GP: Northampton Saints vs Leeds Carnegie - Match Prieview
By Chris B
September 23 2009
After a couple of weeks on the road Northampton Saints return to home soil this weekend to entertain Leeds Carnegie at FG. Chris B looks ahead at what's in store for the Gardens' faithful this Saturday afternoon...
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs. LEEDS CARNEGIE
Saturday, 26th September 2009 – 3pm
FRANKLIN’S GARDENS
MATCH PREVIEW
This weekend will see us up against will Leeds Carnegie, formerly Tykes, in a competitive fixture for the first time in 4 years. A lot of contrasting fortunes have occurred since the end of the 2005-2006 season for both clubs, but there have also been similarities.
Just like us, Leeds have found themselves in the unholy-realm of relegation in recent times. In fact, while we were spending 12 months rediscovering our roots, Leeds replaced us in the top-flight then only to pass right by in the opposite direction upon our return.
Also like us, Leeds have a fresh-start coaching setup with the arrival of Neil Back. Love him or loath him, nobody can deny his competitive nature or that he successfully brought Leeds back into the top flight first time of asking – With a success rate not far behind our own record-breaking demolition tour 2 years ago. No bad for a club with limited resources whom are also struggling to compete for attendances in the Rugby League hotbed of North Yorkshire.
The similarities there however end. While Saints rejoined the Premiership with a squad full of already well known players and set their sights straight on HEC qualification, Leeds have had to be very careful with their recruitment and are basing their entire season on one thing alone – Survival.
The contrasting fortunes have been apparent already this year, Saints up at the business end of the table with 2 wins – including the emphatic result at fortress Kingsholm - and a LBP from Wembley while Leeds best result this year has been a draw against expected fellow strugglers Newcastle, otherwise only so far receiving heavy defeats to Worcester and London Irish. Early days perhaps, but 1/8th of the way through the season already (scary, isn’t it!), the shape of the league will soon be forming and so far it’s not pretty so far as Carnegie are concerned.
So looking forward to this week, what can we expect from our boys in the Gold, Black and Green on their return to Piggys patch?
Well to be honest, a lot. Coming away from such a difficult place to travel as Gloucester with a dominating win speaks volumes for where the clubs stands now. For the first time in many years, there’s not a single position in the XV which causes us to think to ourselves that we’re weak anywhere. Acknowledging the style of rugby that Leeds will want us to play, we’ll need to remember what we learned during the demolition tour and keep things nice and tight up front.
Forgetting the blip on the radar which was his debut against Worcester, we may have found ourselves a diamond in amongst all the rubbish that Leicester threw away with signing Bonorino. Solid scrummaging and deft open play has seen him and Tiny make the front row combine together in ways that Bath fans could only dream of. Throwing Hartley, whom the responsibility of captaincy has clearly added a killer edge to his already top drawer game, into the mix means things won’t get pushed around so easily as we would have been in years gone by.
Of course, a front row is nothing without a big, snotty 2nd row providing the grunt. So, judging by what’s ahead of us, my choices there will be Lobbe for his experience – not to mention the fact he must deserve a start – and alongside him we’ll want the counter to Leeds most potent weapon of Andy Gomarsall. Yep, the player who’s name alone makes all scrum-halves the world over run and go crying to mummy... Courtney Lawes.
The back row has been the biggest subject of debate this year – Phil Dowson has been excellent, Best has been a monster, Scott Gray has been sneaking up on unsuspecting rucks and stealing the ball like he were the son of a cat-burglar and a ninja while meanwhile Wilson, Hopley and Easter have all been waiting in the wings for their shot. For the sake of rotation, I would be tempted to play those three this week, Hopley at 6, Easter at 7 and Wilson at 8. But really, it’ll be a top class backline whoever gets selected.
With the half-backs, Dickson has been brilliant and awful in equal measure so far – Plenty of quick ball and more than a few penalties won (Sorry Saracens but Britts deserved it; You more then had the rub of the green with Sir that day, won the game so stop whinging) but his passing has been erratic to put it mildly. For the speed of his play alone I would persevere with him, but that said Dickins is a grizzly old dog and looked good whenever he’s come on of late. Pay your money, take your choice.
Fly-half is a lot more clearly cut... If Myler is fit this week, he’ll have to seriously impress in training to unseat Geraghty who’s been nothing short of immense. However, what a wonderful problem it is we have, by quite some margin, in the 2 best young English 10s.
Midfield – Downey and Clarke. Next.
Wings – Digger, local hero, heart of a lion, never has a bad game and joint 2nd try scorer in the country last season missed out at Kingsholm for last seasons top European-try scorer. And Flash certainly impressed upon his return to 1st team action. So what do we do with this little problem? I say play them both.
Because...
Fullback – Foden has been out of sorts this season. To hell with the BBC or Sky
blowing smoke up his backside, the purple patch he enjoyed for his last year
with Sale and first 6 months here is over and he’s not looking so good for now.
