By Chris Gleadell
April 21 2005

Well by the skin of our teeth, or a wayward kick that proved Jonny Wilkinson isn’t quite yet a deity, we are still alive and kicking in the Zurich Premiership. Friday’s game wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination but it was full of drama. Or should that be ‘Drahma’ after Shane’s winning kick? So we still live on to fight another day.

Our future may still in the balance but we are sitting a bit more easy than we were last week and currently even occupy a wildcard place so Heineken Cup rugby next season is still an, albeit distant, possibility. It will now however all go down to that last game against Worcester at Sixways on Saturday week and with a handful of teams still in danger of filling that bottom spot it is going to be an afternoon for radios and calculators as well as trying to keep one eye on the pitch.

Indeed as I sit writing this all12 ZP teams still have either the Championship, a Heineken spot, a wildcard place and/or relegation to fight for so that final afternoon could yet see some interesting twists and turns. As for relegation, I may be tempting fate but I think the two London clubs, Harlequins and Irish are the one in the deepest mire. Both still have two games to play to Saints one but given their opposition both may struggle to secure a win and bonus points or lack of them could seal their fate. That fat lady might not be singing yet but she’s getting ready to draw breath and for me the 30th cannot come round quick enough. Bring on Worcester.

FRIDAY NIGHT NERVES

Talking this week I understand that the whole emotion of the occasion and the possible ramifications had we lost on Friday got to some people in the crowd, indeed one friend even commented he was numb the whole evening, but as for me I enjoyed every minute. From the opera singer before the start, the antics of Bernie, the game itself and the wild celebrations at that final whistle, all round I had one very good evening.

I know we are all different but personally for excitement I would rather watch half a dozen of these knife edge all at stake games than a whole procession of cakewalk victories and while its probably not too good for the blood pressure I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

And yes had we lost I would have probably gone home cursing under my breath and kicking the cat (if I had one) but I think on reflection I would still have enjoyed the evening. Perhaps I’m mellowing in my old age but without those lows there certainly would not be the highs to celebrate and maybe seasons like this are in the big picture all part of the rich tapestry of being a supporter and certainly they are more character forming. That’s not being defeatist just realistic and maybe the old adage that what goes around comes around rings true. Maybe even Kipling (not the exceedingly good cake man) was onto something when he wrote ‘If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same’.

So for those of you that found yourselves in mental turmoil on Friday remember there must be some morsel of enjoyment in it, or why would so many of us be trying to get ourselves to Worcester for 80 minutes more 'torture'. If it really was such purgatory we'd off in our thousands taking up fishing, birdwatching or gardening instead. Now where did I put that trowel?

WELL DONE AGAIN WALLY

A belated well done to Steve Thompson for being selected for the coming British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. I wrote a couple ago about the media giving Wally a hard time so it was quite refreshing to see him named in the majority of predicted starting lineups named by ex Lions players.

Steve is the 21st Saint to be named to tour with the Lions an honored list that stretches back to Blair Swannell in 1899 who later became an Australian international and died at Gallipoli in WW1 and includes other such famous names from the club over the years as Jeff Butterfield, Dickie Jeeps and David ‘Piggy’ Powell and more recently the likes of Tim Rodber, Matt Dawson and Gregor Townsend in thre Lions last series win in South Africa in 1997.

I’m sure Steve will carry on that fine tradition.

Talking of the Lions, the planned pre tour get together for those of you traveling South will take place at The End public house South Bridge on Friday 20th May.

It will be an informal gathering and kicks off around 8.00pm.

DO THEY EVER LET UP

Not content with letting Robbie Kempson air his rather one eyed grievances about the Saints Mark Keohanes South African rugby website (keo.co.za) now has Nick Mallet in on the act bleating about how those nasty English players ousted Alan Solomons. Now I don’t profess to know the full story of actually what went on but all those reports coming out of SA fail to acknowledge one simple truth, Solly’s playing record as coach of the Saints.

While they will happily blame English players for all the problems under the sun they quickly turn a blind eye to the fact that Solly took us on a nine game losing streak in a 22 game season and turned a top three side into a bottom of the table one almost overnight. But then like a lot of articles on this site closer inspection always uncovers a few anomalies.

To back up his argument Mallet mentions how well Solly did with Ulster and their Heineken Cup win. Yes all very good till you realize that Solly actually joined Ulster AFTER the HC win and in his time at Ravenhill he never even got them past the group stage. But then when has this website been a good bedfellow with the truth where the Saints are concerned.

