By Chris G
May 3 2002

The saints start a hectic three game week at Loftus Road on Saturday as the 'proper' season draws to close. There is still much at stake with a European place beckoning and the Zurich Championship on the horizon.

The Saints travel to London on Saturday for the penultimate away game of the season against Wasps. It could be the last ever visit to Loftus Road as Wasps have to move onto pastures new at seasons end. I'm sure there are not many of you out there will be shedding any tears over that!
The Saints stil pursue points to gain that elusive European place and maybe, just maybe, a home draw in the Zurich Championship. With three games in the next eight days the clubs destiny could be a lot clearer come five o'clock on Saturday.

TEAM NEWS

Coach Smudger with a thoughts of the weeks schedule tinkers with the side but is definitely missing Southern Hemisphere duo Andy Blowers and Johan Ackerman who both miss out with shoulder injuries. Grant Seeley who was stretchered off last week is also absent. James Brooks returns to the bench with Craig Moir coming back into the starting lineup. Jorgy is rested giving Mark Tucker a rare start at centre while Rob Hunter and Mark Soden come into the back row. Matt Stewart sticks with the day job representing the Army at Twickenham, Robbie Morris starts.

Saints:
15 Nick Beal
14 Craig Moir
13 Mark Tucker
12 John Leslie
11 Ben Cohen
10 Paul Grayson
9 Matt Dawson
1 Tom Smith
2 Steve Thompson
3 Robbie Morris
4 Jon Phillips
5 Olivier Brouzet
6 Rob Hunter
7 Budge Pountney (capt)
8 Mark Soden

16 Dan Richmond
17 Kelvin Todd
18 Arthur Brenton
19 Grant Seely
20 Dom Malone
21 James Brooks
22 Joe Shaw


Wasps name the following side:
Craig Dowd, Trevor Leota, Will Green, Simon Shaw, Ian
Jones, Joe Worsley, Paul Volley, Lawrence Dallaglio,
Martyn Wood, Alex King, Kenny Logan, Stuart Abbott/
Mark Denney, Josh Lewsey, Shane Roiser, Paul Sampson

Replacements:
Mike Friday, Matt Leek, Mark Denney/Stuart Abbott,
Jonny Barrett, Mark Lock, Joe Beardshaw, Alistair
McKenzie

If you're not going to the game.....

Don't forget the club in conjunction with the BBC are supplying live commentary to ALL Saints Zurich games this season on the net. Feel free to relay scores and chat via the message board during the game

Check out the link below for commentaries.....

Saints Games Live On The Net
The BBC Link



EARLIER THIS SEASON

Saints Ensure Its the Stingers That Are Stung!
By Rich on the Spot
Date: 8/12/2001

The Saints come up trumps again but on a scrappy afternoon littered with mistakes and interesting refereeing decisions, but who cares. Smudger's words seem to have galvanised the players and put a hard edge back into Fortress Franklins.

The crowd, as ever, appreciated the passion by adding their voices to the Saint's huff and puff. So its four more points and Saints climb closer to the right end of the table.

From the first scrum the Saints intentions were obvious, they were going to shove Wasps off the park. Smith, Stewart and in particular Thompson won the front row battle, tackled ferociously and made the hard yards. Wally kept appearing on the wings to frighten the life out of Logan and Waters. The England elite squad member had the better of first Greening and then Leota who looks more like a tellytubby every time we see him. Smith also looks to have regained his ability to pass with a cheeky reverse whilst raiding down the flanks.

Another area of improvement was at the restart where Brouzet was bossing proceedings, in the second half he seemed to take all the restarts apart from one, which he made available to his back row. Hunter, Budge and Rennick had good games but Saints did look to be missing Blowers. He was absent due to whiplash injury picked up in last weeks win over Newcastle.

Had Cohen and Jorgenson taken their chances the Saints would have been home and dry and hunting for bonus points in the second half, but it wasn't that sort of afternoon.

With the game still at nothing all, Saints lost John Leslie. He was replaced by a site favourite Mark Tucker who must have been considered for the England Elite squad. There is no news yet on Leslie's injury.

It took 10 minutes for the scoreboards to get busy (another source of amusement all afternoon,) when Grayson kicked his first penalty. Earlier he had exchanged misses with Kenny Logan and he really didn't seem to have his usual power or accuracy. Perhaps the pressure of the game combined with getting close to the 2000 mark was affecting him.

The next purposeful action saw the Saints defence fall asleep as Denney wandered a gap that a bus would get through comfortably. Grayson replied with a penalty in the 15th minute to make it 6-7 but King cancelled this out in the 27th minute with one of only two successful kicks. Indeed this would be the last time Wasps troubled the scoreboard.

