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
.
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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