LAST WEDS

Talk about twists and turns. Just when you think there’s light at the end of the tunnel the gods contrive to turn round and give you a sharp kick in the shins to remind you that far from being safe Saints again face a very real threat of relegation. I know some of us have been counting chickens before they have hatched and I count myself amongst the worst offenders but Saturdays defeat at Bath and just about every other result going against us leaves the Saints joint bottom of the table. Whatever happens in the next week or so’s games relegation will now be decided on the last day of the season when Saints travel to fellow strugglers Worcester.

However to put ourselves in with a fighting chance first we have to overcome Newcastle on Friday night at the Gardens. Mathematically six teams could still go down, including Falcons as a long shot, so there is still plenty of mileage left in the battle for the drop yet but Saints main aim must be to throw every thing they have and more at Newcastle from the off and play this game as if its their very last. It goes without saying that even taken into account all previous games this is probably the Saints biggest test for a decade and defeat could mean the unthinkable becoming more a reality and Division One rugby and no European competition for us next season. That cannot be allowed to happen, to put it bluntly, looking at the permutations, we lose on Friday and the writing could well and truly be on the wall as far as our future is concerned.

The game will not be one for the weak hearted and of course we have our part to play too turning the ground into an inhospitable cauldron for Newcastle, at the very least expect to wake up with a sore throat on Saturday morning but hopefully a smile to go with it. It’s time for a bit of fire and brimstone so lets get up and get at em!

It will be a final home game for a few players on Friday night including Shane Drahm and Corne Krige but the special mention must be for Andy Blowers. Andy returns to New Zealand via Japan having given his all for the club on each and every occasion he has worn the gold, black and green jersey. The guy will leave as a Gardens legend and will leave one big hole in the team and, along with his family, the club. Recently on our website there was a discussion about Saints best ever backrow and whilst many opted for Budge Pountney, Tim Rodber, Pat Lam. Brian West and Buck Shelford in various combinations each and every person who named their preferred six, seven and eight included Andy Blowers in their selection. Given the esteemed company I don’t think you can give any better accolade than that.

TICKETS OR NOT

One thing for certain on Friday night is that yet again it will be another sellout at the Gardens. The popularity of the game continues to rise with packed house after packed house across the Zurich Premiership each and every week. Of course the big drawback to this is that there are not enough tickets to go round and increasingly people are frustrated at not being able to see their team play live. Long gone are the days when you could decide on the morning of the match to travel the country and get in on the gate at wherever Saints were playing, now you have to plan sometimes weeks in advance.

That game at Worcester is a case in point. Tickets are as rare as hens teeth and Saints quota of 500 was snapped up as quick as you could say Sharky Robinson leaving other fans empty handed for a game that could end in delight or despair for the Saints. Some of us have been lucky enough to get tickets for the game courtesy of new found friends from Worcester while another intrepid band took the day off work last Monday to queue at Sixways, Worcester’s ground, in the early morning for a mere handful more but many more on the day will miss out.

There is however no simple solution, demand is outstripping what the current stadia can provide and it appears there is no quick fix. Whilst the likes of Saints increase capacity to (hopefully) suit that demand gradually and Tigers who still plan long term to move to a 32,000 seater stadium look to the future other clubs are struggling to keep pace. Saturdays victors Bath are basically stuck between a rock and a hard place in their present setting, unable to develop in their current location they must be turning revenue away each week as the sold out notice goes up and sooner or later push will come to shove and they will have to leave the confines of the city or in all probability face hardship. They also have to face the fact that the Premiership will be demanding a growth in capacity for all clubs very soon one which means the rumoured move to Swindon could become a reality.

All is not well for a couple of other clubs too, Wasps at this moment in time do not even know where they will be playing next season, do they stay in High Wycombe and build on the fan base they have nurtured in South Bucks but again face the same capacity problems of Bath or do they move back to Loftus Road in West London to not only avoid paying a penalty fee to their former landlords but cash in on an increased number of seats, if of course they can find a new fan base to fill them. Down the road in Twickenham Quins have problems with their aging South Stand part of which gave way at the weekend injuring a London Irish supporter. Should that stand be condemned by the local authority Quins could find themselves well short of the required capacity come next season too, even with their new west stand currently being built. So in the short term everything is not rosy in the ZP stadium garden and for the foreseeable future hunting down those elusive tickets could get harder and harder in the coming seasons.

I wish I had the answer but short of buying a season ticket at all twelve Premiership grounds I guess we should all get used to scratching around and planning well ahead for those elusive matchday tickets.