Well the lads certainly blew away the cobwebs on Saturday as they came out of the post Llanelli hangover in style with the eight try demolition of Sale. Yes it’s a third win in a row but we struggled somewhat against lowly Sarries and Rotherham.
Those two games still left a cloud hanging over the club that did not look like it was going to lift but all doubts were dispelled by half time against the Sharks as the Saints still maintain their grip on third in the ZP.
If they can keep that momentum going when we return to action in four weeks time, and with three of the remaining scheduled games at home then the Saints could be sitting pretty come playoff time. However we still have to play the two sides above us, Bath and Wasps, and with the top four, including Glos two points below us, all within ten points things could change rapidly. More performances like Saturdays should see us still hitting the heights of that oft mentioned rollercoaster ride. Hang on to your seats!
SPRUCE BRUCE
You could not fault any player for effort and application on Saturday but in my mind one player towered above all. Bruce Reihana put in what I would judge to be the best performance I have ever seen a back play in the Gold, Black n Green.
Every time he took the ball into contact he broke the gain line again and again, drawing in and leaving defenders in his wake. If there’s a better attacking player in England at the moment I’ll eat my hat.
His two tries on Saturday takes his total to ten and with the grounds now firming up and the Saints back into their early season try scoring ways I would not bet against him adding a few more by the end of May. It make you wonder how great the talent pool is in the Land of the Long White Cloud if players of the calibre of Bruce, Andy Blowers and Sharky Robinson are surfeit to requirements in New Zealand.
Lets hope that when Smudger boards that plane back to Auckland it is only his fond Gardens memories he takes with him.
Talking of New Zealand, I know a lot of supporters are planning to head out there next June for the British & Irish Lions tour, with the three test series against the All Blacks. A word of warning, don’t leave it late to book. Luckily our group have already found a travel company willing to take us but others have already closed their books. So do it now or risk missing out.
SIMPLY THE BEST?
There has been a discussion going on our website this week about the best Saints XV of the last twenty or so years. It has been interesting reading and no mean feat trying to whittle down a couple of hundred players down to your own definitive twenty two.
In the front row Gary Pagel, Tom Smith and Gary Pearce were the usual suspects while the split between Wally (Steve Thompson) and Freddie Mendez at hooker was around 50/50.
At lock Martin Bayfield figured prominently alongside Tim Rodber and Frenchman Olivier Brouzet but for the forwards it was the backrow that was the real conundrum.
Four players stood out, Budge, Andy Blowers, Pat Lam and Buck Shelford and that’s not forgetting the huge contribution ‘Rodders’ made there over the years but five into three will not go, a tough choice.
At scrumhalf it was a straight choice, Daws or Sharky a reflection on how quick the little New Zealanders reputation has grown with the fans. Larry dominated the choice at flyhalf although Gregor Townsend still has his admirers. In the centre Allan Bateman and John Leslie came out on top but Gregor (again) and Jonny Bell also got a mention in dispatches as did unsung hero Rob McNaughton in one persons selection. The wing choice was a no brainer, Cohen and Reihana but someone still has a soft spot for Harvey while coming up the rear it was a straight choice between Ian Hunter and Nick Beal.
Now I know my three other readers will disagree with me but here was my choice.
Pagel, Thompson, Pearce, Bayfield, Brouzet, Blowers, Pountney, Lam
Robinson, Townshend, Cohen, Leslie, Bateman, Reihana, Hunter
Replacements: Smith, Mendez, Metcalfe, Rodber, Dawson, Grayson, Beal.
A SHORT BREAK
Alas no first team game now until we take on Sarries at home on March 27th (and tickets are already selling fast) but there is still plenty out there to occupy your waking hours. On Saturday there is the Towcester v Latter Day Saints XV at their Greens Norton Road Ground as part of the Jan Hume Memorial Day while on Friday the 5th there is a quiz night for Jon Phillips benefit year at the Gardens.
The following week sees the challenge match against the Tigers on Saturday 13th with the Barbarians v East Midlands, Mobbs Memorial game the following Wednesday night, the 17th with a 6:00pm kickoff. With all this and whole bushels of Six Nations, Celtic League and Super 12 games on the box I am sure you will not go rugby cold turkey too quickly.
Personally, although of course I am not one to rub it in, I am lucky enough to be scooting around the country watching Wales, France and England in the Six Nations so enjoy yourselves and I will see you all back here in three weeks.
THE CURSE OF DAWSON?
I’m currently reading Matt Dawsons autobiography. In one passage he mentions how Derwyn Jones (anyone remember him as a Saint?) on a Barbarians tour ‘court’ hearing hit Daw’s backside with a cactus leaf leaving him in considerable pain.
This week, depending on whose story you believe, Jones got his comeuppance and has been sacked by Cardiff, on a totally unrelated matter of course.
