February 20 2004

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 20 2004

So the worst kept secret in town is finally out, Wayne Smith is going home. Smithy is upping sticks with his family at season end and heading back to the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ to coach the All Blacks.

Okay so maybe no major silverware in Wayne’s reign but what he has done behind the scenes in setting up systems and restoring that famous pride in the jersey will last long, long after he returns to New Zealand.

Lets not forget we were all but down and out when he arrived back in December 2001, languishing at the bottom of the ZP and little hope of seeing where our next victory was coming from. In a few weeks we were climbing the table and by season end not only had we once again qualified for the European Cup but also made it through to the Powergen Cup final, a feat that was repeated the following year along with that memorable Heineken QF in Toulouse and third place in the ZP. I can think of quite a few other clubs who would like to be in that position.

The effect he had on the careers of some players cannot be underestimated either. A certain flyhalf was all for giving up the game when Smudger gave him one last throw of the dice. On Sunday that player, Paul Grayson, put in a virtuoso display for England. Others such as Matt Dawson have also benefited from Waynes wise words as they got their careers back on the straight and narrow.

But times change and the lure of coaching his home country proved too much so its farewell Wayne and thanks for the memories, I’m sure for Wayne and his family there will always be a place at the Gardens because as they say, once a Saint, always a Saint.

So as one era ends another begins as next season we welcome Alan Solomons to the Saints hot seat. Of course he already has a proven track record with Ulster, Western Province and as Nick Mallets assistant in coaching the highly successful Springbok side of the late 90’s. Having seen him interviewed after Ulster nilled the Tigers (thats familiar?) he sounded just the man for the job and his work ethos that it was the team that counted not individuals or stars could have come straight out of Wayne Smiths book of rugby. Smudger and his team have left the building blocks and the base now its up to ‘Solly’ as he will no doubt be tagged, to add a bit of Bok steel to our Kiwi inspired flair and power. We all of course wish him every success.

AIR BUDGE

The end of another era this week at the Gardens when sadly Budge Pountney had to retire from the game through injury. Having watched Budge progress from the rough and ready youngster that arrived in the mid 90’s to the international captain he became gave great pride I’m sure to each and every Saints supporter. To me he summed up exactly what a Saint should be, he always but always gave his all for the club and to use a well worn cliché, put his head where others wouldn’t put their boot.

Indeed he has come back from injuries that would have left us mere mortals sidelined for life so I am sure his decision to end his playing days must have been a hard one to make. A sad loss to the club but I’m sure you can’t keep this good man down and he will be back in the game in some capacity very soon. Good luck for the future Budge.

LATTER DAY SAINTS

Here’s another one for those diaries. On Feb 28th Towcester 1st XV will be playing a team of ex-Saints players, the Latter Day Saints, at their Greens Norton Road Ground as part of the Jan Hume Memorial Day. Jan, the Tows 3rds hooker collapsed and died just after completing a game against Wellingborough 3rds back in September. Jan was just 37 and left a wife and two young children.

Rather poignantly these two sides will kick off proceedings with a game at 12.30pm. Following a grand prize draw the main event of the day will take place with Tows taken on a selection of the Saints great and good of yesteryear including Gary Pearce, Buck Shelford, John Steele and Lennie Newman plus many more all commandeered by ex Saints and Tows player Frank Packman. After the game at 5.30pm, there will be a Grand Auction featuring an England shirt signed by the winning England Rugby World Cup 2003 squad, a number of very collectable signed shirts from Zurich premiership sides, plus numerous other items. Tows have said everyone member and non-member alike are most welcome on the day and as Saints have no game on the 28th please try and make it along for a very worthwhile cause.

LAST WEEK

Well those wheels are back on the Saints season, just. On Sunday at Saracens the team was admittedly not at their best but they still ground out the win at Vicarage Road to move back into third place. The highlight of the day according to most there was Robbie Morris’s 40 metre sprint down the touchline leaving defenders in his wake before slipping a deft inside pass to Bruce Reihana who went over for the score. So now we know why Clive Woodward shipped Jason Robinson inside to center. He’s making room outside for Robbie, back into the England side on the wing?.
With that turn of foot it certainly looks like ‘Roboprop’ has been laying off his Dads fish and chips but seriously it is good to see the lad back on top form.

Saturday sees the visit of Sale to the Gardens. Despite early promise the Sharks are not having the best of it at the moment and with doubts surrounding the future of coach Jim Mallinder (rumours are a job at Tigers is a ‘done deal’) confidence does not appear to be high. The Saints are struggling to come out of mini slump themselves but are still winning and at the end of the day that’s all that counts, a win is a win is a win. Now with all the uncertainty about Smudger over the team can buckle down and try to cement that third place in the ZP and finish the season on a high starting with a good portion of shark steak on Saturday.

Remember it is a Six Nations Saturday so give yourself time to catch the first half of France v Italy before kickoff then the big event with Saints on both sides, Scotland v England is on the box in various bars, clubs and pubs at 5:30.

See you there!

