By Ben Dover
May 10 2015
Like the lady that used to be tantalisingly revealed on those cheap cigarette lighters we all bought on our school trips to France, the Aviva Premiership is slowly exposing a shapely end of season ankle
With Bath qualifying on Friday night and Leicester, Wasps, Exeter and Saracens all battling for the final two spots, the focus was away from Franklins Gardens for this encounter against London Welsh.
In some respects it was no less important for Northampton who with Leicester to play next weekend needed a five-point win to historically secure their first ever League Champions status (that’s me using the Barnet Copthall vernacular). So whilst everyone at the Gardens this afternoon was aware of the implications there was a palpable sense that this encounter was just a speed bump on the road to retaining the prize.
As is right and proper Saints paid appropriate respect to their fellow professionals in the build-up, however five points was never going to be in doubt and with bellies of warm spring beer and the comedic stoicism of the Welsh company, the on terrace laissez faire harked back to more traditional times.
So much so that when Lee Dickson burrowed over in the 13th minute the thirteen thousand or so continued to chat amongst themselves, blissfully unaware that Andrew Small’s raised arm was confirmation of a try.
From the off the pressure was all Northampton’s and whilst Welsh defended to the best of their abilities Saints were guilty of an over-eagerness which saw them trying to force opportunities that weren’t there. Overrunning the ball and fizzing hard flat un-needed passes. It was as if the spring had been overwound in the two weeks since stadium MK and because it wasn’t meeting the resistance it required, everything was unwinding a double speed.
The game had the feel of a pre-season friendly as if players from both sides were still trying to understand each other. Sadly for Welsh the ability to get by on individual skills wasn’t there, thankfully for Saints it was. Those who had identified Ken Pisi as a leading light this season might well allow themselves a quiet moment of smug self-satisfaction. He thoroughly enjoyed his afternoon, not least when returning a clearance kick, single handily storming through a 3rd of the cerise coloured visitors and releasing newly adopted son Tuala who used his not inconsiderable power to take the ball and remaining Welsh team over the line.
With just a penalty added before the break Saints trotted in 17 – 0 up and half way to their five-point target. For symmetries sake Stephen Myler added another 3 points on the other side of halftime before Lee Dickson secured his brace just a minute later, Ken Pisi involved again in a superb break from deep.
Opportunities now began to offer themselves across the park and whilst still making some unforced errors Northampton’s game was becoming tighter and if you’ll allow me the satisfaction of a truly dreadful pun the Welsh defence leekier.
Halfway through the second half Burrell took advantage of the weak defending and his own power and pace to pick up a personal double and match the recently replaced Dickson. Northampton were gaining so much success in midfield everyone wanted in on the action.
The only cloud to accompany the silver lining was the withdrawal of Stephen Myler who took what looked like a bang to the knee. No point allowing this particular diamond to be stolen from our Saintly deposit box so late in the season.
Bonus point and League position secure there was one more opportunity for Jamie Elliot to earn one for the hard working but so far unrewarded wingers union.
So the end of the regular season at home. Difficult to draw any hard and fast conclusions from this encounter and perhaps a good match back after two weeks off? London Welsh are by someway the league’s poorest team and on this observance will find the Championship equally hard work.
Saints never hit the highest highs, were at times ragged and I’m sure not as efficient as they would have liked. The Scrum was never a problem, the lineout not one hundred percent clean and the accuracy behind the pack wanting on occasion. But as we’ve seen with this team in the Premiership it regularly deceives the eye and yet comes up with the results when asked.
For what shall it profit a team that they should gain the League, and yet lose the title? To paraphrase St Mark's gospel. We are all thinking it, we have all seen it happen, and last season Saints were the perpetrators of the crime. Now the onus is on Northampton to man the barricade and defend the title. It’s not Jim’s style to back down and there’s no better place to test your resolve and start the run in, than at Welford road.
Ace Says:
Luther Says:
View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.