Northampton Saints - Thoughts from the Chron

By Chris Gleadell
December 1 2006

So after the game against London Irish last week down in Reading it is another week and another loss. I mentioned last week that going into the game both Saints and Irish had very comparable records yet come the day the Irish managed to put 40 points and five tries on us

Worrying times for all involved at the club and the support not knowing exactly when the corner is going to be turned or indeed what is going to put things right.

Rock bottom Worcester beating Saracens at Vicarage Road on Sunday did not help our cause, especially when you look back to the previous week when Sarries defeated us heavily at the Gardens. A look at the Guinness Premiership table tells you that we are currently sitting 11th, seven points clear of Worcester at the foot of the table, with 13 points from nine games. However dark the picture looks though all is not lost.

In the previous two seasons we have been in pretty much the same position around this time of year, at Xmas 2004 we were bottom of the table with 14 points whilst last year we were 11th with 13 points. A look around the message boards for the same times shows we were all having the same concerns (and moans) at the same time too and in the recent era you could say we are becoming serial slow starters. Let’s hope the lads can turn in a vintage 05/06 end to the season rather than that nailbiting relegation battle of the year before.

Although not the full picture, injuries and international callups are still a factor.

Going into the start of our season once you get past Carlos on Sharky I’m sure most of us would have our backline down as Dave Quinlan, Jon Clarke, Ben Cohen, Sean Lamont and Bruce Reihana. For various reasons not one of these played on Sunday.

When we now have a case of the replacements, replacements playing or having to play people out of position I’m sure even the likes of Jon Clarke and Bruce firing at 75% (and of course that’s not to say they are rushed back too early) might see an improvement.

The next three weeks away from the Guinness Premiershhip could be an ideal time for the lads to regroup and get their heads together to forge on in the New Year. Saturday’s game, the dead rubber EDF cup game against Tigers might be the ideal opportunity to rest a few if not all of the current first team and give the up and coming youngsters a run out, it will also give the majority of us supporters who cannot make the Wanderers games a chance to see what the future holds for the club playerwise.

The first team meanwhile can prepare for the Heineken Cup double header against Overmach Parma. If things do pick up on the pitch victory in these two games is vital if we are to have any chance of progressing to the latter stages of the Heineken Cup.

It might look like a pipedream on current form but then so would a sixth place and HC qualification have looked this time last year. It can be done!

RUMOURS! RUMOURS! RUMOURS!

Well done to Sharky and Carlos (and now Pat Barnard) for stating that there is no split in the current squad.

The rumour had been doing the rounds for the last few weeks with again ‘those in the know’ and Chinese whispers adding fuel to a flameless fire. If those directly involved say there is no split then I’m more inclined to believe them than someone who heard something third or fourth hand from a junior player’s cousins hairdressers second wife. On Friday the weekly Rugby Times picked up the story running with a lead ‘I am reliably informed’ (yeah right) and then used a posting from the clubs message board to flesh out this non story. I touched on this subject last week but even if there were a grain of truth in the story (and I’m not saying there is) do these people ever put the interests of the club first before their own self importance and ever think what these divisive rumours might do?

SPRINGBOKS SAINTLY START

If Saturdays game is not enough to whet your appetite then on Sunday there is a game at the Walkers Stadium, Leicester where a World XV take on the Springboks. The South African side, which includes ex-saints Selbourne Boome and

Johan Ackerman are playing the game to celebrate 100 years of the Springboks existence. What is not widely known is that the South Africans played their first ever game as the ‘Springboks’ in 1906 at Northampton . Indeed it was the first ever time a team from South Africa had toured abroad and in the game they ran out 37-0 winners against an East Midlands select side who believe it or not went into the game as favourites. The aim of the tour for post Boer war South Africa was to try and reunite the 'Afrikaaners' and the 'Colonials' together in the name of sport. They more than succeeded in winning 26 of their 29 games and drawing with England 3-3 at Crystal palace.

FAREWELL ROBBO!

So it finally looks like it is the end for Andy Robinson as England coach. At the time of writing no white smoke has appeared yet from the chimney at Twickenham but it looks as if the writing is on the wall. You have to feel a bit sorry for Robinson, he was very able in his forward role in support of Clive Woodward but plainly not the guy to lead the whole shebang. I hope he can swallow his pride and return to forward duty but who succeeds him is anyone’s guess. To me Martin Johnson is a non-starter with no coaching experience whilst Dean Richards, another one mentioned in dispatches was not sacked by Leicester for nothing. In my mind the RFU have to look abroad and bring in a guy who has had success in both hemispheres and knows more than most about the English game and its clubs, Warren Gatland