By Maverick
December 9 2005

“Talk talk talkin 'bout who's to blame, but all that counts is how to change, stop stop talkin 'bout who's to blame, when all that counts is how to change” James – “Born of Frustration” (1992)

There are many benefits to working for yourself. One of the more minor positives is being available to wear what ever takes your fancy (within reason) to work. In my case, this invariably means that I usually wear some sort of Saints paraphernalia when I’m out entertaining my adoring public each weekday evening. The direct result of my continually nailing my colours to the mast in this way is that people are attracted to me in search of Saintly conversation. “What’s going on at Saints?” they ask. Or, “Well. Are we going to win this week, Phil?” In recent weeks (especially Sundays and Mondays) they have been walking up to me, giving a shrug of the shoulders and a roll of the eyes followed by a mighty “Aaaaarrrgghhh!” Which is where the quote comes in.

 

Supporting Saints this season is just so bloody frustrating! It’s frustrating because silly indiscipline is costing us matches. It’s frustrating because we put ourselves in a winning position only for lapses of confidence that allow in the opposition. It’s frustrating because we see glimpses of greatness only to be followed by a spot of defensive muppetry. And finally, it’s frustrating because I know there’s a cracking team inside those green, black and gold shirts. Show me what you CAN do, please!!!!

 

Saints have the chance to take their first tentative steps on the road to recovering their season as they take a break from the Guinness Premiership, heading back into Europe and welcoming the French club Narbonne to Franklin’s Gardens. After the first two rounds of the European Challenge Cup, Saints sit in second place in Group One, sitting just behind this weekend’s visitors. As our Premiership position suggests a long winter ahead, this competition is our only realistic chance of attaining a Heineken Cup next season. So, it’s a must win game (as was the last one, the one before that, that game three weeks ago…you get the idea).

 

As is normal practice, Director of Rugby, Budge Pountney, announced his team on Thursday afternoon:

 

15 BRUCE REIHANA (capt)
14 SEAN LAMONT
13 Jon Clarke
12 Rhodri Davies
11 BEN COHEN
10 CARLOS SPENCER
9 MARK ROBINSON
1 Chris Budgen
2 STEVE THOMPSON
3 Colin Noon
4 Damien Browne
5 DAVID GERARD
6 Ben Lewitt
7 SAM HARDING
8 Daniel Browne

 

No news at present with regard to replacements but the first XV sees just two changes from the side that fell so agonisingly short against Leicester last week. Jon Clarke has shaken off his flu bug and is back in at centre thus enabling Ben Cohen to return to the wing (yay!). With Pat Barnard unavailable for the group stages of the competition, Colin Noon takes his place in the front-row. Once again it looks a strong side on paper but we are in desperate need of an 80minute performance from all of those that are on the park as Narbonne arrive, seemingly with almost nothing to lose. Indeed, in the press this week, the veteran French prop Franck Tournaire has written off his side’s chances, talking about “damage limitation”. Whilst this may be just “paper talk”, French club sides do have a poor record away from home in Europe and Saints cannot afford let Narbonne settle and impose their big pack on the game. The Narbonne team is as follows:

 

15 Nicolas Nadau, 14 Pierre Negre-Gauthier, 13 Cédric Desbrosse, 12 Lionel Mazars, 11 Julien Patey, 10 Cédric Rosalen, 9 Grégory Mahé, 1 Arnaud Martinez, 2 Fabien Rofes, 3 Franck Tournaire, 4 Andrew Springgay, 5 Manuel Sierra, 6 David Hunter, 7 Dwayne Haare, 8 Bertrand Bedes

reps. 16 Jason Hooper, 17 Thibaut Algret, 18 Frédéric Martinez, 19 Lei Tomiki, 20 Julien Seron, 21 Christopher Ruiz, 22 Olivier Benassis

 

Tournaire apart, there are few “big” names in the XV. Big Franck boasts an impressive 49 international caps but the only other player in the starting line-up to have played for his country is centre Cédric Desbrosse with 2 appearances for Les Bleus to his name. Of the others, Gateshead born Andrew Springgay has Guinness Premiership experience having spent some time with Newcastle and winger Julien Patey has been part of the French 7s set-up which suggests he may be one to watch given space out wide.

 

So, what’s it to be, come 5pm on Saturday evening? Another evening full of the wailing and gnashing of teeth? Sighs of relief all round, perhaps after a hard fought win? Or maybe, just maybe, this is the week when Saints actually get it right in all departments, impose their authority and play in the manner we know they have within them. I’ve had enough frustration this season, Saints, thank you very much. Just for a change I’d like a contented Saturday evening, please, enjoying good company whilst wearing a serene smile because my boys have at last shown me what they can do.

 

It’s not too much to ask, is it?