February 23 2005

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 23 2005

Well maybe the defeat at High Wycombe was not a complete surprise but the manner of the defeat and the scoreline maybe was. A couple of early reverses seemed to severely dent our confidence and from then on in there was only really one team in it.

It was one of those days when mistakes by us were punished by Wasps but when we picked up on their errors inevitably we gave back the advantage at the next point of contact. Lady luck was not on our side but then they say you make your own luck. A frustrating afternoon all round.

The honeymoon period is definitely over now for the new coaching setup and with just six Zurich Premiership games left and Saints still propping up the table we are now entering the most crucial couple of months for the club in the last decade.

There may be talks of teams from below not meeting the promotion criteria and rumours of an expanded ZP next season and beyond but I’m sure none of us want to see the Saints survive on a technicality, we want to be playing Premiership rugby next season because we got more points than someone else although as Budge says this week it would be nice to know where we stand on promotion/relegation.

There’s no doubting the lads have it in them to pull us out of the mire, after all in a one off game just nine weeks ago they beat arguably the best team in Europe, Toulouse, so the evidence is there. And I know it’s a well worn cliché but it really is a case now of taking one game at a time, each one a one off, each one a ‘cup final’. I get a feeling the big picture is getting to some people (and that includes us supporters). It could be affecting some players game too and of course relegation is a worry but it is all in our own hands and what better way to turn the tide than totally focus on just the one game and meet local rivals Tigers head on in the first of those ‘cup finals’ at the Gardens on Saturday.

LIKE THE VERY DEVIL HIMSELF

Saturday’s game is for many one of, if not the, highlight of the season. The East Midlands derby, Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers and sadly for us top v bottom in the Zurich Premiership.

But forget league positions, recent results and relative form, we have all seen enough of these games over the years to know on the day just about anything can happen. Reputations sometimes count for nothing in these derby games.

I am sure a few of you remember the much vaunted ABC club, in their heyday being trundled backwards, over and then under the Saints pack in the opening minute of a game a few years ago at the Gardens and a young rookie Kiwi, Jason Chandler totally outsmarting Martin Johnson at every lineout on the same afternoon.

It’s again a time to stand up and be counted, to go that extra mile and for those with the history of the club at heart you don’t need much more incentive than to put one over the auld enemy. I am sure the history of the encounter will not be lost as a motivational tool to Coach Budge this week (after all who could ever forget ‘that’ try) and there is no doubt every man old and new will be drilled this week in the importance of the occasion.

So its time to yet again throw that kitchen sink at them and for eighty minutes treat those Tigers like the very devil himself. It being Martin Johnson’s very last game at the Gardens sometimes it might look like him too. Go on lads, believe!

FIXTURES, I KNOW BUT ITS JUST NOT FAIR

One downside to the East Midlands derby is that yet again for this fixture we see both sides depleted because the game is scheduled for an international weekend. Of course this time round it favours us with Saints losing just three players to Tigers dozen or so, and at the moment we need all the favours we can get, but across the board it is hardly fair on the competition as a whole and unbalances the fairness of it all. I talked a couple of weeks ago about the plan to move the Six Nations as an end of season block and this would seem an ideal solution giving national coaches time with their players totally away from the pull of their clubs and also in terms of the time of year an opportunity to properly assess players for the upcoming summer tours instead of the constant chopping and changing we see at present due to injuries at club games in weeks in between.

Of course room may have to be made in the season, scrapping the playoffs, which the vast majority of supporters are against would be a first step and maybe the Powergen Cup has lost its lustre in recent years and can be consigned to history too. While it is rumoured that a pre-season tournament between ZP sides South African provinces has been discussed what about replacing those SA teams with those from Division One so not only do the clubs lower down still get a chance to take on the big boys as they did in the Powergen but coaches also get a chance to look at the talent coming through these teams. Didn’t we sign Chris Budgen up under these very circumstances?

