By MarkH (16/10/03)
October 17 2003

The big unfit blokes you’re likely to see on Saturday will be in the bar. However the big, fit blokes out on the pitch look something like this, if the team’s near to what I think it will be:-

Full back - Nick Beal

Bealer's just completing a successful testimonial year, which gives you an idea of how much of a fixture he is in the team. Captained our successful Middlesex Sevens squad (sorry, had to get that in!), and has got one try (at Roth) so far this season, when he broke four tackles and carried the final two over the line. Playing solidly, and has only really been skinned once this season, by Paul Sackey for Irish's first try on Saturday.

Right wing - John Clarke or Oriol Ripol

Clarkey has come through the Academy and scored on his debut against Wasps. Tall and rangy, there is currently a debate as to whether he'll stay on the wing, or whether he'll move to full back or inside centre later in his career. The Snitch still has the ability to go in and out off either foot (ask Joe Shaw after last season), although he seems to have his better games on fast ground. Dangerous from anywhere.

Centres - John Leslie, Mark Tucker or Chris Hyndman

You know all about JL (Kiwi Count - 1). The Prozone system that we have is testament to the amount of work that he puts into each game, but he's probably our most debated player, with him having committed supporters and those who think that he shouldn't be in the team. Ironically, he's missed the last two games. Mark Tucker is enjoying a golden period in his career - he seems to have been in the team or on the fringes for ever, but is only now showing the talent that he has got, no doubt buoyed by being joint top try scorer at Twickers. Chris Hyndman came back into the team after two years out during last year's autumn internationals and has been an almost permanent feature since. Another of the try-scorers at Roth, my favourite try of his is still the one scored at Welford Road to put icing on our victory there last season. Another one of out team (like Ripol) who hits harder than his size.

Left Wing - Bruce Reihana

(Kiwi Count - 2). Took five weeks off in the summer to go home to New Zealand, and you can tell. After playing eighteen months of rugby through Super 12, NPC, and ZP, and looking supremely talented towards the latter half of last season but fit to drop, he's come back and has been a revelation. He's got two tries so far, and is consistently our best ball carrier. We can't wait to see him in tandem with Ben Cohen later in the season - if Ben can get back into the team, as Air Bruce has already said that he wants to keep the shirt

Fly Half - Shane Drahm

Our ex-Bristol connection (every club should have one, and probably has), Shine is the ZP's top scorer to this point in time, with two tries amongst his 81 points to date. Considering that we never really noticed him at Bris, he's fitted in so well that we're not missing Paul Grayson, as he has combined so well with Reihana that when they click, magic happens. He's also said that he wants to play for England when he qualifies on residency next year, so tell that Jonny bloke that he’s only got the shirt temporarily…

Scrum Half - Mark Robinson or Johnny Howard

Now when you've got a Dawson-sized hole to fill, you need a special player to fill it. We've got two, and it's been neck and neck between them all season. Sharky Robinson has come over from New Zealand (Kiwi 3) after featuring so prominently in the Barbarians tour at the end of last season, and we all thought that he would stroll into the team and push Daws on his return. What we weren't counting on was Johnny Howard emerging from his few games last season and looking a real force at ZP level. Another one buoyed by the Sevens success, he's going from strength to strength at the moment and ran in his only try so far this season in a Dawsonesque snipe from the halfway line at Roth. Another one of the promising English scrum halves emerging currently in the game.

James Brooks is the other back likely to feature. He's started the season as back up to Drahm, but can play at scrum half, full back or either wing.

Props - Brett Sturgess, Renaud Peillard, Robbie Morris and Chris Budgen

Possibly the position we've been hit hardest, with Tom Smith going to the RWC, and Mattie Stewart going to Bedford. Brett Sturgess is coming on with every game, and is in that position of learning the game with each appearance. I'm sure that he didn't expect to feature so heavily, but then we didn’t expect our signing from Perpignan, Renaud Peillard, to be out injured from the first fifteen minutes of the first game to last weekend. If you saw Perpignan's games against Gloucester or Llanelli last season, you'll know Renaud - he gave Vickery a hard time and managed to actually turn Madden ninety degrees. From what we've seen, he's a typical French prop - uncompromising. More than anything else, Robbie Morris is probably suffering from the great expectations on his shoulders, having picked up two England caps relatively early in his career. He's growing, and he's got years to develop, and we all want to see him succeed. Chris Budgen (Kiwi 4) was recommended to the club by the great Garry Pagel, after Chicken (he eats a lot of it) and his Birmingham pack had shoved Saints backwards at a great rate in the Powergen Cup. Whole-hearted player with nifty feet, and scores more tries than any other prop I've seen.

