Well what a Saturday! It was certainly a good day to be an English Saint as both the lads at home and down under came up trumps to win crucial games. The Saints, after they had entered the general bonhomie of the day and gifted Leeds a ten point start.
The Saints struck back though with four tries, thirty one points, to secure that extra bonus point before half time. Racking up two more tries in the second half the Saints ran out easy winners to move into second place in the table. With the half way stage of the Zurich season coming next week we stand set fair with the lads returning from Australia but they are going to have a fight to get those Gold Black n Green shirts back. Bruce Reihana and Shane Drahm were again instrumental in the success but my man of the match was young Johnny Howard at scrumhalf. In my opinion he had his best game so far in a Saints shirt and increasingly shows great promise for the future.
So at the final whistle the Franklins faithful went home happy, the English contingent even more so. Our trio of Saints, Ben, Wally and Daws all played their parts in the mornings Rugby World Cup Final. Along with Grays, who sat this one out in the stand they really did their country and their club proud. People may go on and on about Jonny Wilko’s drop goal but it was engineered by one of our own Matt Dawson who, just like he did for the Lions in 97, is getting in the habit of throwing big match dummies and setting up game winning drop goals. On the day the only person to let us down was whoever organised the weather as it threw down bucketloads on both sides of the world but I’m sure most wandered off home on Saturday night a lot more wetter on the inside than out.
All in all though one hell of an unforgettable day that will live long in the memory.
LOOKING AHEAD
This Saturday the Saints travel down to Castle Grim (Kingsholm) for the return game against Gloucester. Unfortunately for most outsiders the home leg will be remembered for all the wrong reasons with the mass brawl and subsequent citings and appeals no doubt casting a shadow over this game. Those at the game, especially those of a Saintly persuasion, will remember it for other reasons such as the thirteen man rearguard action in the second half after some sublime rugby in the first. A repeat of that passion, without the handbags and shenanigans would go down a treat on a cold winters afternoon. Lets hope both sets of players, and which ever referee is appointed, puts the Gardens game behind them and start afresh.
The Saints Supporters Club are running coaches to Gloucester leaving Franklin’s Gardens (from the VIP car park) at 10am.
The prices are,Adults:£13, Children/Students/OAPs:£8
To book places please call Jean Collingwood on 01604 583283
For those letting the train take the strain you can travel via Birmingham in just over two hours at a cost of around £24 return.
STATS
The six tries against Leeds takes our tally up to 30 in the Zurich Premiership, an average of three a game so far while we are averaging 30 points each ZP outing. That’s quite a contrast from last season where we averaged just 23 points per game, so as for scoring we are 23% up so far this term. Leading the way are both Bruce and Shane who lead the Zurich try scoring and points tally tables respectively. The downside is we have conceded an average of 24 points per game where last season the deficit was just 17 per game. So if we could just marry last years defence to this years attack we would have each season sewn up by Christmas. But would it be as exciting? I somehow doubt it.
EUROPE
Well at last the governing body of the Heineken Cup, the ERC, has released the times and dates of the first four rounds of this seasons competition. Is it just me or was leaving the bidding for the television rights till the last minute not envisioned to cause problems?
An old remark from Keith Barwell about Nigel and Rupert at the RFU and breweries comes to mind.
As always it seems that with all the sports governing bodies the people that pay their cash week in week out are the last consideration when it comes to organising things. It seems it is always the TV people that call the shots. Of course the clubs hands are tied on these matters too and it must be as frustrating for them as it is us trying to organise travel, accommodation (and for us time off work) at shorter and shorter notice.
The Saints have not suffered too badly this time round with just the Llanelli away game being switched to a Friday for television, which under the old BBC deal it probably would have been anyway, but other clubs supporters have found their games switched to late Sunday afternoon which has caused extra expense and disruption. Indeed this week Ulster even issued an apology to their own and Tigers supporters on the moving of their game from the original Friday night to Sunday lunchtime.
Prior warning and advanced notice could have solved this inconvenience, but no as with everything it’s a last minute rush where the European Cup is concerned.
Now that Sky have secured the rights for three years and we know all European Cup qualifiers when the French season finishes in June, do you think they could get their house in order a lot earlier next year? I’m not holding my breath though.
Now don’t get me wrong I’m quite glad that Sky have secured the rights to the Heineken Cup.
Apart from the regional stations in Wales and Northern Ireland I have never thought that the BBC has done it justice. How often does a pulsating game get to half time and they have to rush off for live shove ha’penny results from Nuneaton or at final whistle, rather than post match reaction straight to incoming football reports with Ron Manager pontificating about his teams 0-0 draw with Crewe Alexandra in Third Division North?