Now maybe these are just pipe dreams but it is clear something has to be done sooner rather than later. However, as always, I will not be holding my breath.

COTTONING ON........AND ON AND ON AND.......

On the subject of internationals it was not a complete surprise to see Fran Cotton come out of the shadows and complain, yet again, that England are losing games because of the clubs. Now poor old Fran is starting to sound like a broken record and some of his outpourings sound pretty baseless when you consider what has happened over the last 18 months.

Two years ago Cotton was singing from exactly the same songsheet “England have no chance in the World Cup, because of the club structure”. “The clubs are doing XYZ to hinder our plans”

Now either Fran has short term memory problems and he completely forgot that England won the RWC and one of the first people Sir Clive Woodward thanked were the clubs or he has some ulterior motive and again wants to force through his own personal vision of the future of the game in this country.

As someone mentioned this week, when England win the RFU management board, which includes Mr Cotton are keen to take the plaudits, ‘look how well we have done’ they will say, however when England lose, no its not their fault, it’s the scapegoat clubs. I’d suggest Mr Cotton starts looking a bit nearer to home for these perceived ills in the English game and started working together with people instead of continually attacking them when things don’t go his way.

Then perhaps the game could move forward.

February 17 2005

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 17 2005

After a week where those Saints players not involved in the Six Nations were left kicking their heels its back to Zurich Premiership action on Sunday with a game at the ‘Lost’ Causeway against European Champions Wasps.

It is yet again a tall order and High Wycombe has never been a happy hunting ground for the Saints but there is no way to go but up and I can see the lads being fired up for this one. Picking from an almost full squad including new signing Billy Fulton its not outside the realms of possibility that they will get something out of this game. Catch Wasps cold, and they are coming into this game on a run of three defeats, and who knows, maybe a shock might be on the cards. I am sure the likes of Ben Cohen, Steve Thompson and Tom Smith will be chomping at the bit to get back into league action.

Every point from here on in is vital, picking up something on Sunday would not only be a minor triumph but a great moral booster.

Of course we can all play our part too by being there to cheer them on. The Saints Supporters Club will also be running coaches to Wasps, on Sunday 20th February. They will be leaving Franklin’s Gardens, from the VIP car park, at 11.30am.Adults: £12 Children/Students/OAPs: £7. Call Jean Collingwood on 01604 583283, AFTER 6pm, with your name, telephone number and the number of seats. Remember if you are driving parking is not at a premium around the ground so get there early.

FAREWELL CORNE

It was suprising to see Corne Krige announce his retirement this week. He has done more than his fair share for the club and it’s a shame to see him go but I can fully understand him wanting to call it a day while his body is still in one piece, especially when you consider some of the cheapshots he has had to endure this season from the likes of Leeds Richard Parks. He may have only been here a short while but he has won over all those doubted his credentials before he signed. He’s given his all week in and week out and has always been near the top in our man of the match polls. His approach has been hard but fair (well as fair as an openside can be) and in all that time not a single yellow or red card. Not quite the ‘thug’ some people out there would believe we had signed.

One story really summed up the character of the guy. Last week a family from Mainz in Germany came to the Gardens to see their very first game of live rugby. It seems that the youngster of the family, six year old Philipp, became hooked on rugby during a holiday to South Africa and proclaimed his hero to be our very own Mr Krige. Although Phillipp was a little upset over the loss to Saracens, he was over the moon that Corne had scored a try almost at his feet.

At the 1stXV briefing after the game Phillipp was the star of the show wandering around the podium, introducing himself and getting autographs from the great and good. One problem however. Due to a mix up Corne had headed straight home to be with wife Justine and daughter Sophia, still only a few days old.

However being the all round good egg that he is as soon as heard by phone that Phillipp was at the club Corne hopped in his car and came straight back to the club to meet up with the slightly overawed youngster, making it a day he will never forget. It is no mean feat to earn that Saintsman tag in such a short time but I feel Corne has done himself proud both on and off the pitch. So it is back to Cape Town for the Krige family at season end, I, along I’m sure with many others, wish them well.

