By Mark H
October 5 2003

Like a bad Chinese meal, Saturday’s win over Rotherham was entirely unsatisfying. You start out full of hopes, then the main course is served and it’s not as good as it should have been, with one side of the meal letting the rest down considerably. By the end of it, you feel that you could have got so much more out of it, but make a mental note that you will not be coming back to this particular place again.

And so, I’m afraid to say, that’s what will come to pass. Rotherham’s stay in the ZP will (the annual RFU promotion/relegation farce allowing) be a one season stopover, and more worryingly, it is difficult to see where they will get a point from at the moment. We were warned that they had a lack of pace; what we didn’t expect was for them to be so far off the pace. Unfortunately, what they possess in spirit will not be enough, and Saints will not be the first team to pick up the full five points off them this season.

Granted, you can only beat what is put in front of you, and that’s what Saints did, but I wouldn’t go so far to say that it was a classic performance - weather conditions prevented that, and an indifferent (although you could substitute this word for any one of poor, inconsistent, fussy, attention-seeking, or downright shocking) first ZP display from referee Martin Fox did not really help matters. Still, accentuate the positive - the points picked up put Saints into a temporary third position, and although the fears of what could happen still exist, it looks better than the eleventh of last Friday night.

The game seemed like a flashback to last season’s home match against Quins, with the youngsters growing up again before our eyes. The scrum was a lot tighter than it has been in previous weeks and the influence of AB was very evident, although many of the others had their best game of the season, particularly Brett Sturgess and Dan Richmond. In the lineout, only one of eleven was lost (although the only two penalties for the ball not being straight were awarded against Saints, and it was both here, and in the loose, that Matt Lord was at his imperious best, winning all six throws aimed at him, and going at the catch and drives like the Duracell bunny on a trampoline.

Foxy was another one to benefit from AB’s return, putting in some enormous hits and being constantly on the offside line ready to pounce (and a note here to the other Mr Fox - offside is where the defensive line moves up before the ball is removed from the ruck on the attacking side, and you’ll find when you look at the video is that that’s the reason why both teams were up so quickly). One of these hits set up the third try for Johnny Howard, but that is jumping into the future. Let’s go back to the start.

Saints had the advantage of the wind in the first half, and consequently had the chance to put Roth on the back foot early. Indeed, during the entire first half, Roth didn’t get to within five metres of the Saints line once - enormous credit to the defensive organisation. What we weren’t expecting though was to play ten of the first twenty minutes a man down, which is what happened when Robbie Morris was binned for tackling scrum-half Jacob Raulini six feet from where he took a quick tap. The carding was without a doubt correct, although those around me questioned why a warning wasn’t given out, but my point of order would be that when exactly the same thing happened on the other side of the pitch three minutes later and Johnny Howard was stopped, why no card (or even warning) was given then. From the resultant penalty, Shane Drahm made it 3-0.

Roth started to enjoy some good pressure, and it was only a fine tackle from AB that prevented a try being scored when there was a three on one overlap. Shortly after however, the great man was deemed to have been holding on and Phil Jones kicked the penalty from the ten metre line, after which Saints were back at the full complement. Straight from the kick off, Lordy managed to pick the ball up, drive on, and it ended with Dan Richmond going over from close range. Drahm conversion, 10-3.

As I expected pre-match, the close-season signing from Orrell, Phil Jones, was emerging as Roth’s best attacker, and he set up his own next scoring opportunity, breaking Saints’ defensive line on 24 minutes, and setting up the ruck at which Saints were penalised. Unsurprisingly, he kicked the pen, and it was back to within 4.

From here onwards, Saints started to cut loose. Roth were penalised (harshly - the incident was right in front of me) for a deliberate knock-on. 13-6. Saints were then awarded a penalty eleven metres inside their own half (right in front, granted!) and Shane went for the kick. It would have been audacious if it had gone over, but it just went left, although had the distance. It seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home side, Saints had now proved that they could attack from anywhere. Twice, rucks were held up, once over the line, the second just short. John Clarke went over in the corner only to be pulled back for a forward pass. Finally came the second try, when Bealer came into the line and ran in from 20 metres out. Another conversion, and just into added time it was 20-6. Two minutes on and you could add another seven to that. Lordy took a great line out ball but Saints were turned over and the ball fed out on halfway. Foxy put in his major hit to try and recover it, and as everyone seemed to stop, Johnny Howard sniped, found the gap, and ran in unopposed from halfway. As a result of the tackle, Phil Jones had to be carried off (although he was not the man tackled), and Peter Jorgensen came on for his first appearance against Saints.

To all intents and purposes, the size of the lead was irrelevant at half time, as the game was now won. The important thing that remained was to secure the bonus point, and it took fifteen minutes for that to happen. During that time, Robbie was replaced by Chris Budgen, John Clarke’s last contribution was a big tackle into touch before being replaced by Oriol, and the lead was extended by another Shane three. When the try came, it was simple. The ball was driven upfield, Chris Hyndman took the ball in the scrum half position, and having sidestepped a prop, ran in from thirty metres with, no doubt, Rips screaming for the ball to come to him on his left hand side. Another conversion, and the work was, realistically, done.

Thank all manner of things for that. Within five minutes the wind had really got up, and the rain was coming straight into Saintly faces. Finally Rotherham had some good pressure, and on 66 minutes fly-half Jason Strange went over in the corner with the defensive line stretched, and he then converted his own try. Ironic that the try should come just after AB had been replaced, along with Drahm, and just before the ever-improving Howard had been benched to allow Sharky Robinson the last fifteen minutes.. It had all become more of an opportunity for Saints to practice a few moves, and although they didn’t need to practice the “maul upfield and drive over for a try”, that’s exactly what they did, when with eight minutes of normal time remaining, the newly mohicaned Rob Hunter went over from about an inch for the fifth try, this time unconverted by Air Bruce from the touchline.

So what have we learned? Well, not a lot really. The defensive line looks better with AB in it. The youngsters are growing into the shirts. JP and Rob Hunter’s hairstyles look…(well you put something in, I’m not annoying them, they’re big blokes!). We’re not missing Jorgy. Tucker and Hyndman looks (at the moment) the best centre pairing we’ve got.

What of the ex-Saints? Chris Johnson had a very solid game, and you couldn’t fault his effort, or his lineout throwing. Jorgy looked off the pace, although very determined. Neither would get into this current Saints team, but best of luck to both for the rest of the season.

And to finish the analogy, just as half an hour after a Chinese you fancy another one, so it is with rugby games. Roll on next week, and the return to FG of our bogey team. Win that, and who knows?