By Barfly
October 6 2005

In the first of an occasional series, COYSDC catches up with former Saints players. In this instalment, Barfly sits down for a chinwag with Craig Moir.

 

 

Sywell Aerodrome, on Northampton’s outskirts, is a hotch-potch of light industry and lighter aircraft. Included amongst the former is Ashby Computers, current place of employment of former Saints and Scotland winger Craig Moir. The latter inevitably leads to the existence of a bar, in the aptly named Aviator Hotel. COYSDC took advantage of both to catch up with Craig, although it being lunchtime (and this being the age of ‘enlightened professional rugby’) we opted for coffee over beer.

 

Born in Aberdeen, Craig played for Milford Haven and Llanelli before arriving at Franklin’s Gardens in 1993, just in time to experience the pain of relegation from the then First Division. From then on the only way was up. The ‘Demolition Tour of Division Two’ saw promotion achieved at the first attempt, and Craig was a regular in the Saints side for the remainder of the decade, including the starting line-up for the 2000 Heineken Cup final.

 

2000 was a big year. Not only did he experience the ultimate club high on that famous May afternoon, but Craig also made his international debut for Scotland against Wales, replacing Kenny Logan for the first of three caps.

 

After nine years at the Saints, Craig moved to Scotland’s Borders. It was a bittersweet move: the first year was ruined by injuries, and while he played in the majority of games, Craig wasn’t selected for the national side. And in 2004 budget cuts meant that he was forced to look for another club. Bedford beckoned, and he joined the growing roster of ex-Saints at Goldington Road.

 

Craig takes up the story. “When the SRU ran into financial difficulties they decided to cut the Borders’ budget by over half and they had to let a number of guys go – I didn’t find out whether I was going to be one of them right up until the end and was scrambling to find somewhere to go to. I was going back to Wales to play for a local team down there, when I spoke to Mattie Stewart and Matt Volland and they said that there may be an opportunity at Bedford. I went and had a chat with the club and was lucky enough to get a chance with them.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig Tackles

 

 

Last season was mixed for the Blues. The league campaign included comprehensive wins over the likes of Bristol, although Bedford ultimately finished seventh. But Craig achieved something he never managed at Franklin’s Gardens – winning domestic silverware at Twickenham in the Powergen Shield.

 

Failure in domestic finals is something that haunts Saints fans, especially considering the number of Twickenham visits experienced between 2000 and 2003. It’s also something that puzzles Craig.

 

“I wish I could put my finger it! There is a certain amount of constant pressure on the team that has probably progressed since I was there. But it was just game in, game out, every game being a must-win game. As a player you don’t look at the big goal. As regards to the big event itself, when you’re playing in the final itself it’s nothing you really think about – ‘we’re not going to win because we haven’t won before’ – that kind of thing. You just set out to play your best.”

 

Such domestic disappointment made May 27^th 2000 all the sweeter. Saints’ first trophy was the big one, the Heineken European Cup, and was a fitting end to a season that had at one point seen the club aiming for an unprecedented league, cup and European Cup treble. It’s certainly nine months that will live long in Craig’s memory.

 

“We were right up there in the league until the end of the season, and we had the Tetley Bitter two weeks before the European so we were looking good for some kind of silverware. We dropped off in the league because we were playing so many games, and we had the final against Wasps in which we were just outplayed on the day. The European Cup that year had just been going our way. Certainly with the last-minute penalty against Llanelli. And the final was the same. You didn’t want to call it.

 

“It was a roller-coaster certainly, because it meant so much to the club and to the players, and the town. Unfortunately I missed out on the couple of days following it because I had to go up to Scotland.”

 

Time and again you’ll hear aging and recently retired players wishing they had their time again, that they were back in their teens starting out on their career rather than seeing the end of it approach with increasing rapidity. For rugby players this can be doubly so. Not only is the amount of money flowing into the sport increasing all the time, but academies are much more organised and focussed. Understandably Craig has mixed feelings answering a question on such a topic.