Now I know you lot are not in the least superstitious and there couldn’t ever be anything such as the ‘Dawson Curse’ could there, but my spies tell me that Brendan Venter, Graham Henry and Corn Krige are refusing to go outdoors if it looks like thunder.
If they can keep that momentum going when we return to action in four weeks time, and with three of the remaining scheduled games at home then the Saints could be sitting pretty come playoff time. However we still have to play the two sides above us, Bath and Wasps, and with the top four, including Glos two points below us, all within ten points things could change rapidly. More performances like Saturdays should see us still hitting the heights of that oft mentioned rollercoaster ride. Hang on to your seats!
SPRUCE BRUCE
You could not fault any player for effort and application on Saturday but in my mind one player towered above all. Bruce Reihana put in what I would judge to be the best performance I have ever seen a back play in the Gold, Black n Green.
Every time he took the ball into contact he broke the gain line again and again, drawing in and leaving defenders in his wake. If there’s a better attacking player in England at the moment I’ll eat my hat.
His two tries on Saturday takes his total to ten and with the grounds now firming up and the Saints back into their early season try scoring ways I would not bet against him adding a few more by the end of May. It make you wonder how great the talent pool is in the Land of the Long White Cloud if players of the calibre of Bruce, Andy Blowers and Sharky Robinson are surfeit to requirements in New Zealand.
Lets hope that when Smudger boards that plane back to Auckland it is only his fond Gardens memories he takes with him.
Talking of New Zealand, I know a lot of supporters are planning to head out there next June for the British & Irish Lions tour, with the three test series against the All Blacks. A word of warning, don’t leave it late to book. Luckily our group have already found a travel company willing to take us but others have already closed their books. So do it now or risk missing out.
SIMPLY THE BEST?
There has been a discussion going on our website this week about the best Saints XV of the last twenty or so years. It has been interesting reading and no mean feat trying to whittle down a couple of hundred players down to your own definitive twenty two.
In the front row Gary Pagel, Tom Smith and Gary Pearce were the usual suspects while the split between Wally (Steve Thompson) and Freddie Mendez at hooker was around 50/50.
At lock Martin Bayfield figured prominently alongside Tim Rodber and Frenchman Olivier Brouzet but for the forwards it was the backrow that was the real conundrum.
Four players stood out, Budge, Andy Blowers, Pat Lam and Buck Shelford and that’s not forgetting the huge contribution ‘Rodders’ made there over the years but five into three will not go, a tough choice.
At scrumhalf it was a straight choice, Daws or Sharky a reflection on how quick the little New Zealanders reputation has grown with the fans. Larry dominated the choice at flyhalf although Gregor Townsend still has his admirers. In the centre Allan Bateman and John Leslie came out on top but Gregor (again) and Jonny Bell also got a mention in dispatches as did unsung hero Rob McNaughton in one persons selection. The wing choice was a no brainer, Cohen and Reihana but someone still has a soft spot for Harvey while coming up the rear it was a straight choice between Ian Hunter and Nick Beal.
Now I know my three other readers will disagree with me but here was my choice.
Pagel, Thompson, Pearce, Bayfield, Brouzet, Blowers, Pountney, Lam
Robinson, Townshend, Cohen, Leslie, Bateman, Reihana, Hunter
Replacements: Smith, Mendez, Metcalfe, Rodber, Dawson, Grayson, Beal.
A SHORT BREAK
Alas no first team game now until we take on Sarries at home on March 27th (and tickets are already selling fast) but there is still plenty out there to occupy your waking hours. On Saturday there is the Towcester v Latter Day Saints XV at their Greens Norton Road Ground as part of the Jan Hume Memorial Day while on Friday the 5th there is a quiz night for Jon Phillips benefit year at the Gardens.
The following week sees the challenge match against the Tigers on Saturday 13th with the Barbarians v East Midlands, Mobbs Memorial game the following Wednesday night, the 17th with a 6:00pm kickoff. With all this and whole bushels of Six Nations, Celtic League and Super 12 games on the box I am sure you will not go rugby cold turkey too quickly.
Personally, although of course I am not one to rub it in, I am lucky enough to be scooting around the country watching Wales, France and England in the Six Nations so enjoy yourselves and I will see you all back here in three weeks.
THE CURSE OF DAWSON?
I’m currently reading Matt Dawsons autobiography. In one passage he mentions how Derwyn Jones (anyone remember him as a Saint?) on a Barbarians tour ‘court’ hearing hit Daw’s backside with a cactus leaf leaving him in considerable pain.
This week, depending on whose story you believe, Jones got his comeuppance and has been sacked by Cardiff, on a totally unrelated matter of course.
Now I know you lot are not in the least superstitious and there couldn’t ever be anything such as the ‘Dawson Curse’ could there, but my spies tell me that Brendan Venter, Graham Henry and Corn Krige are refusing to go outdoors if it looks like thunder.
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