One thing is sure with Sky, they will get their full moneys worth out of the deal and have schedules with around thirteen hours of Heineken Cup rugby viewing each weekend, something that the BBC quite simply could not do. Now I know Rupert Murdoch is not everybody’s cup of tea and you do have to pay through your teeth for the pleasure but I’m looking forward to all this extra coverage. My only problem it seems will be trying to get out the armchair once it all ends each Sunday night.
So at the final whistle the Franklins faithful went home happy, the English contingent even more so. Our trio of Saints, Ben, Wally and Daws all played their parts in the mornings Rugby World Cup Final. Along with Grays, who sat this one out in the stand they really did their country and their club proud. People may go on and on about Jonny Wilko’s drop goal but it was engineered by one of our own Matt Dawson who, just like he did for the Lions in 97, is getting in the habit of throwing big match dummies and setting up game winning drop goals. On the day the only person to let us down was whoever organised the weather as it threw down bucketloads on both sides of the world but I’m sure most wandered off home on Saturday night a lot more wetter on the inside than out.
All in all though one hell of an unforgettable day that will live long in the memory.
LOOKING AHEAD
This Saturday the Saints travel down to Castle Grim (Kingsholm) for the return game against Gloucester. Unfortunately for most outsiders the home leg will be remembered for all the wrong reasons with the mass brawl and subsequent citings and appeals no doubt casting a shadow over this game. Those at the game, especially those of a Saintly persuasion, will remember it for other reasons such as the thirteen man rearguard action in the second half after some sublime rugby in the first. A repeat of that passion, without the handbags and shenanigans would go down a treat on a cold winters afternoon. Lets hope both sets of players, and which ever referee is appointed, puts the Gardens game behind them and start afresh.
The Saints Supporters Club are running coaches to Gloucester leaving Franklin’s Gardens (from the VIP car park) at 10am.
The prices are,Adults:£13, Children/Students/OAPs:£8
To book places please call Jean Collingwood on 01604 583283
For those letting the train take the strain you can travel via Birmingham in just over two hours at a cost of around £24 return.
STATS
The six tries against Leeds takes our tally up to 30 in the Zurich Premiership, an average of three a game so far while we are averaging 30 points each ZP outing. That’s quite a contrast from last season where we averaged just 23 points per game, so as for scoring we are 23% up so far this term. Leading the way are both Bruce and Shane who lead the Zurich try scoring and points tally tables respectively. The downside is we have conceded an average of 24 points per game where last season the deficit was just 17 per game. So if we could just marry last years defence to this years attack we would have each season sewn up by Christmas. But would it be as exciting? I somehow doubt it.
EUROPE
Well at last the governing body of the Heineken Cup, the ERC, has released the times and dates of the first four rounds of this seasons competition. Is it just me or was leaving the bidding for the television rights till the last minute not envisioned to cause problems?
An old remark from Keith Barwell about Nigel and Rupert at the RFU and breweries comes to mind.
As always it seems that with all the sports governing bodies the people that pay their cash week in week out are the last consideration when it comes to organising things. It seems it is always the TV people that call the shots. Of course the clubs hands are tied on these matters too and it must be as frustrating for them as it is us trying to organise travel, accommodation (and for us time off work) at shorter and shorter notice.
The Saints have not suffered too badly this time round with just the Llanelli away game being switched to a Friday for television, which under the old BBC deal it probably would have been anyway, but other clubs supporters have found their games switched to late Sunday afternoon which has caused extra expense and disruption. Indeed this week Ulster even issued an apology to their own and Tigers supporters on the moving of their game from the original Friday night to Sunday lunchtime.
Prior warning and advanced notice could have solved this inconvenience, but no as with everything it’s a last minute rush where the European Cup is concerned.
Now that Sky have secured the rights for three years and we know all European Cup qualifiers when the French season finishes in June, do you think they could get their house in order a lot earlier next year? I’m not holding my breath though.
Now don’t get me wrong I’m quite glad that Sky have secured the rights to the Heineken Cup.
Apart from the regional stations in Wales and Northern Ireland I have never thought that the BBC has done it justice. How often does a pulsating game get to half time and they have to rush off for live shove ha’penny results from Nuneaton or at final whistle, rather than post match reaction straight to incoming football reports with Ron Manager pontificating about his teams 0-0 draw with Crewe Alexandra in Third Division North?
One thing is sure with Sky, they will get their full moneys worth out of the deal and have schedules with around thirteen hours of Heineken Cup rugby viewing each weekend, something that the BBC quite simply could not do. Now I know Rupert Murdoch is not everybody’s cup of tea and you do have to pay through your teeth for the pleasure but I’m looking forward to all this extra coverage. My only problem it seems will be trying to get out the armchair once it all ends each Sunday night.
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