Preview of Saints Zurich Premiership Match at Sale


Sharks?

By Rich
August 28 2002

The countdown to the 2002/3 Zurich Premiership has nearly finished, silly season is almost over. It's time to settle back and get ready for potentially the best English Domestic season ever. Saints begin on Friday night at 19:45 with a tricky away trip to the newly re-named sharks. Sharks, formerly known as Sale Sharks, formerly known as Manchester Sale, formerly known as Sale. That's one of the things with Sale; their marketing men are trying everything to get bums on seats at their modest home.In addition to the name changes they have tried a beer ordering service in the stands, explored moving grounds or sharing with football clubs, cheaper tickets if purchased before match days and their latest ploy, Friday night rugby. Sale's problem is that they can't prise paying spectators away from the North West's football and rugby league clubs despite having one of the most exciting teams in the Zurich premiership and experiencing success last season both domestically (2nd in the ZP) and in Europe (Heineken Shield winners).

This is a really tough first game for the Saints. They went into the last game against Sale on the back of 7 victories in 8 games. Expectations were high at Franklins Gardens but Saints were bossed around the park by a supposedly weaker Sale pack, were taught a lesson in half back play by Redpath and Hodgson and were exposed for pace by the awesome Sale backs. A victory at Heywood Road on Friday night would be fantastic for Wayne Smith's side. Bring it on...

TEAM NEWS

The Saints have named new boys Steve Williams and Oriol 'Raspberry' Ripol in their starting line up. They also welcome back everybody’s player of the 2001/2 season Andy 'Hurricane' Blowers. Wayne Smith already appears to be shaking things up by picking youngsters Robbie Morris and Mark Tucker ahead of the experienced internationals Mattie Stewart and Peter Jorgenson. It is also interesting to note that Rob Hunter gets the nod over John Phillips in the second row and Mark Soden beats Grant Seely to the no.8 spot. New Saint, Mark Connors the former Wallaby back five forward is named on a strong looking bench.

Full team list:

15 NICK BEAL
14 ORIOL RIPOL
13 Mark Tucker
12 JOHN LESLIE
11 BEN COHEN
10 PAUL GRAYSON
9 MATT DAWSON
1 TOM SMITH
2 STEVE THOMPSON
3 Robbie Morris
4 Rob Hunter
5 STEVE WILLIAMS
6 ANDREW BLOWERS
7 BUDGE POUNTNEY (capt)
8 Mark Soden

Replacements from: Dan Richmond, Chris Budgen, MATT STEWART, Simon Hepher, Grant Seely, MARK CONNORS, Ian Vass, PETER JORGENSEN, James Brooks, JON SLEIGHTHOLME.

At the present time the only news we have on sale is that they can pick from a full squad apart from lock Iain Fullarton. Keep an eye on the message board for updates.

WHERE TO CATCH THE GAME

Good luck to the brave souls heading to the North West for the Friday evening kick off. For most of us, Sale's favoured playing time makes travelling to the game impossible. For all of us staying at home the game is being broadcast live on Radio Northampton, by live web cast from the BBC and the COYSDC CHAT ROOM will be open for fans to chew the cud throughout the game.

Check the links below for commentaries...

News on Commentaries:

Saints offy site audio link:

LAST SEASON

Sale did the double over Saints with a 34-14 home victory and a 10-20 away win at Franklin's Gardens. Below are the match reports etc for these matches. We can still link to our old stories on the rivals site and so after putting all the effort in its shame not to use them after-all there’s no point being bitter! Links to reports below.

AWAY

Match report.

MOTM.

HOME

Match Report.

Fans View.

MOTM.

HISTORY

The clubs first met in the 1897-98 season with an 18-0 win for the Saints. They have met over seventy times since with Northampton having the upper hand overall. Recent years has seen an even spread of results between the teams .The game we look back to is the last Saints victory over Sale in 2001.

Saints 32 - Sale 26

By Saint On The Spot

Date: 25/2/2001

The Saints showed character yesterday at the Gardens as they overcame an early setback with three second half tries to defeat an dangerous and inventive Sale team. Emotions ran high at the start of the game as the crowd showed support for the departing Pat Lam and this seemed to unsettle the side.

Appearing to have little appetite for the proceedings in the opening minutes the Saints let Sale in for two early tries, the second a superb individual score for new England cap Jason Robinson.

Eight minutes on the clock and fourteen points down it looked a long way back for the home side but as the forwards found their feet and surged forward the crowd finally got behind the team and set about the task in hand.

Attack after attack was thwarted by a Sale defence using fair means and foul (indeed at one point they had more men offside than on!). However in the interests of flowing rugby referee Tony Spreadbury choose to ignore most of the misdemeanours but in the end had to no option but to award the Saints a succession of penalties which Paul Grayson slotted over to cut the deficit to two points at the break.

Half time: Saints 12 Sale 14

With the game finely poised the Saints took the imitative and stormed into the lead in the opening minutes of the second period with Tim Rodber being driven over from close range after a forwards led drive took the game deep into Sale territory.

Again and again the home side attempted to add to their tally but were again held back until Mr Spreadbury handed out a yellow card to Sales Peter Anglesea for impeding John Leslie when the score looked like a formality.

The Saints however gained their rewards when a short-range lineout was gathered and driven on by the 'Mighty' Tim. Budge Pountney joined the forward moving melee and forced his way over for the score.

The elusive bonus point looked like it may now have been on the cards but Sale had other ideas and hit back. In a reversal of his first half form Mr Spreadbury now decided to give everything and Charlie Hodgson hit back with three close range penalties for the visitors to reduce the score to a single point at 24-23.

Just as it looked like they were going to crack the Saints regained their composure and stepped up a gear to pound the Sale line.

Finally after several attempts were held up Paul Grayson threw a wild pass out wide, which Allan Bateman magnificently picked off his bootlaces to feed Ben Cohen on the wing.

The England winger stormed over in the corner for his twentieth score of the season and a much need breathing space for his team.

Grayson and Hodgson exchanged late penalties as the Saints held on at the death to record their twelfth Zurich win of the season.

Anne O'Racks Saints v Sale Zurich Premiership Stats

Played 14
Sale Won 7 50%
Saints Won 7 50%

Team Greats

Biggest Win for Sale 41 - 6 24 Sep 1994
Biggest Win for Saints 37 - 17 03 Oct 1998

Player Greats

Sale top try scorer vs Saints Steven Hanley 5 tries
Sale top points scorer vs Saints Charlie Hodgson 50 points
Saints top try scorer vs Sale Matt Allen 5 tries
Saints top points scorer vs Sale Paul Grayson 122 points

Last Meetings

09 Feb 2002 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 10 - 20 Franklin's
20 Oct 2001 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 14 - 34 Heywood Rd
24 Feb 2001 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 32 - 26 Franklin's
09 Sep 2000 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 23 - 34 Heywood Rd
25 Mar 2000 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 26 - 7 Franklin's
17 Oct 1999 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 13 - 9 Heywood Rd
02 Jan 1999 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 39 - 24 Heywood Rd
03 Oct 1998 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 37 - 17 Franklin's
10 May 1998 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 19 - 30 Heywood Rd
10 Jan 1998 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 33 - 14 Franklin's
09 Mar 1997 Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks 15 - 31 Heywood Rd

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