October 31 2003

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
October 31 2003

Well it’s onwards and upwards this week for the Saints after travelling up to Welford Road to secure a rousing victory over local rivals Leicester for the second season running.

Bruce Reihana sped in with two well taken tries but Nick Beal’s 60 metre drop goal (I’m sure that distance will get bigger as the years go on) was the icing on the Saints cake. Maybe not such an emotionally charged affair as last year when we ended their five year unbeaten home run with our first victory in a decade but a win is a win in the Tigers backyard and hopefully we are now getting into the winning habit after the recent domestic dominance of our dear neighbours

Now of course the victory didn’t go down too well with the Tigers but while the vast majority of their supporters took the defeat sportingly we did get a few jibes and comments on leaving and in the bars afterwards. The opinion was that we only won because Tigers could not choose from a full strength side (conveniently forgetting it was a full strength side we beat last year) and that Leicester were paying the price for England’s RWC campaign in Australia. I was personally asked if I would cheer when “Leicester win the World Cup”.

Now I’m as one eyed as the next man where my team is concerned but I’m not that blind to see that several other teams are in exactly the same position. These others clubs have recruited well to cover holes in their squad and have rode out this disruptive period. Indeed Bath who have lost possibly their three most influential backs in Catt, Tindall and Balshaw sit at the top of the table while three others hit by callups, Gloucester, Saints and Wasps fill the next three slots. Granted Tigers have lost virtually their whole first choice pack but I did not see a whole lot of creativity behind the scrum on Saturday to suggest even the return of Messrs Johnson, Back, Kay etc will turn their season around. Their decline cannot be laid at the feet of Clive Woodward. It could well be the end of an era and as one Tiger supporter suggested that the wheel is starting to gradually turn in the Saints favour. Time will tell but Saturdays victory and Nicks monster drop goal edged it round a touch further.

LOOKING FORWARD

It’s the visit of Gloucester on Saturday Now the boys from Castle Grim (Kingsholm) did the ‘treble’ over us last year with wins both home and away in Zurich Premiership and the Cup Final defeat. To say that we owe them one is somewhat of an understatement but even though Glos are missing the likes of Vickery and Woodman it will still be, as always, a tough and uncompromising battle. No doubt there will be a fair few Shedheads making the journey east to add to the occasion so get there early and shout yourself hoarse.

RENAUD

It was sad to hear that our new signing Renaud Peillard has had to retire from the game after picking up a neck injury so short into to his Saints career. We all wish Renaud and his family well for the future in what must be a devastatingly blow but his plight highlights just what these chaps put on the line for their clubs and countries each week. With this in mind I noticed with some alarm that towards the end of Namibias 142-0 defeat by Australia you could clearly see one of the dog tired Namibian props engaging but not binding at a scrum as he took a breather. Now of course at club and at national level I’m sure the health of the players is paramount, and indeed Renauds injury was just that, an unforeseen accident, but the IRB must seriously look at ending these mismatches at the highest level as it will not only be the scoreboard that is in danger of breaking. Sadly it may take just such an accident before anyone in the ivory towers of the IRB takes notice but the cynic in me says be it Australia v England or Australia v Namibia, they can still sell tickets by the tens of thousand. It makes you wonder if anyone remembers Max Britto?

TOULOUSE LE TREK

While on the subject of players welfare I am sure some of you are aware of the work of the PRA. The Professional Rugby Players Association through its Benevolent Fund helps players who have had to retire from the sport through serious injury and illness. Jarrod Cunningham and our own Andy Blyth have both benefited in recent years. A couple of seasons back a few of us got together and formed The Jimmies End T-Shirt Company (Jetsco) with the aim of supplying small numbers of limited edition shirts with a Saints theme in order to raise money for rugby charities. For the game in Toulouse last season we produced a ‘Toulouse Le Trek’ (geddit?) shirt that you may have seen about. Such was success of the Le Trek shirt with supporters that this week Nick Beal and Jon Phillips will be accepting a cheque from Jetsco for £1000 on the PRA’s behalf. It is intended to run a new design for this years European campaign to raise further funds. I will keep you all posted.

