Northampton Saints
News: Would you Adams and Eve it! Saints Win Away at Wasps!
By Ben_D
October 25 2010
Thank you Saints for introducing me to a genuinely new experience – being pleased to go to Adams Park. Many has the long trudge up to the end of this particular High Wycombe industrial estate been accompanied by the hope and very occasionally the expectation of an away win, only for those hopes to be efficiently and ruthlessly dashed in a manner that has become synonymous with our striped hosts.
Avaiva Premiership Round 6
London Wasps v Northampton Saints
Adams Park, Sunday October 24th 2010 KO 3pm
Wasps 10 – 37 Saints
For Wasps however those days seem to be sadly on the wane, Northampton on the other hand could be on the verge of a future as bright as the low setting autumn sunshine that gently kissed the rusting trees and sweeping hills surrounding the worlds most inaccessible playing space.
Saints right from the kick off dominated and controlled the game with an ease and confidence that had all but deserted their opponents. The match was built around a solid set piece performance that had Wasps searching for answers to questions they never knew existed.
The withdrawal of Simon Shaw left the London side short on old time experience in the lineout but Wasps troubles are far deeper than one international. Saints tight five were too hot to handle and the lineout catch and drive became the preferred weapon of choice - handing Soane Tonga'uiha a brace of tries and what must be a burgeoning presence in the top try scorers table. Three times Saints crossed the whitewash in this fashion whilst Myler and company admired from close quarters.
But when
asked the backs also played their part and laid the foundations for a memorable
victory. Myler added an element of competence and control to the proceedings by
slotting the first 3 of his 17 point haul, nine minutes in. The flyhalf then followed up eight minutes
later with a further 5 points after some patient build up work saw him in
enough space and close enough to the line to hand off Dave Walder and dive over
the line.
Tonga'uiha promptly followed up with his first try off the back of some illegal mauling from Wasps. The catch and drive from the resulting penalty lineout was excellently marshaled by Dickson who offered direction and purpose from the back of the pack.
Saints had begun well and only ever looked likely to increase their dominance, it wasn’t until nearly halftime that Wasps even ventured into the Northampton 22; as a contest though the match was all but finished by then. Chris Ashton had already secured Saints third try after Myler weighted a lovely grubber kick in behind the Wasps defence, the ball bouncing up in to Ashton’s grateful arms.
A final first half penalty gave Northampton an unassailable lead at 25 – 3 and the sometime elusive try bonus point beckoned for the East Midlands side who looked in complete command of the proceedings. The Dreams Stand offered only nightmares to its regular inhabitants.
Whilst the hillside opposite the main stand played host to a cantering horse and its rider, down on the pitch the triumvirate of Wood, Dowson and Wilson outshone their international counterparts in the wide open spaces. Saints looked quicker and sharper in nearly every aspect of their game and whilst they may have been forgiven for entering the second half in cruise control, they were in no mood to take their foot off the gas.
If Wasps have anything to worry about as they look to their trip to Leeds next weekend it must be the soft centred pack that looked incapable of stopping anything that came within 10 meters of the try line. Saints drives and angles were powerful and direct and the much sought after try bonus came with 30 minutes of the match remaining. Tonga'uiha was having a marvelous day.
Being hyper critical - a brief, inexplicable but gratefully short period of generosity plagued Saints either side of halftime as their apparent domination lead them to believe they were impervious to adverse refereeing decisions. Mujati not rolling away, Ashton failing to stay on his feet after another deft kick through from Myler and Courtney Lawes for a similar crime. The advantage handed to Wasps as a result was fortunately unaccompanied by points that might have been scored by more confident opponents.
Lawes redeemed himself in the 60th minute by securing the fifth and final try with the by now familiar lineout catch and drive. Adams Park was emptying. Wasp’s consolation score was unwittingly contributed to by Chris Ashton whose clearance kick was charged down by a grateful Jacobs who scampered over in the corner. The try scoring music was of little inspiration to the departing supporters, surely the stadium announcer is allowed to exercise his discretion in such circumstances
Processions from the stands were followed by rank and file changes on the pitch, Saints replacing their valuable mint coloured jewels to be cherished for future displays. But the replacements were not to be intimidated as they defended Wasps most concerted period of the match. Indeed Northampton actually went in search of a sixth try right at the death but were successfully held at bay.
The Wasps performance was as stuttering and constipated as the traffic winding its way up to the ground, the loss of Flutey to what looked like a serious leg injury and latterly scrumhalf Simpson must have Messrs Hanks and Edwards enduring a restless night.
Their counterparts will enjoy a more relaxed evening knowing that another Northampton Hoodoo has been laid to rest, however Jim Mallinder will know that sterner tests lie in wait for his men.
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Great scene descriptions - sounds like I missed a belter
"It's not the despair, Saints, I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."
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