Well the rains came tumbling down at the Gardens but the Saints go marching on as the lads put the memory of the Wasps defeat behind them on Sunday to put a serious dent in Baths title ambitions while doing their own chances of reaching Twickenham for the Zurich Championship final no harm at all.
It was our sixth victory over Bath in eight games and maybe just the most important one because for all the talk of conditions playing a major part (did anyone notice the sun coming out and it drying up when we got the ball?) at the end of play it was us that held firm and showed more invention round the park.
From my point of view the heavy weather was more suited to Baths forward dominated, up your jumper, style of game than ours but it just goes to show that maybe a little mix and match, whatever the weather, goes a long way if you have the desire.
The game was settled with a single try started with a touch of inspiration from Spruce Bruce and the perfect lay off from Big Ben before youngster Johnny Clarke stepped to the fore, shaking off one tackle, doing a Campese goosestep out of another then racing fifty metres to aquaplane in for the score.
All credit to the England U21 player for a well taken touchdown but the foundation for the win was yet again our defence. Since the turnaround at the halfway point of the Zurich season the Saints defence has really tightened up and, even allowing for the defeat at the Causeway, on the homeward stretch we are only conceding on average half the points per game than we were in the first half of the season. With that foundation and the fact that we still lead the tries scored table with 55 its looks like we are getting a good balance. If you can marry that balance to consistency you might just be on to something.
So as much as Bath fans may claim they gave our pack the runaround for all their perceived efforts they did not really threaten our line all afternoon? Indeed they did not seem to spend a lot of time even in our twenty-two because for all their possession they quite simply did not have a ‘Plan B’.
Once Saints had rode (or RIDDEN) the storm and contained Bath to little forays in the middle of the park they had time to take a breather, regroup and for the last half hour take the game by the scruff of the neck, dominate and run out worthy winners. For all Baths power and brawn when the eighty minutes were up they were left floundering.
The win still keeps Gloucester at bay with just two games left against the Tykes and Quins, while the Kingsholm club still have to play top two Bath and Wasps. So we are still pretty much on course for that third place and guaranteed Heineken cup rugby next season. More importantly with our win on Sunday cutting Baths lead to just one point there is now every chance the semi final might be a visit to the Rec.
Having beaten them once there is no reason we cannot do it again, the monkey is off our back and a victory would see us face Wasps in a winner take all final.
Now as much as Wasps comprehensively outplayed us at High Wycombe I cannot help thinking back to Agen. Remember we were the ‘boil on Agens behind waiting to be lanced’ as no one ever won at Stade Armandie, even the might of Toulouse falling by the wayside. Yet in one of those most memorable of Saints performances we pulled a display out of somewhere that was tantamount to the storming of the Bastille. If we can do it once we can do it again. The season as far as silverware is concerned is far from over but first we must deal with Leeds and Harlequins before the real fun starts.
LOOKING AHEAD
It’s a free weekend again for the Saints with it being European semi weekend (Allez Stade!) and the next game looming on the horizon is at Headingley against Leeds on Sunday 2nd May. The club are running free coaches while we hear the Supporters Club are planning to make their trip a Hawaiian theme day. With it being a holiday weekend a few supporters are also staying over in the area to make a break of it. So it looks like it could be party time and with the team needing your support in the last away game of the regular campaign try and get there if you can. More details next week.
THE WANDERERS (And please please please do not call them ‘the Stiffs’)
While the 1st XV are still in the hunt for silverware, the second string Wanderers are just 80 mins away from winning the inaugural Zurich A title.
They really stormed the North section of the league winning nine out of their ten games, averaging over 30 points an outing and scoring four or more tries on eight separate occasions with young Andy Vilk, now breaking into the first team, running up five pointers by the hat full.
Last week at the Stoop they lost the first leg of the final against Quins 28-15 when by their own admission they were not firing on all cylinders so they hope to put things right in the second leg at the Gardens next Tuesday night (27th) and make up that 13 point deficit to secure the trophy. It is, given their scoring rate, certainly within their grasp but they could be helped along the way by a large vociferous crowd, so tear yourself away from Kat and Alfies troubles in Albert Square for one evening and make your way to FG instead to cheer the lads on to possible glory.
FARWELL JP
Another era comes to a close at seasons end with Jon Phillips announcing he is off to join many other ex-Saints at Bedford. JP has always been a popular player both on and off the park for his no nonsense, abrasive style. The recent quiz night held as part of his testimonial year attracted around 350 people including not only many supporters but many of JP’s peers too. A real testament to the guys popularity. My early memories of Jon were when he first came on the scene partnering John Etheridge in the second row and with them both having identical haircuts it was hard at times to tell the terrible twins apart but as soon as there was trouble you could pick JP out like a shot. Since that time Jon’s had more haricuts than Bruce has scored tries, including his nifty mohican earlier this year but one thing has always been constant and that is the effort JP has put in for the Saints, never anything less than 100%, a true Saint if ever there was one.