A DIFFERENT VIEW

For Saints home games I spend my afternoons with the rest of the great unwashed in C Block so it was with some trepidation that I hit the heights to mix with the posh lot in one of the Gardens hospitality boxes for Friday nights England U21 international And what a difference!

Of course I have always known we have the best purpose built club rugby ground in the country but, after getting over my vertigo, I have to say what an even more impressive sight the Gardens looks under the floodlights from on high.

And whilst out the reach of most pockets for watching the Saints it’s not as expensive as you might think for these one off representative games. A friend organized a couple of boxes which we shared the cost on and all things considered, it came in at probably not that much more than the cost of a seat for the game. A good evening all round, bar the result, and well worth consideration in the future if any of you are thinking of seeing how the other half live for a one off although I’ll be quite happy back in with the hoi polloi come the Tigers game.

REFEREES, DON'T YOU JUST LOVE EM?

Seems the man in the middle is coming in for increased criticism from all sides at the moment, even prompting international coach Paddy O'Brien to suggest that coaches should be more accountable in their post match comments. I sit on the fence on this one, we all have off days, and should expect some flak if we do, but I do think the refs are becoming an all too easy target at times, especially from supporters when we lose.

Therefore I was quite amused to read the following about an unnamed ref this week.

“He is a rugby shylock who insists on his pound of flesh and enforces the game to the very last letter of the law. The effect is to reduce the game to a state of paralysis. There is nothing more irritating to players or spectators than his incessant blowing of the whistle. He gets involved in too many constantly occurring instances which are trivial and have no influence on the game which a better referee would simply close his eyes too. In a word he is punctilious!”

Now if Budge had said that about Steve Lander last week, no doubt he would have been in even hotter water, (and be accused of swallowing a dictionary) but what made me smile was that this was written over a hundred years ago in 1898 by Harry Vassall the great rugby thinker who developed forward play.

And they say things aint what they used to be?

February 10 2005

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 10 2005

Well not the result we had been hoping for on Saturday, arguably we were the better team on the day but performance doesn’t win you games, scoring more points than the opposition does and a cruel twist of fate robbed us of that.

Sarries ‘Glenda’ Jackson punted an injury time penalty to leave Saints with a losing bonus point and with other results going against us, a drop to the bottom of the Zurich Premiership table.

Whilst we may have struggled in the scrum our lineout look assured and looking round the team as a whole you could not fault one player as having an off day. A vastly improved Sarries, who lets not forget demolished Newcastle last week, edged it by the width of a crossbar from Shane Drams long range last gasp kick, so overall performance wise it still looks like we are still getting there. Indeed, if you had gone and watched Saturday’s game as a neutral you would have certainly got your moneys worth and had an enjoyable afternoon. Unfortunately for those of us with an emotional attachment victory is paramount at the moment.

However with a tough trip on the road starting at Wycombe Wasps a week on Sunday our position is starting to look a touch precarious and whilst the talk from the club is quite rightly that there will be no panic it is a cause for concern. But then that’s the vagaries of sport for you, up flying high one season then scrapping it out at the bottom the next. Of course we would all like Saints to be at the other end of the table but its times like this that people stand up and be counted and there’s nothing better for character building than a backs to the wall battle. One thing is for sure, when the good times return, and return they will, experiencing times like this makes it all the sweeter.

VIVA EL BUDGE

(It should be noted that this was written before the board meeting which appointed budge, an edited version appeared in the newspaper.)

For me one man has certainly stood up as one of those to be counted, Budge Pountney. Budge wears his heart on his sleeve and is a Saintsman through and through, whats more he speaks his mind and tells as he sees – there are certain similarities with our chairman there. This may of course get him in hot water from time to time but you know where you stand the guy. I somehow feel you wouldn’t get soundbites like ‘it’s a marathon not a sprint’ after a string of defeats as we did from the previous coach nor would he blame the bounce of the ball. Budge, just as he did in his programme notes on Saturday would hold his hands up and say, yes we got it wrong.