REMEMBER

This Saturday, being the nearest home game to Remembrance Sunday there will be the traditional wreath laying and minutes silence at the Gardens before the reading of those few short lines that say so much ‘When you go home, think of us and say, For your tomorrow, we gave our today.’ Its always a very moving occasion and one of those long held traditions that still makes the Gardens that special. Every year my thoughts go not only to family members lost but to ‘one of our own’, Edgar Mobbs.
Having captained both Saints and England early this century Edgar was denied an officers commission because he was considered too old at 32.
However being a resourceful chap he went away and set up his own battalion, the 7th of the Northamptonshire Regiment more famously known as The Sportsman Battalion as many of its volunteers came from local sporting clubs, including the Saints. Despite being wounded on three separate occasions he always returned to action until the Third Battle of Ypres, known as Passchendaele in 1917. The battle over 400,000 casualties. Colonel Edgar Mobbs was one of them. Attacking a machine gun post that was holding up his infantry he got within thirty yards before he was mown down in a hail of German bullets. Despite his injuries he managed to write down the location of the post before he died, an action that saved many of his men. It was his final act, his body was never found and he still lies where he fell.
So on Saturday when Geoff Allen reads the time honoured tribute just pause and spare a thought for those hundreds of thousands of Edgars from all walks of life that never made it home.

October 24 2003

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
October 24 2003

Well every week I mention that emotional rollercoaster but I never thought we would be experiencing the highs and the lows of a Saints season within about thirty minutes of rugby as we did on Saturday afternoon against Newcastle.

The team looked down and out at halftime despite still being able to cling onto Falcons shirttails at just two points down as a bigger pack gave them an object lesson in forward power.
However ten minutes into the second half the likes of Archer and Andrews began to wilt and our boys superior fitness began to shine through. From being also rans we quickly grew in stature to become thoroughbreds and ran away with it in the last quarter, even securing a very surprising bonus point. Leading the way was the evergreen Nick Beal, having a bit of an Indian summer in the autumn of his career with two tries taken at pace. Pick of the forwards was young Darren Fox who had the bit between his teeth darting about all over the park. If they can play like that for eighty minutes one week someone is in for the mother of all beatings. Starting on Saturday at Welford Road would a good place to start. Please

LOOKING AHEAD

How times change. We travel through bandit country to Welford Road to play the ‘auld enemy’ on Saturday probably rated by most as favourites.
The Tigers are not having a good time of it at the moment and languish three from bottom of the Zurich Premiership. The World Cup hits them more than most in the loss of players but while others had put their head down and got one with it Tigers are struggling to find any kind of form at present. However all that goes out of the window in Northampton v Leicester games and we all know from past experience that just about any result is possible when the two teams meet. Last year of course we staged that dramatic smash and grab raid with Budges cheeky lineout try igniting one of the all time great days in Saints history. At the end of eighty minutes it was 25/12, all our Christmases come at once! Now my mother always told me never to smile at others misfortune but there were many wide grins that night watching the poor Leicester faithful traipse off home with their five-year home record shattered. But hats off to those Tigers who stopped to shake hands with the Saints fans on the way out, it must have been galling after all those years to lose out to their near neighbours. Lets hope we can all be as magnanimous in defeat if they take our ten-year home record in 2013!

The Saints Supporters Club are running coaches to Welford Road leaving the Gardens at midday. Call Jean on 01604 583283 for further details before the end of today. (Wednesday). For those of you travelling by rail be aware that there could be short notice cancellations and/or changes on the Bedford/Wellingborough line to Leicester.
The alternative route via Coventry looks the better option. See you there!

1stXV MEMBERS CLUB

I was lucky enough, being a member of the new 1stXV Members Club, to attend the post match briefing after recent defeat by London Irish. It’s a great initiative by the club, not only to raise funds for squad projects but also to give us the supporters a chance to see the workings behind the scenes and attend briefings such as this. Smudger (or Smithy as I’ve been told to call him), Lennie Newman, Hynesy and several of the first team squad talked about the days game and were open to questions from the floor. It made a refreshing change to hear them talk quite candidly about where they went wrong, and right, rather than the usual sound bites that you are given through the media by coaches whose hands are tied by protocol. One thing that came across very clearly is how much all these players want to play and do well for the Saints and you really got a feel that the talked about ‘pride in the jersey’ is indeed returning. Newcomer Shane Drahms few words spoke volumes about how he already feels about the club and despite it being a post defeat briefing most left the room with their faith in the playing side of the club enhanced no end.