Good luck JP, you’ll be missed.
From my point of view the heavy weather was more suited to Baths forward dominated, up your jumper, style of game than ours but it just goes to show that maybe a little mix and match, whatever the weather, goes a long way if you have the desire.
The game was settled with a single try started with a touch of inspiration from Spruce Bruce and the perfect lay off from Big Ben before youngster Johnny Clarke stepped to the fore, shaking off one tackle, doing a Campese goosestep out of another then racing fifty metres to aquaplane in for the score.
All credit to the England U21 player for a well taken touchdown but the foundation for the win was yet again our defence. Since the turnaround at the halfway point of the Zurich season the Saints defence has really tightened up and, even allowing for the defeat at the Causeway, on the homeward stretch we are only conceding on average half the points per game than we were in the first half of the season. With that foundation and the fact that we still lead the tries scored table with 55 its looks like we are getting a good balance. If you can marry that balance to consistency you might just be on to something.
So as much as Bath fans may claim they gave our pack the runaround for all their perceived efforts they did not really threaten our line all afternoon? Indeed they did not seem to spend a lot of time even in our twenty-two because for all their possession they quite simply did not have a ‘Plan B’.
Once Saints had rode (or RIDDEN) the storm and contained Bath to little forays in the middle of the park they had time to take a breather, regroup and for the last half hour take the game by the scruff of the neck, dominate and run out worthy winners. For all Baths power and brawn when the eighty minutes were up they were left floundering.
The win still keeps Gloucester at bay with just two games left against the Tykes and Quins, while the Kingsholm club still have to play top two Bath and Wasps. So we are still pretty much on course for that third place and guaranteed Heineken cup rugby next season. More importantly with our win on Sunday cutting Baths lead to just one point there is now every chance the semi final might be a visit to the Rec.
Having beaten them once there is no reason we cannot do it again, the monkey is off our back and a victory would see us face Wasps in a winner take all final.
Now as much as Wasps comprehensively outplayed us at High Wycombe I cannot help thinking back to Agen. Remember we were the ‘boil on Agens behind waiting to be lanced’ as no one ever won at Stade Armandie, even the might of Toulouse falling by the wayside. Yet in one of those most memorable of Saints performances we pulled a display out of somewhere that was tantamount to the storming of the Bastille. If we can do it once we can do it again. The season as far as silverware is concerned is far from over but first we must deal with Leeds and Harlequins before the real fun starts.
LOOKING AHEAD
It’s a free weekend again for the Saints with it being European semi weekend (Allez Stade!) and the next game looming on the horizon is at Headingley against Leeds on Sunday 2nd May. The club are running free coaches while we hear the Supporters Club are planning to make their trip a Hawaiian theme day. With it being a holiday weekend a few supporters are also staying over in the area to make a break of it. So it looks like it could be party time and with the team needing your support in the last away game of the regular campaign try and get there if you can. More details next week.
THE WANDERERS (And please please please do not call them ‘the Stiffs’)
While the 1st XV are still in the hunt for silverware, the second string Wanderers are just 80 mins away from winning the inaugural Zurich A title.
They really stormed the North section of the league winning nine out of their ten games, averaging over 30 points an outing and scoring four or more tries on eight separate occasions with young Andy Vilk, now breaking into the first team, running up five pointers by the hat full.
Last week at the Stoop they lost the first leg of the final against Quins 28-15 when by their own admission they were not firing on all cylinders so they hope to put things right in the second leg at the Gardens next Tuesday night (27th) and make up that 13 point deficit to secure the trophy. It is, given their scoring rate, certainly within their grasp but they could be helped along the way by a large vociferous crowd, so tear yourself away from Kat and Alfies troubles in Albert Square for one evening and make your way to FG instead to cheer the lads on to possible glory.
FARWELL JP
Another era comes to a close at seasons end with Jon Phillips announcing he is off to join many other ex-Saints at Bedford. JP has always been a popular player both on and off the park for his no nonsense, abrasive style. The recent quiz night held as part of his testimonial year attracted around 350 people including not only many supporters but many of JP’s peers too. A real testament to the guys popularity. My early memories of Jon were when he first came on the scene partnering John Etheridge in the second row and with them both having identical haircuts it was hard at times to tell the terrible twins apart but as soon as there was trouble you could pick JP out like a shot. Since that time Jon’s had more haricuts than Bruce has scored tries, including his nifty mohican earlier this year but one thing has always been constant and that is the effort JP has put in for the Saints, never anything less than 100%, a true Saint if ever there was one.
Good luck JP, you’ll be missed.
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