Northampton Saints
News: Edinburgh v Saints HC Pool1 Round 2 Match Preview
By David Lowrence
October 12 2010
Saints Supporters set off up the Great North Road (and indeed some on the "Railway Formerly known as the GNER") this week, for the second Pool 1 match in this years' Heineken Cup, heading the pool after last weekend's match against Castres. With a little help from my friends, here is my preview of the match.
Heineken Cup Pool 2 Round 2
Edinburgh Rugby v Northampton Saints
Saturday 16th October 2010, Murrayfield KO 1:30 pm
Firstly the Stats.
In the Heineken Cup Saints have a 12-3 lead in matches won against Scottish Opposition (which does of course include The Borders) – In fact our last visit to Murrayfield was to in 2004 play the borders in the rearranged fixture. The last time we played Edinburgh in the Heineken cup was in 2001, the first match in defence of the cup. Edinburgh came away 18-15 winners in front of a 4000 crowd.
Our Squad that year was
Rugby Data tells us statistics for Northampton Saints vs Edinburgh Gunners
| Games played: | 4 | |
| Games won by Saints: | 2 | |
| Games lost by Saints: | 2 | |
| Games drawn: | 0 | |
| Largest points for Saints: | 47 | 8 - 47 |
| Largest points against Saints:
| 23 | 22 - 23 |
| Largest winning margin for Saints: | 39 | |
| Largest losing margin for
Saints: | 3 | 18 - 15 |
| Total points for Saints: | 116 | |
| Total points against Saints: | 57 | |
| Avge pts for Saints per game | 29.00 | |
| Avge pts against Saints per game: | 14.25 | |
So – that’s the stats out of the way – to the match!
Last week Edinburgh nearly caused an upset in Cardiff by coming to within 1 point of the host’s total of 18. Given the expectation of both home teams supporters in round 1 – that has made this a very interesting and potentially tight pool. Edinburgh, coached by Rob Moffatt– a man with a point to prove, and a wealth of coaching experience – will not be easy at the breakdown – Saints will have to get the ball and do things with it but not kick it away, or we will find ourselves chasing the game all afternoon. It is, however, worth noting that they have the capability to punish us with the boot. That can, however all change, as this is a cup match.
My information on the side starts with:
1. Alan Jacobson - the loosehead's loosehead. He hardly ever takes a step back, and looks like a little teapot (short & stout) and glories in the nickname "chunk". He is like a version of Chris Budgen, except he has very good hands and carries well and also understands propping.
2. Ross Ford - Ford is a huge unit and talent who finally came of age last year. Some may recall him playing as a youngster at FG for Borders when he lamped Tupai (who had a very quiet game indeed thereafter) . Ford and Jacobson are the only big ball carriers in the Edinburgh pack, though the back row can all carry in open country.
3. Geoff Cross - one-ups Euan in the contest of front row intellectuals, as he is a fully qualified MD. A big man who's beefed up more in recent years. Has a couple of caps and no mug, but some way behind Moray Low and Euan.
4. Scott Macleod - (ex Hawick, ex Borders, ex Scarlets) good all round lock but not a monster. Very fine ballplayer.
5. A number of light lanky choices to partner Macleod (Mckenzie, Hamilton(ex falcons), Turnbull)
6,7,8 - all are open sides by preference - at present lacking size. Dave Callam and Ali Hogg have departed which is 2 less ball carriers
Will probably start as
6 Alan Macdonald
7 Ross Rennie - As a pure "fetcher" Rennie may be the best in the UK after the maestro Martin Williams. He's an ex champion skier, very quick, very strong in the legs and hands, and hard to knock over. If we are as cavalier with the ball as we were against Castres he will turn us over all day
8 Roddy Grant (capt) Grant is in the Luke Watson school of tiny no.8s, a running threat if the game opens up, and Macdonald is a very fine openside playing at 6 (and one reason Al Strokosch was hardly missed when he went to Gloucester).
Because they have a dearth of ball carrying forwards and a glut of opensides, they do tend, as D E Jones has pointed out, to dominate possession without being very penetrative.
9-15 they lack raw pace except for Visser , but they have good basic skills and will handle decently, particularly if Mike Blair can get them running into space. Cairns at 13 is elusive, Jim Thompson on the wing is a grandson of the great Bill McLaren and a classy player anywhere in the threequarters. Mark Robertson, who may play on the wing is a strapping wing but sadly with little of the outrageous running skills of his father Keith Robertson, a teammate of Jim Renwick as a grand slam winner many years ago.
After the stuttering start to the campaign by Saints, the enforced rest for Ben Foden, and the rumoured injury to Bruce, I expect to see Jim Mallinder take the opportunity to play both Myler and Geraghty, and with the hopeful recovery to Christian Day we should see a more cohesive side run out at Murrayfield. My team would be:
15 Shane Geraghty
14 Chris Ashton
13 Jon Clarke
12 James Downey
11 Paul Diggin
10 Stephen Myler
9 Lee Dickson
1 Soane Tonga'uiha
2 Dylan Hartley (capt)
3 Euan Murray
4 Courtney Lawes
5 Christian Day
6 Phil Dowson
7 Tom Wood
8 Roger Wilson
Replacements
16 Brett Sharman
17 Regardt Dreyer
18 Brian Mujati
19 Calum Clark
20 Mark Easter
21 Ryan Powell
22 Joe Ford
23 Joe Ansbro
Edinburgh has this as a “must win” game - for Saints they all are! One thing is for sure, it will not be an easy game, and it has all the hallmarks of being a very tough game indeed
I am posting this a little early, as a number of supporters will be travelling earlier in the week to take advantage of an autumn break in Scotland’s capital. There is a link here where you can where see some of the travellers are staying, and some suggestions as to where you may be able to partake of the odd drink. There is also a very good guide here on the Edinburgh Gunners supporters’ site.
I think this will be a feisty affair with Saints just shading it. No try bonus points this weekend though.
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12/10/2010 04:48
Top of the League 2014-2015 Season
Thanks for pointing it out!
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
Saint til I die
I also like this
Quote:The point about the lack of ball carriers is well made. It is all very well having good ball winners, but more often than not you need big units to take it up to suck in the defence before letting the backs go. Since we don't have those big units far too often we are running at well organised defences who have not been unsettled in the slightest. The backs then lack space and get in a guddle.
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:10:12:12:22:57 by St Marlowe.
How does it go now......'Oh wendy...'
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
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