The way in my mind to cure that is give him a kick up the backside by bumping
down to the bench and let him see what the leagues best natural fullback can
do. And without that monkey of captaincy now on his back, can anyone honestly
say there have been many players this year looking better then Bruce Reihana?
So, I think…
1. Bonorino
2. Hartley
3. Tonga’uiha
4. Fernandez-Lobbe
5. Lawes
6. Hopley
7. Easter
8. Wilson
9. Dickson
10. Geraghty
11. Diggin
12. Downey
13. Clarke
14. Ashton
15. Reihana
16. Sharman
17. Mujati
18. Dreyer
19. Kruger
20. Dickins
21. Myler
22. Foden
And a prediction on the result;
Sorry Leeds, but I just cannot see your guys being able to compete anywhere
around the park. They’ll play with high intensity and try to beat us up – don’t
even be surprised if they manage a couple of early scores – but as the game
goes on, Nick Johnsons fitness régime will begin to tell and by the end, if
Saints score less then 40 points I will consider myself short changed.
If we want to consider ourselves up with the big boys now, the model of what the NotNots accomplished on Leeds’ patch must be the benchmark. This is when we find out exactly where we stand.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009:09:27:10:26:06 by St Marlowe.
Having watched Leeds getting dicked by Irish, co-incidentally I have spent some time this week watching Leeds rugby league in the play offs and Leeds soccer against Liverpool.
The contrast in support was massive. Leeds league fair enough they have been successful but what a difference in teh attendance and atmosphere. Leeds soccer, pretty useless over the last five years but still hugely supported.
So that leaves Carnegie trying to compete for support, money etc. I feel for them big time. Can't believe it's so long since we played them. I remember fondly two visits to Headingly (and one was a loss) .
I therefore very sincerely hope they have their moment this season, they deserve it. But not against us !! I don't think the team will be messed about with that much this week. It is a huge game for Saints and I think Mallinder will instill this in Saints. Best 22 go for big win. Nothing else will suffice. I just hope the crowd don't simply expect us to turn up and get it though. The team will have to fight tooth and nail; Leeds will throw everything they have at us in the first twenty. Saints need a big support to get what I believe will be a big result. Win well and then do well at Wasps and we are on the way to a good season.
Saint til I die
Interesting team - Id still leave Bruce on the wing. Hes playing so well there. If you wanted to change fullback and bring Ashton on why not try him at 15. Having said that I think we'll see him starting at 14.
I think at this stage of last season we were like Leeds - focused entirely on survival first and foremost.
And league is played basically in the M62 corridor. Rugby Union is the popular sport in North Yorkshire (with clubs older than our own).
Leeds is in West yorkshire a place where union is laughed at by most people.
The thing with Leeds is...the support, you go to place'slike sixways, franklin's gardens, welford road and they are fortresses to the home team, the fan base is amaazing the atmosphere is amazing!! you go to a place like headingley carnegie and yout thinking. oh god whos died? it is shocking and i think if Leeds could get 10,000 strong attendance in a bit of roaring we mite do better, we have had 7500 and 6500 the first 2 games which is an improvement but not good enough.
Now you have to look at the fact that we currently have 7 first team players out 5 injured/not fit, 2 having problems with visa. if we had a full team we would have dominateed falcons, possibly got at least a point against wourcester who look better this season. We still would have got creamed by London Irish but your time will come against them...
anyway enjoy the game im sure you all will
Oh, and if there is one thing we definitely HAVE got, it's fitness, so again, the last minute will be as hard as the first as far as the game goes.
Sadly I can't be there as I'm turning out for our 4th XV - Saturdays are for playing, Sundays for watching....
Waiting for the good times ...
..and waiting ....
... and waiting ...
Agree with the Ashton at 15 suggestion, and the rest of your team, though I have a feeling Jim might try the Myler/Geraghty combo again.
Oh, and I'd rather Tiny starts with a 1 on his back. Nice preview - I've missed Leeds...
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
errrr....the scrum half maybe ?
I'm not sure about moving Bruce to FB in place of Foden. As much as Flash showed some great improvement at Castle Grim last week, I want us to focus on getting somewhere close to a 40 pointer this week to give us the BP, the 'points for' as a boost and the added psycological effect and we all know that Ben can do it, he just seems to be taking a while to warm up this season. I also think we can give Shane and Smyler 50/50 time on the pitch.
Sorry Leeds, I mean no disrespect but I want us to beat you soundly. On the other hand, I also want Leeds to beat Tigers and the club that should not be spoken.
Wouldn't expect to see SMyler though, according to the Chronic he will not be played. Expecting Mayor/McAnsbro to have a trot on the paddock this week CHRON
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:09:24:14:09:39 by sainttimmy.
Certainly we can expect some rotation in the pack and probably Geraghty at 12. Mayor will be in the squad, he was huge when he came on last week.
Remember the Div 1 days, you could never predict the team and Jim will want to keep everyone guessing.
Come On You Saints