Matt Dawson entered the game in the 35th minute, with a warm reception from the crowd. His introduction added some urgency to the back play and he gave Martyn Wood a lesson in pestering at the base of the scrum. However it was not long before Daws was holding his head. It is always an indicator of something 'naughty' going on when the Main stand erupts at the referee and a Saints player is left on the floor. More often these days Daws seems to be on the receiving end.

Saints scrummaging had Wasps in all kinds of trouble and this pressure told just before the break when Wasps made a mess of clearing their lines and Brooks pounced on a loose ball in the in-goal area. Grayson missed the conversion with another kick that didn't seem to have its full weight behind it but Saints went into the break 11-10 to the good.

Saints played the territory and possession game in the second half, which proved highly effective. The tactic of kicking the ball down Logan's throat needs reconsidering. On another day Wasps would surely have made more of their counter attack ball. However they contained the pacey back three of Logan, Lewsey and Waters to close out the game.

Three more Grayson penalties and a well-taken Brooks drop goal saw the Saints home, winning the second half 12 nil. Pressure late into the match saw the team have successive lineouts from close range but the tries just wouldn't come.

Late in the second half, there was more controversy for Dawson, after taking Wasps up and under with his boots raised. Logan was once again the man to react to this and was involved on the floor with the England number nine. Daws was wrong to go up feet first but surely the retaliation was a more serious offence. The crowd thought Logan was going to the bin and were astonished when the referee gave Wasps the penalty. At the end of the day you have to wonder whether Matt was just providing himself the protection that the officials had neglected.

So a wins a win even if the game was nothing to write home about. There was a definite feel good factor around Franklins Gardens (or was that just the Guinness?) with the Gordon Terrace enjoying banter with physios Phil Pask and Wasps man "twiggy", Bernie and Saints new waterboy Ali Hepher. It really didn't matter how good the game was the important thing was to win this "8" pointer.

Job Done!



HISTORY

Several ineresting encounters over the last few years. In 1997 Wasps won their last title by beating the Saints at the Gardens.

Two years ago there was the epic Heineken Cup QF when Saints
looked down and out but came back to clinch the tie and ultimately the Cup.

Wasps gained their revenge in the Tetleys Bitter Cup at Twickenham after Keith Barwell had been
shamelessly set up by Sky TV. There was also the league game at Loftus Road where Saints held
out on their line to deny Wasps the victory and the return leg which a second string side made
Dallaglios men fight every inch of the way for the three points
four days before the aforementioned Tetley Final.

Last season? Well lets just not mention that, shall we..........

ANNE O’RACKS STATS

Results Summary in the Premiership

Played 18
Wasps Won 10 55.6%
Saints Won 7 38.9%
Drawn 1 5.6%

Team Greats
Biggest Win for Wasps 54 - 12 09 May 2000
Biggest Win for Saints 28 - 15 28 Mar 1992

Player Greats
Wasps top try scorer vs Saints Kenny Logan 4 tries
Wasps top points scorer v Saints Kenny Logan 69 points
Saints top try scorer vs Wasps Nick Beal 2 tries
Saints top points scorer vs Wasps Paul Grayson 107 points



Last Meetings

08 Dec 2001 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 23 - 10 Franklin's
Season: 2000-01
30 Dec 2000 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 18 - 21 Franklin's
01 Oct 2000 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 17 - 53 Loftus Rd
Season: 1999-00
09 May 2000 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 12 - 54 Franklin's
29 Dec 1999 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 21 - 15 Loftus Rd
Season: 1998-99
13 Apr 1999 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 24 - 15 Loftus Rd
07 Nov 1998 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 26 - 21 Franklin's
Season: 1997-98
26 Apr 1998 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 15 - 31 Loftus Rd
27 Dec 1997 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 18 - 10 Franklin's
Season: 1996-97
26 Apr 1997 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 15 - 26 Franklin's
28 Dec 1996 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 13 - 18 Loftus Rd
Season: 1994-95
22 Apr 1995 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 19 - 13 Franklin's
29 Oct 1994 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 21 - 27 Sudbury
Season: 1993-94
23 Apr 1994 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 11 - 24 Sudbury
04 Dec 1993 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 15 - 17 Franklin's
Season: 1992-93
27 Mar 1993 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 12 - 20 Sudbury
Season: 1991-92
28 Mar 1992 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 28 - 15 Franklin's
Season: 1990-91
23 Mar 1991 Northampton Saints vs London Wasps 21 - 21 Sudbury