventually have the reverse effect to that desired. By constantly reliving that one match I am ‘bigging up’ Leicester. You see most Tigers fans that saw that match may have been disappointed at the result, aggrieved that they would miss their first final for 10 years, and dreading the gloating Saint they happen to share an office with, but were probably thinking along the lines of “there’s always next year”. For them, giving Saints the biannual whipping is par for the course. Obviously winning the derby is great, but so regular the joy has been diluted. Not for Saints fans however. So rare is a W against the stripey ones that euphoria is unrestrained, especially when a ticket to Twickers is the prize.
This Saturday 20th of December, the feast day of Saints Zephyrinus, Philogonius and a couple of Dominics, sees the two East Midland rivals clash again, and I, for one, can’t wait. This time we are going to give them such a hiding they won’t know what hit them. Leicester have already this season been humiliated 45-0 at Bath before suffering the indignity of a home loss against a very ordinary London Irish side. Add to that a beating by Gloucester and we see a Leicester team there for the taking. Injuries have been devastating with at least 76 first team players crocked. Many of the players left are demoralized having had to fill the gaps week in week out. Cockers is on the verge of picking up his p45 and the fans are leaving in droves. Should be a walk over.
But Lo, Jesus said rise and Lazarus rose from the dead to once again walk upon the Earth. Remarkably, just in time for this most contested of derbies, Leicester’s wounded warriors have crawled from their deep tombs like Tolkien’s Shadow Host, ready to do battle once more with Jim’s Saintly Knights. If we had been playing this match a couple of months back then all that I have said previously would be true, but all of a sudden Tigers are a very different prospect. Recently, returning international stars have assisted Tigers to a home win against the superstars of Toulon followed a week later by a respectable performance, ending in defeat, at the Stade Mayol. During the last fortnight the Leicester scrum seems to have re discovered its form. Any team that can push Toulon around deserves respect.
So what sort of team are we likely to see Cockerill put out? There is talk on the Tigers board of fielding a weakened side, with one eye on future, possibly more productive matches. While Saints have had a comparative walk in the park recently with 3 bonus point wins against London Welsh and Traviso, enabling squad rotation and plenty of rest for the returning internationals, Leicester have been slugging it out with the European champions which will have taken its toll. Even so, any Leicester Coach who deemed it appropriate not to show due respect and bring his full strength side to the Gardens deserves everything he gets. Surely an ex player of his pedigree wouldn’t bottle this one. So barring injuries I think that the teams will line up something along the lines of:
1 Waller A - Ayerza
2 Dylan - Youngs T
3 Ma’afu - Cole
4 Courtney - Thorn
5 Day - Parling
6 Clark - Gibson
7 Woody - Salvi
8 Manoa - Crane
9 Dickson - Youngs B
10 Myler - Williams
11 North - Goneva
12 Luther - Allen
13 Pisi G - Smith
14 Pisi K - Scully
15 Foden - Tait
I am not suggesting that Wilson or Tom Stephenson have done anything wrong, I just think that against Tigs this is the side Jim will pick. As for Tigers I think Williams has had lots of game time and had a bit of a mare last week, and Burns is chomping at the bit, so those two may swap shirts. Thorn went off early so if injured will probably be replaced by Kitchener who I think has a huge future. Tom Youngs might be brought in to wind Silesi Ma’afu up, I’m sure Tigs will try anything to get a few cards thrown about. Ben Youngs seems to have re discovered his form now his mates are back from the dead but I do feel that we may have the edge in the backs. Poor old Anthony Allen, Scully, Tait and Smith have been in the firing line almost from the start of the season and must be feeling the strain a bit. Fine players all but there doesn’t appear to be much cover.
A lot of the Leicester forwards are returning from injury and may or may not be fully match fit. Our guys however have been well rotated and apart from Christian Day have had a bit of R & R here and there. It is my opinion that all the cards are in Northampton’s favour and once again Leicester don’t have their favourite ref to gift them the points. JP Doyle is in charge but before we cheer too loud, just remember that at least 2 if not 3 Tigers’ players should have been shown red in the last match for constantly offending, sometimes dangerously so. However what he did allow was for a fast, exiting game without wishing to hog all the limelight for himself, so let’s hope for more of the same.
I’m looking forward to a wonderful Christmas crowd, Mrs. Dormouse will be armed with mince pies and Mulled wine while my hipflask will contain something rather more fortifying. The atmosphere will be electric, the noise tremendous and the singing off the scale. Let’s hope the boys can match the occasion with a good performance. As it’s Christmas I will finish with a little sing song to the tune of Fairy Tale of New York.
Fairy Tale of Franklins Gardens
Twas Christmas come around
and Tigers are in town My Lady said to me
It don’t get much better
And then we sang a song
A fine old gospel one
A song for the Jimmies
A song to stir the soul
Aren’t we the lucky ones
From Northampton town
I’ve got a feeling
This year’s for us
So happy Christmas
Come on you Jimmies
There is no better time
To make our dreams come true.
Fiddly diddly fiddly diddly
We’ve got props hard as rocks
we’ve got wingers who fly
We’ve got 2nd row forwardswho reach to the sky
And if they dare think that a win is a must
We’ll send on our Samu who’ll leave ‘em for dust
With Khan and two Pisis they make it so easy
When the backs finish playing we call out for more
The back row is swinging and the crowd they are singing George North
for the corner we’ll dance through the night.
(all together now)
And the fans in gold black and green
Are singing Wendy loud
And we know the boys out there will do us proud.
One more time
And the fans in gold black and green are singing Wendy loud
And we know we’ll be on top come Christmas Day
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Quote:I suggest everybody who has a copy does the same. Never fails to bring a grin to my chopsHowlin
Nice one St D. Think I'll watch the semi final again tonight , to get me in the mood like !