There’s no doubt, despite our league position, that there has been improvement on the playing front since Budge and Paul Grayson stepped up. Perhaps even more importantly there’s been a return of that pride in the jersey, a bit of belief and passion and the guys looking like they are once more playing for each like Wayne Smiths band of brothers. That’s why I believe Budge, with Grayse as his assistant, should be given the job on a permanent basis.

I’ll hold my hands up I thought that appointing the pair was at the time a wrong decision given their age and experience and I thought the pressure might damage any future coaching aspiration the pair have but I’ve been converted by what I have seen and that view has been turned on its head. Yes they may be raw and not yet possess all the technical or diplomatic knowledge that goes with the job and they may need an old head to act as a mentor alongside (but not above) them for the first year or so, but if the club is looking to build for the future what better way to build those foundations than on a pair who have the traditions and values of the Saints engrained in them? By the time you read this a decision may have already been made on the coaching position at the Gardens, I just hoped they have plumped for Anthony Pountney.

A CHEAT BY ANY OTHER NAME?

There were allegations and counter allegations being thrown around the Gardens on Saturday. I can’t comment about what happened around the tunnel area as I didn’t see it and I’ve heard enough versions of events and alledged incidents to fill six columns, some I am sure without a grain of truth in them, so I’ll leave that one to the powers that be but one series of events in front of the Tetleys Stand really got my goat.

Now Sarries have obviously done their homework on the Saints and know that players, especially Bruce Reihana, more often than not like to take the quick throw for a restart if the chance is on. So what did Sarries do to counter this measure? Well its quite simple, they dress someone up as a water carrier and give him a crate of bottles and position him

at Saints end of the pitch, no not Sarries end where the players he is supposed to keep watered are, the Saints end because that’s where he carries out his real job. And lo and behold what happens when the ball goes out and there is no Saracen to prevent the quick throw, well its quite simple, he dumps the crate and sprints to the ball to interfere with the throw thus stopping a potential attack stone dead and giving Sarries territorial advantage.

Now lets be quite plain about this, this guy is nothing to do with the game but he did this on a dozen or more occasions and a week after we quite rightly vilified Mark Regans antics should not Saracens be equally criticised for employing this most blatant tactic with a 16th man, at least Regan was a playing member of his team not an interloper interfering with a game which in all probability he could affect as a result. Now I know the coaching team at Sarries will think this is an awfully clever trick and they think its being professional and giving their team an edge but any fair minded person knows what it is, its plain and simple, its downright cheating. The game used to be about two sets of fifteen guys battling out for supremacy, it would be great to get back to that without some of the shenanigans we saw on Saturday but while certain characters in the game can stoop so low and cheat in this way they will push those boundaries further. It used to be called ungentlemanly conduct, it seems though that we are not dealing with gentleman anymore nor those that believe in fair play. The sooner the authorities stamp this out the better.

February 2 2005

Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
By Chris Gleadell
February 2 2005

Well maybe a loss on Saturday but the lads were far from disgraced and all things considered overall another step in the right direction.

Indeed a very baffling refereeing decision when Andy Blowers was clearly taken out the game on the way to a Sale try which snatched the lead in the dying moments of the first half arguably changed the face of the game.

Had the Saints gone in ahead at the interval things might well have gone differently knowing they had a slender lead to defend, at the very least a losing bonus point was within their grasp. We displayed flashes of attacking rugby and breaking out in numbers that showed confidence and belief is still building and there still is hope for the season and although I am sure the rash of late withdrawals would not be looked on as an excuse by the club they surely did not help matters.

Given that the score slightly flattered Sale we can only guess what may have happened had Reihana, Krige, Stribina and Drahm started the game.

However it was not to be but the optimist in me says the Saints glass is still more half full than half empty and it maybe just needs the top up of a good win over Saracens at the Gardens on Saturday.