PROZONE

Another benefit of being in the 1stXV Members Club (no I’m not on commission, but take a look it’s well worth joining) was being able to go along to a demonstration of the clubs Prozone analysis system last week. I work in IT in my day job but I must say it was somewhat of an eye opener.
Prozone is the Big Brother of the sports analysis world. Every players, every movement is filmed, logged and analysed by this amazing software. There is no hiding place as the system recognises various players’ features allowing them and the coaches, to look at individual aspects of their game and work on improvements if needed.
Now this is all well and good and I’m sure the club are going to see real benefits on the pitch long term but I can think of one area where its installation would be much more beneficial. Now if those cameras were installed in the main bar and we all registered our handsome features I’m sure coaching trio of Hynesy, Ratcliffe and Smith would have the halftime and fulltime scrum for Guinness in the ‘Rodbar’ sorted in no time. So is it drift, outside-in or inside-out defence for the bar staff?

WORLD CUP HANGOVER

Well England stuttered slightly but finally overcame the Springboks on Saturday to ease themselves on the easy route to world domination. Now I know we are all not Englishman at the Gardens but the exertions (and no doubt lubrication) of the previous two hours seemed to produce some very lukewarm supporting first half. We only really got going on ‘Oh Wendy’ once the team showed dramatic improvement in the second. In the next two weeks we play the two other biggest supported clubs in the league, Leicester and Gloucester, so improvement all round please boys and girls to drown out those one word dirges. You know it makes sense.

CASHBACK TICKETS

Talking of the Gloucester game the Marie Curie Cancer Care Charity which is dedicated to the care of people affected by cancer have fifty Church’s Stand cashback tickets available for the game. A percentage of money raised through the sale of match tickets is returned to the charity.
If you have not purchased your seats yet please consider buying your tickets from this source to help out a very worthy cause.
You can obtain the tickets and further information by either calling Babs Gale at Marie Curie on 01604 442300 or emailing Babs.Gale@mariecurie.org.uk

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October 18 2003

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
October 18 2003

Well a dip on that emotional rollercoaster that is a Saints season this week with the loss to London Irish. It really was just one of those days where we seemed to play all the rugby, Irish played the referee and the referee, well I’m not quite sure what he was playing.

A frustrating day all round but you could not fault the players for effort or indeed point the finger at any individual for mistakes it was just one of those collective days where nowt seems to go right no matter how hard you try. On another day with the rub of the green the Exiles could well have been buried by half time but it was just not to be on Saturday.

One pleasing part of the day was the continued impression that Shane Drahm is making at flyhalf since arriving from Bristol. I know this will be sacrilege to some of Paul Grayson’s admirers (and I guess I’m off John Steele’s Xmas card list already) but Shane is shaping up rapidly as the best No.10 we have had at the club in many a year.
His kicking is top notch and he can create and ask questions of a teams defence with just a shrug of his shoulder as he did when he ghosted through the Irish defenders when scoring on Saturday. Now don’t get me wrong Larry has been a great servant to the club, getting us out of many a hole over the years and I’m not writing him off yet, (we all did that two years ago and on Sunday he played for England!) but Shane looks like he could be the lynchpin of the team for many years to come. It could be very interesting when the lads return from down under but then, just as with Daws, Jonny Howard and Sharky Robinson a little competition for places should raise peoples games all round. That can only be good for the Saints.

LOOKING AHEAD

This weekend sees the visit of young Mr Andrews Newcastle. They come of course without the talismatic Jonny Wilkinson but still have the likes of Noon, Stephenson and Mayerhofler in their backs who can cause all kind of problems. There is no doubt however that they have the most uncompromising second row in the division, probably any division in the universe come to that. The Springboks most capped and most abrasive (now that’s saying something!) forward Mark Andrews teams up with Gardens favourite Gareth Archer in a combination that most people would put money on not completing 80 minutes. Lets hope referee Mr Ashton-Jones is up to task and we do not get another repeat of Mr Archers peculiar kind of floorshow that has seen him get more yellow and red cards at the Gardens than Jon Phillips has had haircuts.

The game kicks off late at 4:00pm on Saturday so that everyone can watch the England v South Africa games on the large screens at the club. I’m sure you all remember the last time we played a late kick off game against the Falcons, lets hope its an omen.
After an afternoon of hurricane force winds when parts of the Saints tented village made their way down Abbey Street the Saints kicked off at 6:00pm against Newcastle in a Powergen Cup semi final in March 2002. The lads booked their place at Twickers playing one of the most complete halfs of fifteen man rugby seen at the Gardens. If we can come anywhere near that display on Saturday all would be well with the world.