Hooker - Dan Richmond or Matt Miles

At one point a couple of seasons ago, it was a toss up between Dan and Steve Thompson as to who the better player was. Wally was called up for the North American tour, had the training, and is now the best hooker in the world. Dan hasn’t gone backwards, but has found it hard to get into the team because of who's in front of him, and is another benefiting from the prolonged exposure in the side. Matt Miles is a Welsh under 21 international who made his debut in Biarritz last season, and uses his relatively small frame in exploding out of rucks.

Locks - Matt Lord, Rob Hunter, Jon Phillips

Matt who? Well, that’s what we thought when he first appeared at Leeds last season, having arrived from North Harbour (yep, Kiwi 5). A few weeks down the line, and we knew the Wookie quite well. By the end of the season, we realised that Smudger had unearthed a gem. He's consistently in out six man of the match choices, and whilst he may not be a Ben Kay or Mark Andrews ability-wise (and that's getting more debatable by the match), he gives everything and more to the cause, and won't be far off being player of the year at the end of the season. Rob Hunter is very under-rated, going about his business thoroughly, but does seem to be the one pinged for cards more than the rest of the pack. JP is a Saints legend, passing 300 games for the club last December, and another one that gives everything for the club. He's one of two players (Daws is the other) having a benefit season, and he thoroughly deserves it. Can be slightly, er…abrasive at times, but there'll be a reason behind it.

Back Row - Mark Connors, Darren Fox, Mark Soden, Grant Seely, Andrew Blowers

When the Buzzard arrived from Oz after not going to Bath, the first move was to rename him Deso! Another 120 per center, he can play in any of the back five positions but has been used more at blindside flanker this season whilst we have been missing broken leg victim Budge Pountney. Danny Grewcock is a big fan of his scrum cap apparently, after the pair of them had a running battle through all three of last season's Bath games. Darren Fox has fought back from two career threatening knee injuries, and since making his debut last season, he's been permanently in the team. Very much benefiting from playing around the likes of Connors, Blowers and Pountney, in my opinion if he manages to stay fit he's heading towards the England squad for 2007. Mark Soden is another player who seems to have been at the club for years but has not yet cemented a starting position due to the quality in front of him. He usually plays at number eight and is probably our quickest back row forward, although he is not the biggest and his game sometimes suffers for that. Grant Seely has just passed 200 games for Saints, and is very much an unsung hero, being able to play either at blindside or eight and do a good job in either position. He got to the fringes of the England squad a couple of years back, but found the likes of Hill, Back and Dallaglio in the way. With no disrespect to Grant, they are more functional in the game that Woodward is trying to play, but you all saw at Twickers that he has the full range of skills.

And finally to Andrew Blowers. AB is our sixth Kiwi, and has been absolutely immense since he arrived in the autumn of 2000. I think it would be fair to say that he is the most influential number eight in the ZP today (Dallaglio included), as there is a big gap when he is not there, and you just know that when he runs on the pitch absolutely nothing is going to get left in the changing rooms. Destructive around the tackle area, an immensely strong ball carrier, good in the lineout and a true leader, AB is going to end up as a Saints legend (if he is not considered one already).

Well, that's the Saints squad. Obviously with the RWC five to come back, and long term injury victims Budge Pountney and Steve Williams still to be added to the squad, you can see why we got tipped to do well this season. Those of us who watch every week could probably offer other opinions as to why we don’t do as well as we should, but that could be a long debate!

The Newcastle Falcons

Rob Andrew has named his team for the trip to Northampton Saints. There's only one change to the starting line up as Joe Shaw come in at Full Back in place of Tom May. Dave Walder, Epi Taione and Tom May continue their return from injury and feature on the bench, alongside James Grindal, Micky Ward, Matt Thompson and Phil Dowson.

The Team

1. Ian Peel, 2. Nick Makin, 3. Marius Hurter, 4. Garath Archer, 5. Mark Andrews (Capt), 6. Jon Dunbar, 7. Warren Britz, 8. Hugh Vyvyan, 9. Hall Charlton, 10. Phil Godman, 11. Ben Gollings, 12. Mark Mayerhofler, 13. Jamie Noon, 14. Michael Stephenson, 15. Joe Shaw.

Falcon's Replacements: 16. Tom May, 17. Dave Walder, 18. James Grindal, 19. Micky Ward, 20. Matt Thompson, 21. Phil Dowson, 22. Epi Taione.

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