By Saint Tim
February 3 2011

Well these so called season defining games are coming thick and fast at the moment.  Saints have rarely won away in France in the Heineken cup – I can only think of Agen off the top of my head though I am sure the stattos will tell me I am wrong (I am excluding the Amlin cup by the way) – but we really needed to win this one to get a “home” quarter final in the knock out stages.  As we found out last season when beaten at Munster how important his could be to progression.  Also to be decided this weekend was who we would play and the permutations were almost endless.

Who was your MoTM as Saints won away at Castres?

Watching the game on Sky and trying not to explode at the next barbed comment from tubby Barnes it was obvious how cold it was in Castres as huge snowflakes drifted slowly down through the screen.  It was amazing that the handling (Saints) was as good as it was given the temperature.  The Castres fly half was however dropping most balls headed his way!

Saints started confidently and camped in the Castres 22 and showed intent by putting the first penalty to touch.  Scrappy ball was however retained and the ball made its way to Joe Ansbro who had five Castres players to beat – but he stepped inside a couple and then in true Harvey Thorneycroft he powered over the line with about three opposition players hanging round his neck.

Castres showed this was no dead rubber in their mind as they powered up field and from line out catch and drive only the assistance of the TMO who called it held up stopped them equalising.  Saints then went further into the lead thanks to a rather scruffy drop kick from Myler quickly followed by a try from Dowson and the Saints were comfortably ahead 15 – 0 after 27 minutes.

At this stage it looked like it could become an easy victory if there is ever such a thing in France – but no the Castres team were defending a proud home record and got onto the score sheet only three minutes later and that was the final score of the first half.

Whilst recovering from the first half I am sure I saw a couple of Brass Monkeys wandering around the outfield looking for a welder to help attach some lost appendages!

The second half was scoreless up until the 56^th minute.  Up to this point it had been all Castres with Saints defending valiantly.  They targeted a turnover at a Castres ruck which they achieved.  Quick hands, including Ansbro twice and the skipper Dylan saw the ball in the capable hands of Ben Foden on about the 22.  Ben had the pace to reach the line and it was just reach the line as he was tackled just short but managed to reach out and place the ball over the try line.  I was by this time convinced we were heading for a home draw in the quarter final and a Myler pen wrapped it up (apart from a late face saving try from Castres).  A 23 – 12 win away in France is something not to be sniffed at and guaranteed us a home draw.  Results over the weekend meant that Saints actually finished as the top seed and we managed to dodge getting the Tigers – not that this is to denigrate Ulster who I am sure will provide stiff opposition.

So, who caught the eye?

Two players really caught the eye this week.  In second place with 16% was Calum Clark.  Calum has been in every match day squad this season but is only now really showing the reasons why Jim and Doreen signed him from Leeds.  His work rate is phenomenal and an early reputation as a penalty machine seems to have abated.  Well done Calum I am sure we will hear more from you this season and those that come.

It is with sadness that I read as I typed this of Joe Ansbro’s decision to leave the Saints and join London Irish.  Joe is one of those players that many of us have taken to their heart.  This has been a big season for Joe in that he has received his call up to the Scotland senior squad and is to start in their opening six nations game – but at the same time he could not hold down a regular starting position at club level.  I wish Joe every success – apart from when he plays the Saints of course – and I am sure with a regular start he will go on to great things.  Joe received just shy of 49% of the votes which shows what a stand out he was in the cold night at Castres.  It is Joe’s first win of the season and I hope he gets the opportunity for a few more.

My thanks to the 105 people who voted this week.

Once again my thanks to Claire for the use of her wonderful photographs – these are from the game against Edinburgh as Claire could not make it to Castres.

Full Result

Previous Winners

Vote History

Who wins?

Leaderboard

Players Used

So far this season we have still used 31 different players.  I am getting worried about how many games some of the top players have started.  I am not sure we can keep this up.

MoTM: Saints away in the freezer at Castres

Discussion started by ComeOnYouSaints.com , 03/02/2011 16:52

ComeOnYouSaints.com
03/02/2011 16:52

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Phil.
03/02/2011 17:35

I know I've said it before but I really enjoy reading these articles, Tim.

Thank you.

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Jon in Wherever
03/02/2011 17:41

Quote:

aints have rarely won away in France in the Heineken cup – I can only think of Agen off the top of my head though I am sure the stattos will tell me I am wrong...

Ok. Just because I saw that as a challenge. Biarritz in San Sebastian by a point, and didn't we get Toulon inone of our first seasons? Took their home record, and Daws was smacked so hard he did the post match interview with cotton wool up his nose and one eye closed!

Great read as always. A pleasure for us that are into the more statty side!

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smurfomatic
03/02/2011 18:26

Jon - statto pedantry allows me to point out that San Sebastian is in fact in Spain, and the Toulon game would have been in the European Conference not the Heineken...

Always love reading these articles Tim, but quite often forget to post saying so! Sad that Joe has won his first MOTM on the day he's leaving.

Photo Gallery

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Howlin
03/02/2011 19:18

Perhaps contract negotiations inspired him to his best performance !

Thanks Tim; good stuff as usual. (PS I still think it should have been Clark )

Saint til I die

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Jon in Wherever
04/02/2011 04:54

Thanks for that Smurf... Now where was that fishing smiley?

:p

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Saint Tim
04/02/2011 06:01

To be honest I had forgotten the Biaritz away win - but would have pleaded it was in Spain. I thought all the others were in the Challenge Cup - Parker Pen or whatever incarnation it was at the time.



“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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Wee Jim
04/02/2011 16:08

Or you could say Tigers have dodged us
Good read as ever Tim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:02:04:16:08:41 by Wee Jim.

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