The Italian Job Overmach Parma vs Saints - Preview
By Paul Shaddick
December 8 2006
Saints travel to Italy this weekend to face Overmach Parma in Week Three of the 2006/7 Heineken Cup. Shaddo previews the game...
OVERMACH PARMA vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
HEINEKEN CUP - MATCH PREVIEW
SATURDAY 9th December 2006 - 2.30pm
(1.30pm Northampton Time!)
Saints head coach Paul Grayson implied that the game against Leicester last weekend was a chance for those players selected to stake a claim for a first team jersey, and as far as heart and commitment are concerned just about everyone in the match 22 deserved a chance against Parma this weekend.
However, the fact that four players (Vaughan Going, Matthieu Bourret, Seamus Mallon and Stephen Myler) from Saturday’s XV were not registered for the Heineken Cup meant that at least three of those would miss out, at least until the pool stages.
The rules do allow one player to be added to the 38 named back in September, with one of the originals being deregistered. There are plenty of names that appear on the Saints registration form who also appear in Cliff Eaton’s appointment book, but the rules also say that the deregistered player can only return to the squad at the expense of the player who replaced him (are you still with me at the back?).
There were valid arguments in favour of each of the four men listed above, but Myler is looking like an out-and-out number 10, a position which could be problematic if Carlos Spencer picks up an injury, and the rugby league convert is also being mooted by some as a possible inside centre – and it is he who got the nod from management this week.
Grayse has had no end of problems to overcome in selecting a team each week – the number of injuries has meant he has frequently struggled to find fit players to play in their optimum positions. This week he faced a different headache. Would he say that most of the guys who played so well on Saturday had earned the right to represent the club in
As it was, he went for a mixture of both, and played his joker by giving Myler the No 10 shirt and putting Carlos Spencer at 13, while Paul Diggin took the full back’s starting spot.
15 Paul Diggin
14 SEAN LAMONT
13 CARLOS SPENCER
12 Robbie Kydd
11 Chris Wyles
10 Stephen Myler
9 Ian Vass
1 TOM SMITH
2 STEVE THOMPSON
3 Pat Barnard
4 Matt Lord
5 DAVID GERARD
6 Mark Easter
7 Darren Fox (capt)
8 Daniel Browne
16 Dylan Hartley
17 SOANE TONGA’UIHA
18 Christian Short
19 PAUL TUPAI
20 SAM HARDING
21 MARK ROBINSON
22 Johnny Howard
The Italians have a well-deserved reputation in the scrimmaging department, and the return of Steve Thompson and Pat Barnard from injury allowed Grayse to field his strongest front row. Matt Lord and David Gerard retain their places from last week, although Lord gives up the captaincy to Darren Fox, who returns to the back row alongside Daniel Browne and Mark Easter, with Harding returning to bench-warming duties. Ian Vass keeps the No 9 shirt, with Myler at 10. These two worked well together against Tigers, which explains Spencer’s surprise appearance at 13, outside Robbie Kydd. Sean Lamont returns from international duty to wear 14, with Chris Wyles, who scored a memorable try last weekend on the other wing. Diggin, whose athletic knock-down set up Wyles’ try, is another surprise at 15. It appears that Grayse has stuck with the youngsters from last weekend wherever it has been possible and/or prudent.
Meanwhile,
He has five first team players crocked: full back Francesco Mazzariol, Australian lock Daniel Guinness, South African centre Marco Neethling, flanker Pablo Sciaretto and second row Fabio Gumiero.
Overmach Parma currently lie sixth in the Super 10,
The failure to pick up any points in Biarritz has put the pressure on Saints, and even the most optimistic Northampton fan would have to admit the Biarrots are looking like favourites to top the group, but a ‘best of the rest’ spot is still easily with Saints’ reach.
If
What we don’t want is a repeat of our foray into