February 13 2004

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 13 2004

Well it was surely a case of after the Lord Mayors show on Saturday as the hangover of the previous weeks exertions against Llanelli lingered long enough to leave an air of depression over the Gardens that neither the team nor we supporters could seem to shake off.

Try as they might the lads couldn’t break down a resilient Rotherham side that has changed out of all recognition in personnel and application from the side they were fielding earlier this season.

All credit to the Yorkshire team though, they made Saints fight every inch of the way for the four points and had they had the rub of the green they might even have sneaked a bonus point or even an unexpected draw. However you cannot help thinking that if the disappointment of last weeks European exit had been fully exorcised we may have upped a couple of gears and secured what could prove be a valuable bonus point.

Without the sterling efforts of the likes of Bruce Reihana and Tam Smith it may even have been worse. The players were not alone though in putting in a lack lustre display, it looked and felt like we were all suffering the post Euro blues in the stands too. One rousing round of ‘Oh Wendy’ when the team ran out was about all we could muster with any conviction all afternoon.

So looks like it’s a week of contemplation for player and supporter alike before we get that famous rollercoaster back on track at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

LOOKING AHEAD

So it’s off down to darkest deepest Hertfordshire on Sunday for the Zurich clash against Saracens at Vicarage Road, Watford.

There have been some great encounters down there over the last few years and I’m sure everyone’s mind goes back to that Tetley’s Cup quarter final where Saints edged through by the narrowest of narrow margins when a late late ‘winning’ dropgoal sailed half a gnats leg wide and Saints went on to reach yet another final. Its something which the Fez headed ones still complain about to this day but if Pat Lam, a man honest as the day is long, said it was wide, it was wide. I mean what could Lammy possibly gain by telling a fib?

So there is a little history to this encounter but Sarries despite a rash of big signings over the last few years still fail to reach the heights of the team that won the cup, beating us in a semi at the Gardens on the way, and pushed Newcastle all the way to the title in the late 90’s.

Francois Pienaar, aka Frankie Peanuts, and our very own Buck Shelford have failed in recent times to get a team of stars to gel with any any consistency. Even with the talent available to them this season with the likes of Taine Randall and in my opinion the most talented footballer in the division, Thomas Castaignede, they are hardly setting the world on fire. So Saints, if they can get the mindset right must be traveling south with their eye on a victory.

Remember it is and early (1:00pm) kickoff as it is also a Six Nations weekend and Sarries will be showing the Italy v England game live on their big screen after the game.

The Supporters Club are running buses to Vicarage Road and are allowing time after the match for you to watch the England game before returning home. They leave the VIP car park at the Gardens at 10:00am and will return home at 5:00pm. The prices are:Adults: £11, Children/Students/OAPs: £7

To book places please call Jean on 01604 583283, with your name, telephone number and the number of seats. You can get a train direct to Watford from Northampton in just over an hour, however check for alterations and/or engineering works before you travel.

RUMOURS RUMOURS RUMOURS.

As I sit writing this on Monday evening the rumour mill over the Irish Sea is going haywire. Alan Solomons, the Ulster coach, will be announced as Saints new coach this week is the latest hot off the press.

Of course by the time you read this it may well be done and dusted and then again it may not but Rugby Times this week reported that Solomons has an agreement with Percy Montgomery, Bobby Skinstad and everyones second favourite Bok (after Brendan Venter), Corne Krige to join him at the Gardens next season.

Maybe just pie in the sky paper talk but John Steele mentioned in this weeks programme that there are some exciting signings on the way. Which raises the question, what was Great Britain rugby league skipper Andy Farrell doing drinking in the ‘Rodbar’ on Saturday afternoon? As yet though, still no reports of Troy Flavell being seen with Lord Lucan and Elvis in the Weedon Road chippie.

But watch this space.

QUIZZICAL

Here’s a date for your diaries. On Friday 5th March our site, or more precisely the ComeOnYouSaints.Com Quizmeisters Mavvie & Flattie (they’ll kill me for that) have organized a quiz night at the Gardens in support of Jon Phillips Benefit Year. A chance to honour one of the clubs true loyal Saints.

The aim is to get fifty teams of four taking part and places are already filling up fast. As well as a team, or maybe two, of Saints players teams representing ZP referees, if they can find their specs, and all the different factions of Saints supporters will be taking part. There have also already been entries from several other clubs supporters including Wasps, Sarries, Tigers and Quins.

Having been on the last of these two chaps quiz nights when we raised money for the ‘Saints with Heart II’ fund I can thoroughly recommend it as a good night away from Corrie and Eastenders.

It all kicks off in the Rodber Suite, Franklins Gardens. Doors open 7.00pm for a prompt 8.00 pm start.

Interested? Well the entry is £10 per team of four but you MUST book in advance.
You can get further details by emailing paul.flatt1@btinternet.com or call Paul on 01327-358389.
So get those thinking caps on and I’ll see you there!

Talking of ‘Saints with Heart II’ which we ran last year, the sponsored walk from Wolverton to the Gardens before the London Irish game and the quiz night mentioned before raised a grand total of circa £10,000 (yes ten thousand) for the British Heart Foundation.

