By Saint Tim
April 6 2011

Exeter are to many proving to be a surprise package this season.  They are the newly promoted team and are in the top flight for the first time. So they are obvious candidates as whipping boys with delivery straight back to ND1 or the championship or whatever name the marketing boys are currently using.  That Exeter are not sticking to that script is perhaps not a surprise to many of us who visited the delightful Sandy Park on our last visit to ND1 and indeed played the Chiefs three times that season and they were never a walk over.

Can you pick a MoTM as Saints were scalped at Exeter?

Saints arrived at Sandy Park on the back of a dreadful run and up against a team who had made life difficult for all visitors.  In the first half Saints showed glimpses that they might be turning the corner.  They exerted pressure on Exeter but never really looked dangerous.  The defence looked better and apart from some silly penalties at half time with the score at 9 – 3 to Saints I was starting to feel a little confident.

Oh how wrong I was!

The second half was the most dispiriting display of what has been a number to choose from.  Exeter scored 27 unanswered points, scoring three tries in the process.  It wasn’t as if Saints made a rash of changes which led to the disruption – it had started before a change was made.  It is back to the drawing board for Saints and a first ever defeat against Exeter who now look absolutely safe from any remote chance of the drop this year.

Afterwards all the talk was to try and work out why Saints are having such a bad run.  During the autumn internationals we had played well – ok so there were a couple of other injuries now but it was causing a lot of heads to be scratched.

So, who caught the eye?

Thanks to the 53 people who voted.  It really is appreciated.

There was only one stand out player for you all this week.  Building on his victory from last week was Mark Easter with a whopping 74% of the votes.  Mark has played exceptionally well in this period and it was with dismay that it was also announced around this time that this would be Mark’s last season at the Gardens.  I would like to thank him now for his efforts.  As I said in the Gloucester report Mark has not had that many opportunities recently but when he has he has never let us down.  I wish Mark every success – except of course when he comes up against the Saints. 

The picture of Mark this week is from the Gloucester game as Claire was not able to cover the Exeter match.

Marks second victory leaves him just one win behind the leaders who are Paul Diggin, Roger Wilson and Stephen Myler.  No one seems to want to break clear of the pack at this point.

Full Result

Previous Winners

Vote History

Who wins?

Leaderboard

Players Used

So far this season we have used 36 different players.  I do notice however that after 25 games we still have 2 players who have only missed two starts.  This isn’t really rotation and could be a key reason for the sub standard performances we are now seeing.

MoTM: Saints scalped at Sandy Park.

Discussion started by ComeOnYouSaints.com , 06/04/2011 18:41

ComeOnYouSaints.com
06/04/2011 18:41

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St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad
06/04/2011 19:52

I'm sure this is a fine report Tim but I can't bring myself to read it

No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.

Dryathlon

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St Marlowe
06/04/2011 20:08

Well crafted Tim - I voted but it really was our worst performance of the season, and I was SOOOOO depressed!

David L

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

- Live wrong and preposterously

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Saint Tim
06/04/2011 20:18

They do say it is often darkest just before the dawn.



“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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St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad
06/04/2011 20:30

Yeah well those people don't understand light refraction or solar orbits now so they?

No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.

Dryathlon

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Saint Tim
06/04/2011 20:34

“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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