A close run thing on Saturday at the Gardens but the lads held out to secure the four points that keeps us in a handy place in the league. The win sees us just three points off that elusive sixth place in the Guinness Premiership.
A close run thing on Saturday at the Gardens but the lads held out to secure the four points that keeps us in a handy place in the league. The win sees us just three points off that elusive sixth place in the Guinness Premiership and whilst Paul Grayson insists we must still be looking over our shoulder in the remaining five games bottom placed Leeds would have to secure 11 more of the 25 points available to topple the Saints, not impossible maybe but a very tall order for any club.
As for the game itself well I think Saints did just enough to deserve the victory, even looking round the Gloucester websites on Sunday there were no supporters claiming “we woz robbed”, (which after a one point loss it has to be said was a refreshing change, yes even from the two Saints sites). Overall the pack had them under the cosh for long periods, with both veteran Tom Smith and the new boy on the block, Pat Barnard outstanding and whilst we never quite fired in the backs this week Gloucester only really dominated the game in the closing moments when they came back within an inch of stealing it.
Again there was talk afterwards amongst supporters about refereeing decisions but to give Mr Pearson his due he treated both sides in exactly the same manner when their scrum began to creek though some might question how many penalties on the line result in a penalty try being awarded. To be fair though from a Saints perspective, in reflection it was a timely way to see the countdown clock run down in those last few minutes.
Having been shown on Sky’s Rugby Club as being one of the worst form teams over the last few months on international weekends we can now look forward to welcoming back Ben, Wally, Dylan and Monty for the trip to Newcastle in two weeks time and for the run in to season end.
SIX NATIONS
Saturday sees the culmination of the Six Nations with three back to back games which will decide if France or Ireland win this years championship. As an Englishman this years 6N has been nothing to shout about. After the false dawn in the dismantling of Wales there has been little of cheer and after the heavy defeat by France talk of axes being wielded and further changes to the structure of the game in this country are being suggested.
I wrote last week about the rumour of a ringfenced premiership and suggested at the time that maybe it was just that, a rumour, however a quote from Martyn Thomas, the chairman of the Rugby Football Union's management board on Monday seemed to confirm something is on the table. Thomas stated that “What should also be taken into account is that our players are playing too much. Added to that is the attritional style of play in the Premiership which makes it harder for Andy (Robinson) to realise his vision of a bolder game.
"We have to sort out the structure of our season. The clubs say that the fear of relegation inhibits them, but if there is to be a change in that the RFU would want a greater say in the management of elite players as a quid pro quo."
If you are a regular reader of this column you will know my views on this, the structure we have at present is the same structure that won a World Cup and ringfencing would in my book soften the competition somewhat with a whole raft of meaningless games but it looks like we may well see that closed shop in the near future. Of course it would be all too simple to point to the obvious and say sorry but Andy Robinsons not up to the job.
The question is if England continue to fail what excuse or solution will they come up with post RWC 07. I’d almost put money on the word ‘draft’ coming into rugby vocabulary before the decades out with the centrally contracted elite farmed out to clubs as England see fit.
Then would we see the likes of England’s first choice and the England U21 hooker playing at the same club? I guess not...
There are rumblings from Europe this week too with a threatened boycott by French and English clubs of the Heineken Cup over the inequality of qualifiers between the three main leagues, The Celtic League, The Guinness Premiership and Frances’s Top14. At present virtually every Celtic team qualifies while only half the GP and T14 have this season. Given how the French and English clubs dominate the competition I think they have a point.
There is of course one simple solution. The two best runners up spots for the quarter final places (although we have qualified ourselves through this route) could be axed and a further two groups of four created. To placate the CL you could use two of the places for Connact and Borders, who always seem to miss out, and award three extra places each to England and France. As for the runners up in each group, why not a knockout Heineken Shield as compensation? The Challenge Cup could continue as before with the inclusion of more teams from ‘smaller’ nations which would in turn expand the game.
But then again this whole exercise might just be about people flexing their collective muscles.
