By Louisa
February 6 2005

After going down 24-19 to Leeds, last week saw the end of our Powergen Cup hopes and the end of Budge Pountney and Paul Grayson’s honeymoon period at the club’s helm.

Well, we all knew it was coming but I don’t think that anybody quite expected it to come in the humiliating manner that it did. Add to that the loss of our first choice scrumhalf for the next 14 weeks, and the indiscipline that led to such a high penalty count and to two cards being produced, and you could argue that the future is once more looking bleak for the Saints. But this is where I beg to differ.

The loss of Sharkey is admittedly a big blow, but it hands Johnny Howard an excellent chance to cement his place in the first team, and offers Ben Jones an opportunity to showcase the talent that he’s been showing in abundance during his Wanderers appearances this season.

This weekend spells a return to the grunt and graft of the Zurich Premiership, and to the battle for league survival.

On Saturday, we travel to Edgely Park to play Sale Sharks, and a win will raise us to just one point off 8^th place, a mere point below next weeks opponents, Saracens.

It won’t be an easy game. Sale are currently riding high in 3^rd place in the Zurich Premiership (remember what that feels like?), edging ever closer to last years double champions, Wasps.

They have 8 wins and ­­­­33 tries under their belts in this year’s competition, not to mention having the league’s leading try scorer (again, remember what that feels like?), Mark Cueto.

Compare this to our record and you’ll find that we have half the number of wins and even fewer tries.

The last time the two teams met, after 21 changes, two tries and a yellow card for Sebastian Bruno, it ended up as 14 aside rugby with uncontested scrums from the 50 minute mark onwards. Saints were woeful and deservedly ended up 23-6 the losers. In fact, the only positives to come out of the day were the sterling efforts of the Saints With Heart walkers who managed to raise a fantastic sum of over £20,000 for the British Heart Foundation, before the match.

But enough of the doom and gloom!

Since the appointment of Budge and Grays we have seen the return of the spirit and with 7 wins from the last 9 games, our season is still gathering momentum.

The players being considered for selection for Saturday are:

BACKS - Ben Cohen, Paul Diggin, Shane Drahm, Paul Grayson, Johnny Howard, Wylie Human, Chris Hyndman, Ben Jones, Bruce Reihana, John Rudd, Marc Stcherbina;

FORWARDS - Ross Beattie, Andrew Blowers, Selborne Boome, Damien Browne, Simon Emms, Darren Fox, Matt Lord, Tom Smith, Mark Soden, Brett Sturgess, Steve Thompson, Johan van Wyk.

Although the team hasn’t been finalised yet, I think it would be safe to say that the team announced will be very different to that which started the last time the two teams met, and will definitely bears no resemblance to that which finished the game. Well, that won’t be that difficult, seeing as Bruce was playing at fullback and Shane Drahm at fullback…

If the rumours are to be believed, we’ll see a bench place being handed to Paul Diggin after his fantastic try scoring performance for the Wanderers against Worcester last Monday.

There’s been no news yet of Sale’s team for Saturday but it is possible that we may see a Sharks debut for ex-Saintsman and Franklins Gardens favourite, Oriol ‘Raspberry’ Ripol, and Jason Robinson is expected to have shaken off a leg injury in time for the match.

My prediction? Being an ever cheery soul, always trying to see the bright side of life, I’m going to go for a Saints win. It’s going to be tough, but the Saints will be champing at the bit to right the wrongs of last week, and wanting revenge for our humiliation at the Gardens earlier on in the season.

A tight game. Saints by 7.