It is hoped there will be an official presentation of the cheque at the Gardens some time soon. This autumn will see the launch of ‘Saints with Heart III’ where we will as before try and beat the previous years total. Keep watching this space to see how you can help.

February 6 2004

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 6 2004

Well that’s that for another year then. After the heroics in Agen a week ago it was back down to earth with a European bump on Sunday with the defeat at the hands of the Scarlets. No excuses though, all credit to Llanelli, on the day we were beaten by the better team.

To be honest apart from the opening salvo it never really looked like we got into our stride as the Welsh side never let us settle all afternoon and they now go into the quarterfinals worthy winners to take on our friends from the Basque country Biarritz.

My money to lift the trophy, as always, will still be on Toulouse with Wasps pushing them very close. For us we wait for another year to try and scale the heights we did in 2000.

So it’s a time for regrouping and concentrating on the last available silverware, the Zurich Premiership. Bottom place Rotherham visit on Saturday and the lads must go for the full pointer to start putting a bit of daylight between us in third and the chasing pack of four, four points behind us.

With Wasps still in with a chance of catching Bath at the head of the table the target now for the Saints is securing that third place and a semi final game at either the ‘Wreck’ or the Causeway on the 15th of May then a grand send off for Smudger at Twickenham on the 29th. Apart from the European Cup (that can wait) what better way to end a season.

But those dreams are for the future first up we have to secure the points against Rotherham. Considered to be the division’s whipping boys till quite recently they are slowly beginning to turn the corner, albeit way too late to save their season.

The appointment of Steph Nel as coach appears a masterstroke if they had time on their side but now it is just playing for pride for the Yorkshire club. In recent weeks they have run London Irish very close and lived with leaders Bath until superior fitness saw the West Country side home in the last ten minutes so should not be taken lightly.

However I fully expect Saints to put Sundays massive disappointment behind them and get the maximum five points available before the season is disrupted once more by the Six Nations.

PRETTY IN PINK?

Seems we owe a group of local lads an apology. In last weeks paper this column was accompanied by a picture of fans pre-match outside the Bar de la Poste in Agen.

Of course it was easy to recognise the Northamptonians in the photo as they were all bedecked in gold, black and green but who were the chaps prancing about in the pink shirts? Well whoever handles these things at the Chron (not me honest, I just scrawl the words in crayon each week) thought the group had a Gallic air about them and stated they were Agen supporters joining in the fun.

However this could not be further from the truth, the group were in fact the ‘Wednesday Club’ from Wootton a group who meet up each week who all have connections with the Old Scouts Rugby Club. In the papers defence though having bumped into the lads around town and having sat in front of them at the match I’m sure some of the garbled language they were speaking was more akin to French than English but I’ll put that down to the local brew they were knocking back at a rate of knots. Just one last question though, why pink?

SUPPORTERS?

On the subject of support, what a turnout for Llanelli at the Gardens on Sunday.
Although split up in the four corners of the ground around a thousand of them sang from start to finish and were probably the most vocal and entertaining we have seen at the Gardens in quite a few years.

Alas though a small minority, both Scarlet and Saint ruined the day for some. The general abuse aimed at people because they are perceived to be English by a small group of Welsh ‘fans’ is nothing but racism however other people may want to dress it up and reports that some Saints ‘fans’ replied by spitting at Scarlets supporters and using racial abuse in return is beyond the pale.

Luckily only isolated incidents by a very small minority but incidents the club should act on all the same before the Saints get an unwarranted reputation. If it means banning people, then sorry that’s what should happen whoever these people may be. We can all play our own part though, there is nothing quite like peer pressure to deal with these people at source.

All in all though 99.9% of the Scarlets were there for the day to support their team, yes some may have boisterous, including the amiable drunk acting the prawn in front of C Block but to be honest I found him and others nothing but amusing and the others we met after the match friendly in the extreme. That a small minority can spoil it for some should not detract from the fact that overall they were a great bunch and should be welcomed back with open arms for us we must look to put our own house in order too.

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

Yes we might be out of Europe but look on the bright side, at least you don’t follow Leicester. As it now increasingly looks like Wayne is off back to New Zealand to assist Graham Henry in coaching the All Blacks. (Its not to late to change your mind Smithy) there is growing speculation on who his replacement may be. If rumours are to be believed Alan Solomons looks the front runner but John Kirwan has also been mentioned in dispatches but the sacking of Dean Richards in some peoples eyes opens the door for Deano too.

In my mind he’s a non starter if the last two seasons at Welford Road are anything to go by. I have this theory that its been the quality players at Leicester and the never say die attitude that served Tigers so well in the late 90’s early noughties. Once the cracks started to show maybe Deano wasn’t all that great a tactical brain as we were led to believe. Certainly the decision to start a game of such importance as last Friday night without a kicker has most shaking their head.

So if Wayne does go, and of course we all hope he doesn’t. let’s pray that Uncle Keith avoids a certain ex traffic cop from the Hinckley area.