By Maverick
September 3 2005

“What makes Saintliness in my view, as distinguished from ordinary goodness, is a certain quality of magnanimity and greatness of soul that brings life within the circle of the heroic.”

What a great quote to start off the first preview of the new season.

 

Who wrote it? It was Harriet Beecher Stowe, written sometime in the 1800s. She knew a thing about the fledgling sport that was rugby in her time did Air Harriet. “Magnanimity and greatness of soul” is the bit I like from this quote. I feel it sums Saints (the Northampton variety) up quite nicely. We are not always great, sometimes we are bloody awful, but we have a soul. We are a proper club. From the foundations built from those who came before us to the new and vibrant professional era, Saints is a family and everyone is included.

 

At around 4.50pm on 30^th April, I had no idea whether I would be watching Division One or Premiership rugby come September. Saints had narrowly lost to Worcester and Harlequins were a kick away from saving themselves and at the same time kicking wide open the trap-door to send Saints away from the elite. History of course tells us that Jeremy Staunton’s kick went awry (distances vary from a couple of feet to the width of a fag paper) so Northampton Rugby Football Club retained their place at the top table.

 

In the second week in July, Budge Pountney and Paul Grayson were rewarded for their efforts in pulling Saints out of the mire with new roles; Budge would become Director of Rugby, Grayson would now be Head Coach. Over the summer they have overseen quite a “Night of the Long Knives” as they have attempted to build a squad suited to the way they want the new look Saints to play. The cull of Saintsmen has been quite brutal. Robbie Morris off to Newcastle, Chris Hyndman to Otley and Mark Tucker to Worcester are just three examples and that doesn’t take into account those that have retired or moved overseas. Indeed, more than a dozen players who could have pulled on the Black, Green and Gold last season are no longer at the club.

 

New boys. It’s not all doom and gloom, honest! David Quinlan could be the class centre we have been searching for since John Leslie left and Sean Lamont only increases the potency of the back line (more later!). Perhaps the most significant signing of the summer (apart from the obvious, ahem! more later) will be 26 year old Daniel Browne. A full blown No.8 capture from Grenoble, his role in the 8,9,10 axis will be crucial in the coming months.

 

And then there is Carlos.

 

Is “mercurial” the new “hats on wheels”? Reading through the various online and paper previews, it’s a word that keeps cropping up. History suggests it’s apt but I guess it’s one of those 50/50 calls (ok make that 80/20). To paraphrase a quote oft made about dear Matt Dawson, “he’s a mercurial git, but he’s OUR mercurial git. With Browne at 8, Sharky Robinson at 9 and the King on his throne at 10, it sure is going to be a lot of fun!

 

Along with the other signings from outside the club, it’s worth mentioning the players that have made the step up from the Academy this year. Andy Vilk, Neil Starling and Luke Myring have a real chance to stake their claim for a start this coming season. Paul Diggin too may get the opportunity to shine if Ben Cohen rediscovers his brutal finishing skills and gets a recall to the National squad.

 

 

On to the nitty-gritty then. Leicester away at Welford Road.

 

Tickets are at a premium for the first match of the season at a place where Saints have had success in recent times. The most high profile of these wins came back in 2002 with Budge’s legendary “gypsy try”. Quoting from Rich’s match report at the time (link to the full report below)…

 

“On 32 minutes Saints delivered the sucker punch. Budge Pountney scored what he described as a 'gypsy try'. Thompson and his regular jumpers conned Leicester into setting themselves for the catch and drive, Budge looped from the back to the front of the line and Wally threw underhanded to the Scottish flanker who waltzed through the open door.”

 

The sheer audacity still brings a smile to the face!

 

And there’s another gem from the archives. Nick Beal, anyone? This time quoting from Mark H’s excellent match report back in 2003…

 

“In years to come, Saints supporters will increase the distance to something approaching a mile. For it to come here, and for it to come from a man who will go down as a Saints legend just made it all a little bit sweeter…It was one of those moments that time seemed to stop, everything went silent, and the whole universe was watching the ball. Given some of Bealer’s previous drop goal attempts over the years, it could have gone anywhere. For it to go over a bar and between two posts was possibly an even sweeter moment than anything from last year.”

 

On Thursday, our coaching team announced the first XV for the weekend…

 

15 Bruce Reihana (capt)
14 John Rudd
13 Jon Clarke
12 David Quinlan
11 Ben Cohen
10 Carlos Spencer
9 Mark Robinson
1 Tom Smith
2 Dylan Hartley
3 Brett Sturgess
4 Matt Lord
5 Damien Browne
6 Alex Rae
7 Darren Fox
8 Daniel Browne

 

At the time of writing, no replacements have been named.

 

So, it’s blinkin’ blimey O’Reilly! Not the team that anyone would have predicted. The backs are pretty much as expected but Sean Lamont’s absence comes as a surprise. Still, if they get good ball then we could see fireworks.  In the forwards, many congratulations to Dylan Hartley and Alex Rae, two Academy players who have been given their head on the back of their performances pre-season. Hartley over Dan Richmond is the stand out change to expectation. Do the coaching team feel that Rabbit (Hartley) offers more at the breakdown? Perhaps having Brett at tight-head swayed their opinion. Who knows. What we do know is that Dan must be desperately disappointed not to get the nod. No doubt he will be supporting the new hooker and the rest of the team and, when does take the park, he will be champing at the bit to take the chance to cement his place as No.1 hooker in Wally's absence. At lock, Damien Browne has the opportunity to show that he has moved on from the inconsistencies which coloured his performances last term. We need the line-out to function and function every time to have any chance of competing with the best, Matt Lord cannot do it all on his own. Looking at the team again,  it appears that Budge has placed his faith that have impressed him in the warm-up games. Let’s hope his faith is justified.

 

 

24 hours earlier, Tigers coach Pat Howard named his team for Saturday…

 

15 Sam Vesty
14 Alesana Tuilagi
13 Dan Hipkiss
12 Daryl Gibson
11 Tom Varndell
10 Andy Goode
9 Harry Ellis

1 Michael Holford
2 George Chuter
3 Alejandro Moreno
4 James Hamilton
5 Leo Cullen
6 Will Johnson
7 Shane Jennings
8 Martin Corry

 

No Back, no Johnson, no Austin (on the bench). A Leicester side in transition then, much the same as Saints. The 8,9,10 axis again looks crucial. In other areas, Sam Vesty is certainly no mug at 15, the centres look tight and George Chuter will be looking to put one over our new boy. Andy Goode will keep the scoreboard ticking over if he is given the opportunity so, no daft penalty’s please, boys!

 

One to watch? Tom Varndell - a product of the Tigers Academy and a young man with a great turn of speed from a standing start. To counter that, Saints will be looking to test his defensive abilities to the full.

 

So, what do we expect from our first look at Saints in the 2005/06 season? I just don’t know. From chatting to those that are in the know, the players have been given a hard time of it by Budge and the squad and we should not expect anything less. “I’m (expletive deleted but it means tired)" is one comment that came my way. Looking at the pre-season games, it would appear that progress is being made. According to “A Real Saints Supporter”Ó (no, not THAT one) at the Leinster game, we were poor for 55 minutes, then it all clicked and the back play was breathtaking.

 

At the top of this article, Ms Beecher Stowe mentioned “heroics” in her bon mots. I’m not sure that we can expect heroics so early in the season but to finish, may I be allowed to quote from another Rugby Union aficionado, Mr Ronan Keating…

 

“Life is a roller-coaster, just got to ride it…”

 

 

And that’s what being a Saints supporter is all about. .