THE WALK

I wrote last week about a supporter, Jacka, on our Saints with Heart walk who was sponsored by a group of Tigers fans to wear a Leicester shirt. Taking up the challenge Jacka in turn set up a sponsor race between the two clubs. Whichever set of fans pledged the most to him before Friday evening would earn the right to have their shirt worn. What initially started as a joke soon snowballed and by the end of business over sixteen hundred pounds had been raised. The Saints edged it slightly but in all fairness those down the road had done a sterling job (unlike their team this season) so Jacka wore both shirts on the day. He was however quite surprised to find that the Tigers shirt, one worn by Darren Garforth in a European tie, fitted him like a glove!

As for the walk itself it was a good day all round and we hope to have raised in the region of £8,000 for the British Heart Foundation. All forty walkers, the organisers and the weather all came up trumps and even Anglia television came out to film the occasion. The only dark spot on the day was due to a communication breakdown we managed to lose Maggie Barwell, Keith’s wife, along the way. She was at one end of Blisworth Tunnel while we were all at the other. Happily Maggie and friend made it in later in the day none the worse for wear and we hope it does not deter her too much from taking part next time round at what is now an annual event.

Special mention must also go to two London Irish supporters, Marie and Pete, who joined us on the 16 mile trek, they were the life and soul of the party (who would have thought?) and just goes to show that while other sports may be having problem upon problem at the moment the camaraderie and spirit of rugby is alive and well.

If you still wish to donate its not too late, email coysdc@aol.com for details.

WORLD CUP

Well after all the hype it was good to see the World Cup finally kick off on Friday. Tom Smith made a quiet start for Scotland as they struggled to break down Japan but all four Saints managed to get on the scoreboard for England against Georgia. However listening to ITVs less than impressive commentary you would have thought differently. Despite him leaving the field with an injury that may put him out of Saturdays game Daws returned in several different guises including one where he looked remarkably like Paul Grayson setting Ben up for his first try. I’m also looking forward to seeing that new Saint Steve TOMPKINS when the tournament is over! Now I never thought I would hear myself say this but I almost hanker for the professionalism of Stuart Barnes and Brian Moore.

Its not just the commentators that are under pressure at the RWC. The referees are having an unsure time of it too. Is it just me or are some refs hiding behind the video replays too often? Fair enough there have been some split decisions but overuse seems to be killing off the flow of some games.
At the moment in the Zurich Premiership this facility can only be used in televised games, even the all seeing eye of our good friend Mr Rowden had recourse to call on it on Saturday, but please, please, please do not let the powers that be install this across every ZP clash. I would have been quite happy for an extra half hour on Saturday out in the glorious October sunshine while Mr Pearson deliberated the whys and wherefores but come darkest January I’m not too sure I still want to be standing in brass monkeys weather on the Gordon Terrace at nine o’clock on a Saturday night while Steve Lander decides for the umpteenth time whether a penalty try was grounded or not!


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October 10 2003

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron 4
By Chris Gleadell
October 10 2003

Well despite the early doubts after that loss at Bath a fortnight ago the Saints finally look like they are getting into their stride this season. The victory over Wasps at the Gardens was followed up by a somewhat comprehensive five try, bonus point win over Zurich new boys Rotherham.

Although there was some discontent of the ease of victory and quality (or not) of the opposition by some supporters at the end of the day the Saints can only beat what has been put in front of them. Smudger put it down as the best performance so far this term and it was pleasing once again to see some of those youngsters in the team seize their chance with both hands. The win shoots the Saints up to third, still in touch with surprise leaders Bath who have proved themselves anything but ‘The Shower’ most, including myself, predicted, before season start. Buts the ZP is a marathon not a sprint and after four games Saints are sitting pretty behind the leaders. The Saintly campaign is starting to shape up well.

LOOKING AHEAD

If the Saints have had a bogey side over the last few years it has to be Saturdays visitors London Irish. I’m sure quite a few of you remember that wet Tuesday night in January 1999 when the Saints who had been flying just needed the win against lowly Irish to top the table for the first time several seasons. In a monsoon the Irish walked it with Niall Woods scoring four tries to send the Gardens faithful home in silence.
I know people who still have nightmares (especially my two friends the spread betters) about that Powergen Cup Final. Then came last seasons Gardens clash, a clash in the true sense of the word with the charming Doctor Brendan Venter playing, when Saints were caught cold and were turned over with ease. To say that the win at the Kassam in the cup semi later that season was one well owed was somewhat of an understatement as the Saints ran riot scoring some cracking tries including my pick of the season by Peter Jorgensen.
The big question is, as with any game between the two, which Saints side, and indeed which Irish side will turn up on the day. I’m taking our lads to carry on where they left off at Oxford. See you there.

