Saints 20 v 17 Worcester after a nervy start

An ultimately thrilling start to the 2009/10 Guinness Premiership campaign saw a nervy but eventually determined Saints team come back from a 17 point deficit to seal a final 20 minutes of some quality with victory over Worcester Warriors.

Northampton Saints v Worcester Warriors.

Guinness Premiership.  Round 1.  6 September 2009

Result: Northampton Saints 20, Worcester Warriors 17

By Jonathan Stockham from Franklins Gardens.

There can’t often have been a Man of the Match award based on only 20 minutes of a game but that is what Ieaun Evans of Sky decided to give to new Saints recruit Shane Geraghty at Franklins Gardens today after he switched from inside centre to replace Steve Myler at 10 when the starting fly half left with an injured ankle at the start of the final quarter. Penalty kicks were landed with calm aplomb and passes fizzed out wide to breach the tiring Worcester defence, reduced to 14 men for the last 10 minutes when Willie Walker saw yellow for a second warning from the ref, Chris White.

Talking of officials, the game was ruined as a spectacle by the unedifying sight of assistant referee Ashley Rowden limping around in front of women and children in the Church’s Stand with his track suit bottoms down round his knees to reveal thighs clad in cling film! This is the type of tawdry incident that Judge Jeff Blackett should really be investigating, rather than wasting his time on the use of comedy shop blood capsules.

Anyway, back to the match (and I hope the hamstring soon gets better Ash!). Saints seemed to be suffering from first night nerves and many moves in the first half foundered on knocked on ball or penalties for technical infringements at the breakdown. Despite the pre-season games and training, a lack of composure and familiarity led to Warriors building a 17 point lead within 30 minutes with tries from Benjamin and Horstmann.

Last season’s super hero, Ben Foden, will want to forget the first half completely but fortunately his game improved after the break. New signings Phil Dowson and Geraghty both had good games, as did Santiago Bonorino until he departed injured on the half hour. The Argentinian was replaced by Regardt Dreyer, with Soane Tonga’uhia switching from loose to tight head. The set piece declined in power until late on but Saints line out was near flawless and the back row unit of Dowson, Wilson and Best (replaced by Scott Gray after 60 minutes) worked very well.

As half time approached and with Saints needing desperately to score anything, Clarke, Foden and Geraghty injected some pace into the back line, getting over the gain line and playing rugby on the front foot. Saints attack was stopped just short but quick recycled ball saw Dowson charge over for a try on a wide blind side, after the TMO had a look to be sure. Myler added the extra 2 points to reduce Saints’ deficit to 10 points.

Myler had another wind assisted shot at the posts from 7 metres inside his own half just before half time but the kick fell short and wide.

Saints kicked off for the second half heading down the slope towards the South Stand and immediately tore in to the Warriors defence as Clarke and Geraghty burst through only for Tonga’uhia to knock on in the tackle. Saints won the ball back and worked it left and right along the gain line, unable to breach a well drilled Worcester defence.

Saints were upping the work rate as the half wore on and surging runs from Bruce Reihana threatened to earn rewards but silly mistakes or penalties were still letting Saints down at the crucial moments. All too often the initiative was handed back to the visitors and one attack with 20 minutes to go was cut down just in time to prevent Warriors scoring but left Myler writhing on the ground in agony with a damaged ankle. He tried to carry on, bravely or foolishly depending on your point of view but after trying a clearance kick, which left him grimacing in pain, he was replaced by James Downey as inside centre with Geraghty moving up to fly half.

Saints were really struggling at the set scrum but managed to make up for it elsewhere and when Warriors conceded a penalty at a line out within 30 metres of their posts, Geraghty calmly stepped up to slot the kick and narrow the Worcester lead to 7 points.

Warriors then conceded 2 penalties which gave Saints, firstly, field position and then

another shot at goal which Geraghty accurately put between the uprights. 13 – 17 with 14 minutes left and the familiar frame of Nacho Lobbe joined the fray, replacing Courtney Lawes.

Nacho and his mates upped the work rate again and soon Saints were battering away at the Worcester line in the right hand corner and when Saints won a penalty and opted to kick to the corner for a 5 metre line out, The Gardens went wild.

No immediate reward came but the Warriors were being pinged back now and, down to 14 men, their defence was soon breached. Saints won scrum ball, attacked the fringes a couple of times but switched the ball out to the left. Slick handling along the back line saw Reihana look as though he would score in the corner but with Diggin in support he passed back inside to his fellow winger for the local boy to thunder over to steal the match. Geraghty converted from out wide on the left to put Saints 20 -17 giving them the lead for the first time in the match with 60 seconds to go.

The remaining few seconds saw Saints do enough to keep Warriors out of range and the home victory was sealed. Phew!

Saints won whilst not playing terribly well. The injury to Bonorino is a concern as we do seem light on cover in the prop department, although the Warriors front row seemed to tire earlier than our own. Four vital league points secured and the impressive home record at Franklins Gardens has been maintained.