Why is it we always look better when we come up against a team that tries to throw the ball around? We have been saying on here though that when we finally hit form, someone would suffer - I would just hope that Brian Kennedy doesn't look at that result and decide to dispense with Jim Mallinder. Mark H

 

seconded re the results today Mark.twere rather fresh in the south stand,but me hands are still tingly warm -wonder why? Desbralass

 

A very enjoyable afternoon. Didn`t even notice how cold it was! …. Willow

 

.... yesterday was as good as we've seen this year for the Wayne Smith style....fast, dynamic & accurate rugby with tries a-plenty the natural result....the set-pieces held up well with the simple & safe plan of using Lordy at the front of the lineout..maybe not that adventurous, however at least it secured us the ball!...5 more performances like that in our remaining games & we'll be in the play-off's! BBF

 

Good to see so many of you at the game yesterday - a GREAT result. I'd been wondering when we were going to give someone a good tonking - although I will admit to a comment along the lines of "who do you think you are? the bar-bars?!" as it went to 14-12 and another loose pass was thrown.. Wellsaint

 

if mallinder didn't know before that they have defensive problems down the 13 channel, he certainly does now   we ran straight down it, came inside then out down it, we held it up and then went outside from it, and we used both wingers, the fullback and the outside centre to attack it and they never managed to effectively block it.  and their vaunted wingers were reduced to out of position spectators.  nice to see us bringing people from deep hitting the ball at speed and running at space not just into contact as well. broonie

 

I thought we did far more than that Broonie, we mauled them back, hurt them from scrum half, first up runners as well as everything you described.
Basically we hit them where their numbers or line up was not what it should be, isn’t rugby a wonderfully simple game when played well.
Credit to them I thought their execution for Hanley’s try was first class, but by the end they looked clueless, defensively.
I also loved the choice of taking the scrum from a penalty in front of the posts, basically said to them this is the only area you are better than us so we will score from it. Ajack

 

So it were - never mind the weather - it was a heart warming - uplifting experience.
8 tries - 5 points - budge at the First Xv doo
and great to see the youngsters getting on at the end - the future is bright….. Old Pete

 

Only one complaint……

Wasn't it cold!!   Otherwise................absolutely marvellous. Well done Saints. Stockers

 

Reihana

 

... okay now I have your attention, let me tell the truth. I think Bruce is our outstanding player of the season. He is quite simply superb. He must cross the gain line more than anyone and even when contact is made he still gets a few extra yards every time.
What a player, do we have anyone better? Hoddros

 

on todays evidence it would be hard to argue - he was everywhere - showing all the skills - absolutley suberb. Old Pete

 

My MotM today, but only just ahead of Sharky, who i thought was supurb alan t

 

This is the Bruce we are all longing to see. He always looks dangerous and today he truly was!!  Thought Sharky was also awesome.   Lordy and Shane as well. In fact everyone played how we know we can when it all comes together.   And I thought the singing was pretty good today as well!!! Counted a least six different songs today. Outstanding! Willow

 

It was mentioned in the programme that only 4 players have gone over 1000 metres in ball carries. Two of those were Sale players (Going and Cueto) and one is Bruce. Top man, how did he only get 3 AB caps? Smurfomatic

 

..he's only got 3 so far..at this level of performance, Smithy could be keen to take him back to NZ....I hope Mrs BBF can perfect the BRUCE, BRUCE, BRUCE chant first....she just can't get her voice lowwwwww enough! BBF

 

Outstanding, every time he took Sale on he broke the gain line.
In 15 years I think that was just about the most complete performance by a Saints back i've ever seen.  Well done Bruce. Chris the Saint

 

He also seemed to be everywhere!, popping up on both wings, through the centres and covering the couner attack, all in the same play!! Outstanding! beef

 

....and it takes a minimum of 2 oppo players to stop him every time.he had an outstanding game. Desbralass

 

Woke up this morning, reflected on the game and I came to the same conclusion as Chris-the best performance I have seen from a saints back from Bruce. i can`t remember a single mistake from him.
Full back is undoubtedly his best position-he can join in the attacks on either side or up the middle, and he is so safe under the high ball. His tackling ain`t bad either-he is bl**dy awesome.
We started the BRUCE BRUCE chant going in the south stand and got quite a few joining in-wouldn`t it sound a bit special with 11k doing it. Numberseven

 

Props

 

how many Saints peeps wanted Robbie and/or Chris COYSDC Budgen to score a try today? Well I did for a start and the last try in the corner?was it Swill?I'm certain that CB was the last man up and he had the ball in his hands.Wishful thinking by me perhaps,but well done to whoever it was.  desbralass

If Robbie hadn't been so far out on the wing, he may well have got a pass for a try. Can't complain though, he was very good for the third week running. Mark H

 

The great man had a storming game today - IMHO the Man of the Match but one nagging question remains?  Would he have made the 70 metres when he broke through in the second half?  I think yes!  Oh yes, and is this a first for a prop bring done for crossing?!!! Claire Jones

 

Yeah with 20 metres to spare and a Frendie Mendez style somersault under the posts. Chris the Saint

Thought chicken had a blinder as well!! beef

 

 

Forward

 

Yes was the very welcome return of Swill - was a try but it was called by the crowd - the ref couldn't see whther it was grounded or not.  I sat over in the old Lakeside (or whatever it is called now) today and we were exclusively to thank for the Sale try being cancelled due to a forward pass (not sure whether it was but looked it from my angle (ie behind the posts!) - we tried valiantly to have the resulting try overturned for not having it under control but the ref copped adeaf un to us that time!) Seabass