GET THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK

For a few of us it is not only the game on our minds for Saturday. It’s the day of the Saints with Heart II walk I wrote about two weeks ago. Raising money for the British Heart Foundation two groups of walkers are setting off from Wolverton and Stoke Bruerne en route to the Gardens. One supporter, known to all as Jacka, has found a novel way of raising funds. Through our friends (yes friends!!) at the Tigers website Jacka, a long time Saints member, has agreed to walk the whole distance in one of Darren Garforths shirts if the Tigers bunch can raise more sponsor money for his effort than the Saints clan can. Now despite Jacka raising around £400 so far the Tigers are edging the race by quite a distance as unfortunately everyone in Saints part of the world is already sponsoring someone else. So dear readers, this is where you lot come in. If you’re a Saint and want to prevent this tragedy happening, or indeed if you are a Tiger up there in bandit country who wants to see Jacka get his comeuppance email me at coysdc@aol.com to pledge for your cause. Remember it all goes to help a very worthwhile charity. I’ll let you all know the outcome next week. For those not pledging but going to the game we will also be doing a bucket shake inside the ground on the day so c’mon search the back of that sofa, raid the kids piggy bank and lets us have all that loose copper and silver and that dusty old fiver at the back of your wallet.

HATS OFF TO THE UNSUNG HEROES

Friday sees the start of the Rugby World Cup in Australia. Of course we wish all our lads well. Wally, Daws, Larry and Ben for England and Wee Tam for Scotland not only represent their countries but of course the club itself. How many of you have found yourselves shouting for one of our boys over the years wearing the colours of the ‘enemy’? Looking through the various pullouts in the media this week an article caught my eye about two English players being the best in their relative positions, wing and hooker, in the world. Yes our Ben and our Wally. Now quite rightly both players families and friends and all Saints supporters are proud of the pair but way up there in the pride stakes are Old Scouts rugby club. Both players learnt their trade at Scouts before moving up to the Saints and they can be rightly proud of the achievement. At a time when schools for one reason or another are giving up rugby wholesale clubs like Scouts and many of hundreds of others around the country are now the future of the game and for some kids its the only opportunity to play rugby locally. I played mini rugby in its infancy at Wolverton Rugby Club thirty years ago and the game would not have got off the ground if it was not for enthusiastic individuals giving up their time on a Sunday morning to put the games next generation through its paces. These same people today now hundreds in number carry on this coaching and coaxing for very little more than the love of the game. In their own way looking at the future of rugby they are just as important as your Clive Woodwards and Ian McGeechans. Unsung heroes maybe, but without them no new Wally or Bens on the horizon. Thanks.

WHO ATE ALL THE PIES? NOT SAINTS!

Heard the one about three Saints supporters and their wives who ordered meals in a Rotherham pub on Saturday only to see late arriving locals being fed well before them. When they enquired, most politely, why this was so the landlord threw their first meal back into the kitchen and barred all of them on the spot. Seems you can move rugby teams to footballs stadiums but you cannot educate the locals about the finer sensitivities, taste and finesse of your average rugby follower. So it’s back to the Bus Club and Weedon Road chippy on Saturday night then?

ON A HIDING TO NOTHING

I just can’t win. Last week I reported how one person accused this column of being nothing but a sycophantic praise outlet for the club. Well this week it seems I got the opposite reaction. After expressing my own personal opinion about the main bar closing after the Tigers game the column was branded ‘utter rubbish’ in one irate message to myself. I now realise in some quarters its heresy to either praise or criticise the club, silly me. But its all swings and roundabouts and sticks and stones and all that but I actually great take heart from these attacks. You see now I know I have TWO readers. One thing still worries me though, why wasn’t the column ‘utter rubbish’ in the weeks the club was praised?

CAN YOU HELP THE SCARLETS?

Finally I have been contacted by Les Williams the club historian at Llanelli who is hunting down some missing sections of the clubs past. He is looking for Saints v Scarlets programmes, all played at the Gardens, on 6/10/69, 7/12/68 and 3/12/66.
If you can help please email me at coysdc@aol.com. I would give my phone number but I’m worried my two readers might be on to me.