ON THE BOX
A new sports channel appeared on the airwaves on Monday. ESPN Classic, which those of you with Digital can find on channel 442, has a fair smattering of rugby on offer. There are games from the last few world cups in the first couple of weeks schedules featuring all the top nations whilst further ahead they will be featuring classic British Lions tours.
As for the game itself well I think Saints did just enough to deserve the victory, even looking round the Gloucester websites on Sunday there were no supporters claiming “we woz robbed”, (which after a one point loss it has to be said was a refreshing change, yes even from the two Saints sites). Overall the pack had them under the cosh for long periods, with both veteran Tom Smith and the new boy on the block, Pat Barnard outstanding and whilst we never quite fired in the backs this week Gloucester only really dominated the game in the closing moments when they came back within an inch of stealing it.
Again there was talk afterwards amongst supporters about refereeing decisions but to give Mr Pearson his due he treated both sides in exactly the same manner when their scrum began to creek though some might question how many penalties on the line result in a penalty try being awarded. To be fair though from a Saints perspective, in reflection it was a timely way to see the countdown clock run down in those last few minutes.
Having been shown on Sky’s Rugby Club as being one of the worst form teams over the last few months on international weekends we can now look forward to welcoming back Ben, Wally, Dylan and Monty for the trip to Newcastle in two weeks time and for the run in to season end.
SIX NATIONS
Saturday sees the culmination of the Six Nations with three back to back games which will decide if France or Ireland win this years championship. As an Englishman this years 6N has been nothing to shout about. After the false dawn in the dismantling of Wales there has been little of cheer and after the heavy defeat by France talk of axes being wielded and further changes to the structure of the game in this country are being suggested.
I wrote last week about the rumour of a ringfenced premiership and suggested at the time that maybe it was just that, a rumour, however a quote from Martyn Thomas, the chairman of the Rugby Football Union's management board on Monday seemed to confirm something is on the table. Thomas stated that “What should also be taken into account is that our players are playing too much. Added to that is the attritional style of play in the Premiership which makes it harder for Andy (Robinson) to realise his vision of a bolder game.
"We have to sort out the structure of our season. The clubs say that the fear of relegation inhibits them, but if there is to be a change in that the RFU would want a greater say in the management of elite players as a quid pro quo."
If you are a regular reader of this column you will know my views on this, the structure we have at present is the same structure that won a World Cup and ringfencing would in my book soften the competition somewhat with a whole raft of meaningless games but it looks like we may well see that closed shop in the near future. Of course it would be all too simple to point to the obvious and say sorry but Andy Robinsons not up to the job.
The question is if England continue to fail what excuse or solution will they come up with post RWC 07. I’d almost put money on the word ‘draft’ coming into rugby vocabulary before the decades out with the centrally contracted elite farmed out to clubs as England see fit.
Then would we see the likes of England’s first choice and the England U21 hooker playing at the same club? I guess not...
There are rumblings from Europe this week too with a threatened boycott by French and English clubs of the Heineken Cup over the inequality of qualifiers between the three main leagues, The Celtic League, The Guinness Premiership and Frances’s Top14. At present virtually every Celtic team qualifies while only half the GP and T14 have this season. Given how the French and English clubs dominate the competition I think they have a point.
There is of course one simple solution. The two best runners up spots for the quarter final places (although we have qualified ourselves through this route) could be axed and a further two groups of four created. To placate the CL you could use two of the places for Connact and Borders, who always seem to miss out, and award three extra places each to England and France. As for the runners up in each group, why not a knockout Heineken Shield as compensation? The Challenge Cup could continue as before with the inclusion of more teams from ‘smaller’ nations which would in turn expand the game.
But then again this whole exercise might just be about people flexing their collective muscles.
ON THE BOX
A new sports channel appeared on the airwaves on Monday. ESPN Classic, which those of you with Digital can find on channel 442, has a fair smattering of rugby on offer. There are games from the last few world cups in the first couple of weeks schedules featuring all the top nations whilst further ahead they will be featuring classic British Lions tours.
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