Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron
So after a week out for everything to get done and dusted in the Six Nations its back to the real business this week and Saints next ‘cup final’ against Harlequins at the Gardens on Saturday. It is again a must win game and a victory could all but see us safe should Leeds go down at home to the Tigers on Sunday. Of course I am not counting any chickens just yet, the job still has to be done, but that scenario, whilst given Leeds still a mathematical chance, would I am sure see us playing Zurich Premiership rugby next season.
Quins have themselves been edging to safety but have yet to win a game on a non-international weekend. Like us though they are scrapping for their ZP lives and cannot be taken lightly but I’m taking the lads to take the form from the Gloucester victory into this game and come away with the spoils.
Should we prevail another bonus from this is that it could see us still within striking distance of a wildcard place something that was unthinkable a month ago. Whatever the outcome it looks like we have something to play for right up to the very last week of the regular season.
Indeed with just four games left every team in the ZP has something to play for, not only making every game competitive but adding spice up to the very end and interest for all supporters. That being the case I am surprised the spectre of ringfencing of the ZP has reared it ugly head again in recent weeks.
Now don’t get me wrong I have great sympathy for any club that faces the drop, (indeed it could still be us this season), after they have invested heavily in facilities and staff but I do feel a decision which would cause the ZP to be ringfenced by whatever means would be a business decision over a sporting one. Simply a protection of own interests over the spirit of competition.
Call me old fashioned but I still believe promotion and relegation are the very lifeblood of our game and doesn’t the end of this coming season just prove that with a handful of clubs in both the ZP and National Div One still fighting it out for death or glory?
Now obviously the bigger the game the bigger the interest and the more people through the gates. Already it looks like there will be a lot of disappointed punters for Saints final four games of the season and only the lucky few will get to see the final game at Worcester such is the demand. Were the ZP to be ringfenced would this be the case?
Should this ringfencing happen you could easily see some clubs season over by February at the latest. Would there really be this demand for tickets if this were the case, with supporters knowing that whatever happened their team was safe to fight the next season and would we really be interested in turning up to watch two teams go through the motions at season end?
And lets face it if it’s about business decisions would there not be a danger that some clubs, knowing they were not in with a shout with a couple of months to go, maybe ending a few contracts early to save a few shillings hence unbalancing the level of fairness across the whole season?
Remember results by those fighting the drop have in recent weeks affected things not only at the base of the table but those scrapping it out for the championship and European places. Would it really be fair all round for four or five teams at season end to have nothing to play for but pride while those lucky enough to play them at season end having a distinct advantage over rivals further up the table who may have played them when they had something to play for?
But more importantly is ringfencing really fair on the clubs in divisions below who aspire to join the elite. Would it not kill the real sporting competitiveness of National Div One at a stroke? Remember not too long ago we were one of that fold.
Now I am sure some of you will think I am just being a doom merchant but cast your mind back five seasons and this scenario has already happened. With a promotion/relegation playoff system then in place it was clear with several weeks to go that Bedford were going to end up bottom of the pile. By their own admission they ‘prepared for the playoffs’ sending out second string sides for the intervening weeks. Bristol that year missed out on a Heineken Cup place by a single point a situation that might have been very different had Bedford been competitive to the very end. How would we have felt about Bedford had that been us?
So if people are making business decisions would it not be better to preserve a system that not only bred a World Cup winning squad which increased interest in the game as a whole in England but also a system that puts bums on seats at every ground till the end of season and pounds shillings and pence in those clubs coffers. Rather this than a stale competition for a large section of supporters at season end.
Perhaps the real business decision should be how do we make Div One stronger to make movements between the top two divisions more seamless.
BUDGE
Well done to Budge, he’s certainly learning to handle the media. It seems that our new coach has changed tack after his recent fine and ban for his outburst at Steve Lander and injected a bit more humour in his missives to the press. Two soundbites this week I am sure raised more than a few smiles. On talking about Matt Lord extending his current contract Budge commented “Lordy is a fantastic player both on and off the pitch, and has been a vital part of our squad for the past few seasons. The only thing we have any doubts about is his hair do!”
To top this, our friends in France pointed out an interview with French media this week ahead of the Toulouse game in which Budge was asked if had a plan to beat Stade (as if he would tell them the grand masterplan?).
Budge simply replied that we would pay off the referee. Luckily he told them he was joking which may be a good thing should the lads perform miracles and scrape a win a week on Friday.
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