 

Both the pass for the try that was disallowed, and for the one that was allowed (regardless of the grounding) were forward. Agree with WMS elsewhere though, the Hanley try was superb. Mark H

 

St M.....did the pass to Going go forward?looked more forward than the one that Mr M spotted,but in the South stand it's sometimes difficult to tell.
and as for THAT pass.....if he'd(Hercus?) carried on or dummied,I'm sure he would have scored.must catch a replay of that. Desbralass

 

They were both forward - I was sitting directly in line. Didn't see the 'non' grounding but heard several people comment upon it - still we shan't complain eh?
Though Hanley's try was superb - thought our EIGHT were even better wMS

 

To be fair, the try scoring pass may have been forward, but our 2nd try should have been called back for a knock on. Still, bloody refs, mumble, grumble, moan............. Beef

 

The man in the middle

 

Maybank had a shocker
He got right - forward pass, a few Saints infringements
He got wrong - Going's Try - (ball - downward pressure - ground - 2/3 is NOT a try!!!) - EVERYTHING ELSE.
As a professional referee the man is useless - in business he would have been fired. BTW Saints were no angels CG - I stand by my comments pre match - some of these refs are rank amateurs, and more training/responsibilty is needed in the ZP. St. Marlowes

 

The general concensus in the South Stand was that something was wrong with Reflink. Instead of us hearing what Maybank was saying, he seemed to hear everything we were saying -
"foward pass" >>> peep
"not straight" >>> peep
"offside" >>> peep
"too high" >>> peep
What was really good that he took his time after every shout from the SS Refs, to make it look like he was talking into his shirt to the linesman, and not us! Paul Flatt

 

As I said to Marlowes in the bar post match, he managed to spot several offences a lot would miss (or ignore), but missed the most blatant forward passes even Ed Morrison would spot Smurfomatic

The ref. - well, an improvement, albeit with a couple of howlers - one thing though that no one's touched on yet - I thought he was a little previous on the whistle; some plays could have been allowed another phase or two to see what would happen. Wellsaint

 

I have to say I disagree with you on this St Marlowe. If you judge a referee on an odd forward pass they will all have a bad game.
Anyone sitting (or standing) down the side of the pitch will have a better view of SOME forward passes than the ref as they are exactly in line the only place you can judge from. Imagine trying to judge the winner of a 100 meter race from 10 yards from the finish line, simply this is impossible, but this is what the referee is faced with the whole game.
For most of the game they (ref and tj) get it right as the phases go through small gains and by policing the break down and the offside lines between them one of the three is in a good position to judge.
However from a long kick for instance a pass from the winger to full back will be seen square on by the ref and at a fairly narrow angle by the tj’s, impossible to call. The same applies if someone makes a clean break through the line at full pace, do you honestly expect any referee to catch the likes of Ole from a standing start and giving him ten yards start? He also has to make the call whist running flat out himself, not the easiest thing in the world!!!!!! Ajack

 

Maybank's overall performance? Well let's take it from the crowd noise from around the ground when contentious decisions were made - I would rate it as well below normal. I know we won (handsomely) and we may have got the benefit of the doubt over Seely's try at the far end of the ground from us. I know that people have reported on individual incidents - the odd high tackle, for example - but where were the normal howls for constant offside/not-rolling-away that can ruin a game (Steve Leyshon, please note)? They were absent.
They were absent because the referee had a good game. He kept people on-side and penalised them when they strayed. Anyone that took the ball to ground was allowed to play it unless he had an opponent standing over him legally allowed to play the ball. He handled the game, especially the separation of players at the breakdown, extremely well.
He penalised us quite a bit at the scrums but virtually all the time on Sale's put-in. That tells you something about what was going on. Certainly while Sheridan was on the loose head we had the very devil of a job trying to disrupt their easy passage. We didn't appear to indulge in the sort of skullduggery that can lead to an outbreak of handbags but I don't suppose we were far away. The body language of the front row also had more the look of "fair cop, gov," rather than, "what me, ref?" It was also notable that we didn't do it when we were within range of our own posts.
That level of contentious refereeing decisions I can put up with most weeks. Star for Mr Maybank. Oddshapedballs

 

Selected bits from the ‘Six’

 

To me, one man far and above the rest, then another, then - well, just a great team performance.
Bruce
Chris Budgen
Foxy
AB
Sharky
Oriol  Mark H

 

Bruce
Sharky
Lordy
Budgeon
Robbie
John Leslie
I've run out of space now, there were so many more I could vote for. Well done every Saintsman. Stockers

 

Bruce - how does he get through the defenders EVERY time!
Ripol - great tackles and chasing back
Budgen - good attacking and defending (was he getting jeleous of robbie last wk!!)
Drahm - Some excellent runs
Sharky
Foxy

saints80

 

Just in case St Tim is in any doubt, I'll add to the list of New Zealand supporters.
Reihana
Budgen
Lord
Robinson
Leslie
Blowers blagger

 

Bruce x 6 Chris the Saint

 

very hard to pick six, not very hard to pick one.
Bruce, that's the easy bit done
Wookie
Chicken
Sharky
JL
AB
many others had good games ajack

 

bruce
bruce
bruce
bruce
bruce
bruce
he did the work of six men numberseven