LOOKING AHEAD

On Saturday it’s the annual visit of the funny hat brigade as Saracens visit the Gardens.

It’s one game that should be pencilled in for the home win but Saracens, as they showed in their demolition of Newcastle on Friday night, are anything but pushovers and have started to put a string of form together since Steve Diamond took over as head coach.

They can however tend to go into their shell especially away from home when the chips are down.

Saints, with a little bit of luck on the injury front and a roaring Gardens behind them, are certainly capable of pulling something out of the bag on this one and I’ll take them to edge a further win that takes them nearer to safety.

Saturday also sees the start of the Six Nations and we potentially say goodbye to Cap’n Wally and Ben to England and Tam Smith and Ross Beattie to Scotland for a few weeks as the Saints fight on in the ZP . Not an ideal situation but we suffer player losses less than others like Sale and Tigers although the sooner they move the Six Nations to seasons end as a block the better in my opinion.

The Wales v England game kicks off at 5:30 and for those not rushing home to watch it is bound to be shown in bars both inside the ground and around the locality. The France v Scotland game kicks off at 2:00 so you should be able to catch the first half before the main event, Saints v Sarries kicks off at three. See you there!

THE FUTURE

Saints have come in for some criticism over the last couple of years from various sources over their recruitment policy and the quality of produce through the academy, indeed it has been pointed out that there is not one Saints youngster in the England U21 squad announced last week. However I suspect in some ways we have turned a corner as we look to develop talent closer to home.

It was good to see young Paul Diggin have such a storming debut on Saturday. A produce of BBOB, and as local a lad as Steve Thompson and Ben Cohen, ‘Digger’ certainly caught the eye not only stopping Jason Robinson in his tracks but showing him a clean pair of heels on occasion too. Under Alan Solomons I doubt the chance would ever have come his way.

In recent weeks the Wanderers have also been giving run outs to young prospects from the area including the likes of Adam Barnard and Jack Green and several more potential young Saintsmen such as Ben Patson, Rhoddri Davies have been getting glowing reports for their efforts in the second string.

So all is not as bad as it may have looked (or appeared to look) a couple of months ago and whilst I’m sure we will still see big overseas names signing for the Saints the influx of more homegrown players coming through the ranks will continue to rise in years to come on the evidence of recent weeks.

BRINGING THE GAME INTO DISREPUTE?

So Sharkey gets 14 weeks for his ‘stamp’ on Mark Regans head. The club it seems has decided to err on the side of caution and not appeal, probably wise given the inconsistencies of some of the punishments handed out at the various hearings held for some unknown reason at the four corners of the country none of which could bear relation to where the player resides or where the game took place. I’ve always thought one central panel with a pool of ‘judges’ based at HQ might arguably be more consistent in their decisions but then we are talking the RFU so lets alternate between Leeds, London, Coventry and Bristol and a different set of individuals each week. Is it just me or is that just plain daft when a player cited at say Bath v Bristol could be called to Leeds the following Tuesday night rather than a hearing heard a mile down the road? And lets face it on past showing those two different hearings could range widely in the sentence meted out depending on who was sitting on the panel. Of course that not to say Sharkey might have got a longer ban under these circumstances but when you see bans ranging from four weeks to six months for the same offence you start to think at least people would knew where they stood (no pun intended) if there was one central panel handing out justice like for like.

Please note the next bit was written on Sunday before Regan the Con Artist had been charged

Talking of Mr Regan how clever it was of him to admit on BBC Look North last week that he had milked his injury in an attempt to get Sharkey sent off. Of course we know antics like this go on in the round ball game but if any player were to admit so much in soccer there would be banner headlines and the player quite rightly charged with bringing the game into disrepute. Will this happen to Regan? No of course not. Perhaps at times rugby’s a little naïve in what it expects of people, in my mind this should be stamped (pun fully intended) out before it becomes the norm.