Northampton Saints
News: AP: Northampton Saints vs Exeter Chiefs - Preview
By Phil Hollis
September 30 2010
A rugby match? On A Saturday? At 3pm? Really? Blimey! Northampton Saints welcome Premiership newcomers Exeter Chiefs this weekend as part of the Saints With Heart Sponsored Walk celebrations. COYSDC Editor Phil Hollis looks ahead to the game...
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs EXETER CHIEFS
Saturday, 2nd October 2010 – 3pm
FRANKLIN’S GARDENS
MATCH PREVIEW
On “Life Could be Sweet”, track 4 of Portishead’s 1994 debut album “Dummy”, Exeter-born singer Beth Gibbons tells us “You don’t get something for nothing, turn now, gotta try a little harder”, words which could have been applied to Northampton Saints this week after their reverse last weekend against Saracens.
After a bright start, Saints were systematically dismantled by the metronomic boot of Derick Hougaard, who took every opportunity that a rattled and undisciplined Saints gave him. Only a last minute try by Paul Diggin ensured that the away team at least took a losing bonus point back up the M1 with them and, with the top end of the Aviva Premiership likely to be very tight come season end, that point could prove vital.
This week, Northampton welcome new-boys Exeter Chiefs to Franklin’s Gardens and it should prove to be an entertaining encounter. Chiefs have started their new life in English Rugby’s elite brightly, registering two wins and two losses. Indeed, after enjoying success against Gloucester and Newcastle and running Leicester close at the ground on the roundabout, it was only last week that Rob Baxter’s side really came unstuck for the first time, on the wrong end of 40-13 score-line at Harlequins. Talking to The Plymouth Herald, Baxter’s backs coach, former Saint Ali Hepher, is confident that the Chiefs will have learned from last weekend’s chastening experience – “The guys are in good spirits”, he said, “the things we’ve learned from the weekend are easy things to fix, that’s the key. We’ve learned a hell of a lot from Saturday and we’ll be better for it”.
Hepher is not the only former Saint to be travelling up the M5 for Saturday’s match. The Gardens Faithful are sure to give a warm welcome to prop Brett Sturgess who is likely to start the match and also to 37 year-old Chris Budgen who we may see off the bench. Other players to look out for are their hard running full-back Luke Arscott, the ball-carrying No.6 Tom Johnson and his partner in crime James Scaysbrook. Also waiting in the wings ready to capitalise on any Saints indiscretion is the Chiefs accomplished kicker Gareth Steenson.
For Northampton, this week will have been all about discipline and clear heads. Whilst they tried to play all the rugby at Vicarage Road they were undone by a savvy team who played the conditions better and cottoned-on quickly that if they just kept the ball then Mr Pearson would eventually ping in their favour. This week Saints are likely to rest Ben Foden and Dylan Hartley as part of the EPS agreement which should see Bruce Reihana drop to full-back and a start for Brett Sharman at hooker. Courtney Lawes should retake his place in the second-row and I would expect Roger Wilson to start having had a bench role at Saracens. Whilst try-machine Chris Ashton may be returning to match fitness after a foot injury I think it is unlikely that he would be risked this week, the coaches perhaps having one eye on the forthcoming European fixtures.
Possible Saints team…
15. Bruce Reihana
14. Paul Diggin
13. Jon Clarke
12. James Downey
11. Joe Ansbro
10. Stephen Myler
9. Lee Dickson
1. Soane Tongahuia
2. Brett Sharman
3. Brian Mujati
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Christian Day
6. Phil Dowson (C)
7. Tom Wood
8. Roger Wilson
Northampton Saints have met Exeter Chefs on three previous occasions all back in the 2007/8 season during Saints’ brief sojourn in National League One. Northampton prevailed in all three matches, 18-25 at Sandy Park in the November and then an 18-8 victory at FG in March 08. The third match was of course at Twickenham in the EDF Trophy Final when Saints enjoyed a nine point margin of victory. As the scores suggest all three matches were close and keenly fought but this is a very different Northampton side to that of three years ago. I expect Saints to win comfortably on Saturday, by quite a few if it’s wet and by quite a lot if it’s dry.
Finally, before you leave for Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday lunchtime, make sure you fill your pockets with loose change and beer tokens and seek out the bucket-shakers who will be doing a sterling effort backing up the Saints With Heart 9 walkers who will have completed their Sponsored Walk in aid of the British Heart Foundation. The loose change should be deposited in said buckets and the beer tokens used to help provide the exhausted walkers with much needed liquid refreshment!
Enjoy the game.
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"Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it."
-- Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 A.D.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:09:30:17:09:59 by Paul Flatt.
30/09/2010 17:16
of course all our loosehead props are multifunctional, these men are the Albert Einsteins of the rugby pitch and after a quick breeze through the signals book, i'm sure it'll be a breeze for his giant brain
a bit tough on Brett and Andy Long , but i'm sure they'll wish tumble all the best
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
Saint til I die
Amen Howlin, spot on as usual.
Good luck to all walkers this weekend and good luck to the team for getting a bonus point win please.
Quote:St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad
Nice one Mav
Blimey, that's a blast from the past!
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
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