By Chris Gleadell
March 3 2006

Well back to earth with a bump somewhat. After the eight try landslide victory over Saracens at the Gardens last week it was more of an uphill battle in the defeat at Reading on Sunday at the hands of London Irish. It was said, even by some Exiles supporters, that the 30-3 scoreline was not really a true reflection of the game but Saints had one of those days, where despite almost a parity in possession things just did not fall right for them on the day. Sadly, just to rub salt into the wound just about everything Irish tried bore fruit.

Making no excuses, losing the back three of Ben, Bruce and Monty was bound to effect our strike rate though other aspects of the game I am sure will be focused on in training in the two weeks running up to the Gloucester game at the Gardens a week on Saturday when we will again be losing players to international calls.

With six games to go now in the Guinness Premiership the weekend’s results leave a lot of final placings finely in the balance. From a Saints point of view despite Sundays loss we still sit just three points off that all important sixth place in the GP table that could, (although it is not definite) secure a place in next years Heineken Cup. With a tightening up in the middle of the table after last weeks round, and with five teams sitting below that sixth position all within four points, the scramble could well go down to the wire. In Saints favour four of those six games are at home albeit with three of them against top five sides while the two away games at Newcastle and Bristol might be the kind of games we might get something out of and every point come that last game of the season may prove crucial.

Elsewhere at the top of the table Sale and Wasps now look almost certs for the championship semis while Gloucester, Tigers and this years dark horses Irish fight it out for the last two spots. At the basement Leeds look like they are timing their Houdini act to perfection once more while Saracens look to be in freefall and in real trouble. One thing is for sure, with all twelve GP teams fighting for various objectives there is a lot of mileage left in this season yet and plenty more twists and turns no doubt on the way. Come the 6th of May and our last game of the season again Sale at the Gardens things might look a lot different but here’s hoping we are aiming for something a bit higher than we were at lasts years finale at Worcester.

With interest for all teams in the table still strong it has come as somewhat of a surprise that the subject of ringfencing has been mentioned once more. The latest ‘leaked’ plan is for a 14 team Guinness Premiership with the existing participants joined by Harlequins and the Cornish Pirates in a 14 team closed shop competition.
Now of course this plan might just have been dreamed up on a rugby journalists typewriter but when you hear rumblings yet again from within the RFU and the England set up about how relegation is affecting the national side, and marry that to Premier Rugby Chief Executive Mark McCafferty waving a piece of paper this week saying we have peace in our time between the RFU and the PRL with not a sabre rattled in court, the conspiracy theorists amongst us start to suspect that someone somewhere is discussing this behind closed doors.

I hope not. Whilst I am sure, like most followers of the game, I would welcome a visit to the hotbed of rugby in Cornwall I’m not sure that’s a fair trade for potentially watching half a season of meaningless games where the only object would be securing a bigger slice of the prize money cake. With clubs investing in ground improvement and increased capacities, only this week Keith Barwell suggested the Gardens would be expanded to 17,000 places, some might find themselves playing in front of an awful lot of empty seats come season end.

GRANT SEELEY’S TESTIMONIAL DINNER

The Saints Supporters Club have been given three pairs of two and one set of three tickets for Grant Seely's Black Tie Testimonial Dinner on Wednesday March 15. They will be selling tickets before and after the home game against Gloucester on March 11. The draw will take place approx 6.30pm that evening Tickets are prices at £2 per strip or £5 for three. All winners will be notified by telephone, and the winning numbers will be put on www.saintssupportersclub.com on Sunday morning.
They will also be taking postal requests for those who wish to get their tickets in advance for the chance to win one of these tickets. The closing date for requests is Tuesday March 7. Please send your postal entries, including details of your name, telephone number and email address (if applicable) to Saints Supporters Club, C/O Cheryl Wilcox, 63 Ericsson Close, Daventry. NN11 0TP. All entrants will receive an email or telephone call to confirm their numbers.

The SSC will also be running coaches to Newcastle Falcons, on Sunday 26th March, they will be leaving Franklin’s Gardens at 9am.
Prices are, Adults: £15 Children/Students/OAPs: £10
To book places on the Supporters Club coaches, please call 01604 751742. With your name, telephone number and the number of seats. Or alternatively you can book seats, by texting 07771918245 your name, the number of seats and Newcastle.