 

“Obviously to play from that younger age and to play with the potential to play up until the age I am now would be very exciting. But it’s a lot harder for these young guys to make it. You used to play for the Under 21s and then the seconds, but now they don’t have that many fixtures and don’t have an Under 21 side any more, and the academy is more cut throat.

 

“This is why Careers After Sport is important. I should have been a bit more organised about what I was going to do when I finished with the sport, but you think that you’ll just fall into something, which doesn’t happen. I’ve benefited from working through the programme and I think the younger guys can as well, even if they have an academic qualification or be working towards one through the academy. Their career could be cut short, either by injury or not being selected and then they’ve got something to fall back on.

 

“Coming to the end of your career is a difficult period. It’s gone a little better since I met up with Jon Sleightholme, had a chat about Careers After Sport, and decided to run with it. Just working through it with Jon has enabled me to sort out what I want to do: that’s why I’m at Ashby Computers. I’m working virtually full-time there now which has helped with the transition, rather than being dropped into a job.”

 

With the coffee cup long drained, it was time for Craig to take to COYSDC’s portable black chair and sweat under the spotlight…

 

Highlight:

“Obviously the Heineken Cup, but also my first cap as well.”

 

Low point:

“In 2000, when I suffered a double-fracture and dislocation of my ankle up in Rotherham. I’d just won my first three caps and was after a first XV shirt for that season. It took five months to get back but that was playing my first game for the seconds, and it was hard to get back into the first team for the rest of that season.”

 

Favourite ground:

“Obviously Franklin’s Gardens, having played there for so long, but coming back there both with the Borders and Bedford. It was strange coming back. The last Premiership game I’d played there was in front of the two new stands but not the main stand. To come back with the Borders when it was all done was impressive. It’s lost a bit of the atmosphere that it used to have with the Shed, but it’s a very nice stadium.

 

“You don’t approach coming back to a previous club any differently, but obviously it means more. You want to perform well and it’s good to meet all the supporters and people you know throughout the club.

 

“We at Bedford enjoyed the game last year and it reminded us how tough Premiership rugby is. It’s a lot more physical: the knocks are harder. Don’t get me wrong, the first division’s tough but you realise that these guys are training full-time. They’re able to do their speed work and weights, and because you’re not full-time you don’t have the same edge. But it was good fun.”

 

Least favourite ground:

“Pertemp Bees in Birmingham. I’ve played there a couple of times, including the semi-final before we went to Twickenham last season. It was snowing and raining and we had more supporters than they did. It was hard going up there and is my least favourite ground at the moment.”

 

Favourite player to play with:

“Ben Cohen. We had a good partnership and I always enjoyed playing off him. He’s a good ball carrier.”

 

Favourite player to play against:

“Inga Tuigamala. He’s a tough player but a good sportsman.”

 

Least favourite player to play against:

“Jon Callard. He was always a good talker on the pitch and there was a bit of banter.”

 

Biggest regret:

It’s something out of my control, but not getting another year at the Borders. It was one of the low points of my career, to not achieve another professional contract, which I really wanted to do.”

 

On the future of professional rugby:

“I think it’s going to go from strength to strength, especially with England having won the World Cup. There’s so much more attention placed on rugby in this country, although England are going through a transitional period right now. The Premiership’s so competitive at the moment – just look at Worcester’s staying up – and more first division clubs are turning professional. That division will become more competitive with more clubs pushing for a place in the Premiership.

 

“As far as ring-fencing is concerned, you can see why there’s an argument for it and against. If Harlequins had lost their backing they could have sunk into obscurity. It’s happened to a few clubs. But at the same time you want it to be competitive at the end of the season. You wouldn’t have had all that excitement at the end of last season otherwise.”

 

Hopes for the season:

“To continue on from last season. Last season, even though a lot of us had played together before it was still new. This year we’ve been able to build on that and hopefully can produce more and push for a top-four place.”