By Mrs Dovers boy Ben
September 23 2002

Yes another Saturday afternoon admiring the vagaries of my chosen team. I can’t work out now whether I enjoy the feelings frustration I get when I watch the Saints, or whether I’ve just become accustomed to it now that I’ve been watching them for so long. I think I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times they have allowed me the pleasure of a whole hearted trip into the land that is Euphoria, but never mind I’m sticking with it.

Watching the boys warm up I sensed a feeling of steely determination and an air of expectancy that was missing from the Falcons game and for once my senses proved me right. Dr Jekyll emerged resplendent for the first half.

Wayne Smiths jigsaw seemed to fall effortlessly into place, quick ball, good clean recycling, sound decision making, good angles and lines of running, it was all there for our delectation not quite a three star restaurant yet but certainly a step up from the kebab and chips served up last time.

Then just as predictable as going to Manchester and getting wet, Mr Hyde appeared for the second forty minutes. To be fair though he was nowhere near as nasty as he had been in the past. This half presented the team with the opportunity to display some enviable defensive qualities.

Fortunately the half time potion just wore off in time for Dr Jekyll to show his face for the last five minutes, and that was all that was needed for us to secure the desperately wanted 5 points, sighs of relief all round.

So do they do it to me deliberately? Do they know that I need my weekly fix of hair pulling, and teeth grinding? Because lads if you are doing it deliberately you can stop now! The hair is nearly all gone and the new falsies are up for fitting next week.

Promised Lands might not be too far away for us but one suspects that the season could still go typically Saint shaped. The Holy Grail is closer than it has been for a while, would it be asking too much to see that all elusive 80 minutes of Rugby to convince me we really can reach out and grab it.

How many analogies is that?