Northampton Saints
News: ECC: Toulon (H) - Match Preview
By Saint-aitch
January 21 2009
So here we are, only a few days away from the last pool game in this year’s ECC and there are the Saints, top of the pile and nearly maximum points from all games so far. Only last weeks trip away to Montpellier didn’t bag a full-house return...
So here we are, only a few days away from the last pool game in this year’s ECC and there are the Saints, top of the pile and nearly maximum points from all games so far. Only last weeks trip away to Montpellier didn’t bag a full-house return. This weekend’s game will be the last cup competition match until the end of March when we will wend our way up to the Ricoh arena to face the Cardiff Blues in the EDF semi final. Our next excursion in the ECC will not be until early April and there is a lot of speculation about who we will face on the day but one thing is for sure, the game will be held at Fortress Franklins Gardens due to our domination of the pool and total points scored.
I do feel that all of this needs to be put in to some perspective. Many of our premiership adversaries may say that ‘our pool was one of the easiest’ with current league whipping boys Bristol and two mid-to-low table French teams and we all know how Bristol didn’t make the effort on their visit to us on 6th December only to, thankfully, make more of a fist of it a week later. Similar can be said for Montpellier who, with a poorly disciplined side at the Gardens, were on the end of a serious drubbing, last week’s game at the magnificent Stade Yves du Manoir was a much closer game.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs TOULON
ECC P2: Saturday, 24th January 2009. 15:00
FRANKLINS GARDENS
MATCH PREVIEW
And so to this weeks game and for the life of me I cannot even try to put a spin on this preview about how this could be a difficult game, and comments such as ‘should Toulon be hungry, there could be an upset on the cards’ just don’t work for me. Sorry, but the statistics here speak for themselves. We went to Toulon and thrashed them in front of their home crowd, we ran in how many tries against them? They are on five points in pool 2 of the ECC and, realistically have no chance of getting through to the quarter finals as one of the best runners up. Chances are they will not be anything like a formidable challenge this week.
So what of our guests this weekend then? Well, they are currently languishing bottom of the Super 14 having won just 3 of their league games so far this campaign although, ironically they did manage to beat the once mighty Biarritz, as well as Bourgoin and Clermont with a draw against Brive. All of these games though were at home and their record on the road is appalling in all competitions with only a decent win in the ECC at home to Montpellier added to a thrashing of a club called Carquiranne Hyeres in a pre season friendly. Toulon only have honours in Division two to their name being a club that struggles with life in the top flight of French rugby.
As far as their team and points scorers are concerned, well that paints a slightly better picture. Sebastien Fauque, Ramiro Pez, Orene Al’l and Tusi Pisi have all scored over 20 points each with a raft of other players also in double digits including the nearly Saint Joe Van Niekirk. Other than these guys there may be a few familiar names in the Toulon setup for the die hard rugby fan including big Samoan Jerry Collins who we will not see this week as he picked up a knee injury in thier last league game against Brive and may potentially be out for the rest of the season. A scattering of other southern hemisphere players are to be found in the squad as their ambitious chairman does his best to elevate this perennial bottom feeding club away from Division two relegation position.
Prior to our away trip to Toulon last October, we have met Toulon once before in the ECC, when Saints travelled there in October 1996. Tries from Gregor Townsend, Harvey Thorneycroft and skipper Tim Rodber, supported by a number of points from the boot of Mr Grayson got us an away win 29:38.
A little history on Rugby Club Toulonnaise:
Founded in 1908, Toulon play at the Stade Mayol in Toulon which is named after the local born concert singer Felix Mayol. Their fanatical rugby president, Mourad Boudjellal is a self made millionaire in comic strips and, if memory serves, his passion for his club leads him to take centre stage (or pitch) at every home game to conduct the equally passionate fans in their club chant ‘Pilou pilou’ which, by all accounts, certain Saints fans, in the true spirit and nature of rugby have requested that Monsieur Boudjellal is given Geoff Allen’s microphone before this weeks game and that all Saints fans join in with this ‘call to arms’. Personally, I’m all for it as it does seem to get their fans worked up and I have doubts about the amount of Toulon fans who will make the trip this week and I think their team will need all the help they can get.
The Pilou-Pilou chant is shown below and I have done my best at supplying an English translation for you all just in case we get the chance to sing it this weekend. As you can see its foundations are based upon mountain dwelling warriors and their ‘terrible war cry!’ which given the French history of warfare is a bit of a laugh anyway!
Ah ! Nous les terribles guerriers du Pilou-PilouAh! We
the terrible warriors of Pilou-Pilou
Pilou-Pilou !
Qui descendons de la Montagne vers la Mer
That
came down from the mountains to the sea
Pilou-Pilou !
Avec nos femmes échevelées allaitant nos enfants A l'ombre des grands
cocotiers blancs
With
our wild women breast feeding our children in the shade of the big white
coconut trees
Pilou-Pilou !
Nous les terribles guerriers poussons notre terrible cri de guerre
We the
terrible warriors shouting our terrible cry of war
AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH !
J'ai dit "NOTRE TERRIBLE CRI DE GUERRE" !
I said
"Our terrible cry of war"
AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH !
Parce que TOULON
Because
of Toulon
ROUGE !
Parce que TOULON
Because
of Toulon
NOIR !
Parce que TOULON
Because
of Toulon
ROUGE ET NOIR !
Not sure where ‘Big white coconut trees’ fit in, but hey, who am I to criticise a team’s chant? I asked a French friend for the translation of Pilou, only to be told that the direct translation is the ‘comfy material to make pyjamas!’ so it must be a regional dialect variation as I just cant see how terrible warriors would be shouting out about their pyjamas.
And so to the Saints line up for the game. Do we put a full strength team out with an important away game at Quins next week and knowing we are already guaranteed a quarter final slot? Well, there is a matter of trying to become one of the two top seeds in the competition in order to ensure a home semi final slot, but I believe this requires us to score a hatful of tries to do so which, to be honest, is not entirely out of the question so lets see what we can do.
Team and score Predictions:
With all of the above taken into account, I cannot help but think this week will be an absolute mullering. I think Toulon have more important things to worry about now (like avoiding relegation) knowing they are out of the ECC this year whereas Saints want the home semi final given our impressive home record.
15 –Brooce – Because he needs to build his confidence back at FB
14 – Flash – To start scoring tries again.
13 – Clarkie – Because he is!
12 – Downey – Stronger each game.
11 – Monty – Give digger a rest and bring on another star.
10 – Los – He kicked 8 out of 11 on Monday
9 – Dickson – Foden will be busy next week.
1 – Wee Tam – No reasons needed.
2 – Gray – Give Dyl a rest
3 – Murray – Grrrrr!
4 – Naco – Just coz I love seeing him play
5 – Freddie – Needs more gelling with the team
6 – Hoppers – Playing great rugby at the moment
7 – Bunny – Ditto Hoppers.
8 – Wilson – Love watching him play too (ED’s note: Won’t be SergeantW, aitch!)
With Tiny, Shieldsy, Day, Foden and Nils getting a run out.
Score?:
Saints LOTS: Toulon not many
Oh when the Saints
Go wearing Pyjama’s…...
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:01:24:18:06:48 by St Marlowe.
Many thanks!
"It's not the despair, Saints, I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."
I think Mr Spencer kicked 8/10. Fairly sure young Mr Greenhalgh had a pop at one of them.
Oh, and we might not see Wee Tam play Saturday unless he's prepared to leave his own testimonial Burns supper early on Friday night.
Should be easy to predict the score, then:
LOTS...
Bridesmaids no more.
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