Thoughts from the Chron 8th October 2009

By Chris Gleadell
October 9 2009

Yet again down at High Wycombe it was so near and yet so far. Saints came within a whisker of their first win at Adams Park against Wasps on Sunday but just failed at the final hurdle. Forty minutes earlier however you would have thought we were in for a sound thrashing after an ineffective first period.

Although the game at Leeds the week before was sewn up by half time we seem to be setting the trend yet again for being a second half side. Against Worcester a late, late score secured the spoils while at Saracens the game was in its closing stages when the video ref denied Saints a very probable victory.

Frustrating I know but there would be all the more to worry about if we played like that for eighty minutes week in week out and the lads have proved with those second half performances that they are a match for anyone. Last season when the same happened you suspect whatever was said at half time as the team regrouped steadied the ship but there is always a danger that against good sides you will not have enough in the tank to come back, something that happened on Sunday. Against the very top sides, and that especially means in Europe, they could be so far out of sight at the break that the game, and your tournament, might be over before you know it.

But like I said the squad have proved they do have a good game in them albeit in fits and starts at the moment. Perhaps we are expecting too much too soon but if they can string together an hour or more of the kind of rugby they played in the last quarter at Wasps then it could well be Saints that are putting some distance between themselves and the opposition in the not too distant future.

As for the game itself well last week I spoke about it potentially being a close run thing with maybe the rub of the green or the bounce of the ball deciding it in our favour. Unfortunately I got it the wrong way round and it was an opportune bounce that saw the ball land in the hands of Danny Cipriani rather than Chris Ashton as the wunderkind dived over for the home sides only score. From 17-0 down at one stage Saints did fight back though and all credit to the Wasps defence for holding them at bay, especially in that last ditch 30 phase passage of play at the end of the game.

Whether it was four points lost or one bonus point gained is arguable but certainly if our first half doldrums are cured we can look forward to a successful campaign both home and abroad.

MUNSTER

And so to the big one. Whilst winning the European Challenge Cup was a notable achievement given it was our first year back after relegation, I know for a lot of people the victory's overriding benefit was not the silverware itself but the main prize of qualifying for this seasons Heineken Cup. I have mentioned it before in this column over the years that when the Heineken is on and you are not in it you do get the feeling that there is a big party going on elsewhere that somebody forgot to invite you too.

So after two seasons in the wilderness we can all celebrate the fact that Saints are indeed back sitting at the European top table, mixing it with the big boys and there are not many bigger than Saints opposition on Saturday, the Irish province of Munster.

There is no doubt in my mind that Saturday is the biggest game at the Gardens since a 40 yard Shane Drahm drop goal saw off the might of Toulouse five years ago, in fact on reflection and given our history it might even rate higher than that.

Munster arrive off a bit of a hiding by their main rivals in Ireland, Leinster. Not only did they ship thirty points they also failed to score a single one of their own. So are the giants in a downward spiral that Saints can take advantage of or can we expect the mother of all backlashes? Stuart Barnes described the two Irish provinces as "essentially the two halves of Ireland's Grand Slam team" so perhaps we should not read too much into the visitors demise, but then who knows?

Time will indeed tell exactly which Munster side turns up but you can be sure this is certainly not a week for Saints only turning up at half time themselves. However I don't know what it is though but something in my water tells me that on one of those famous Franklins Gardens nights the Saints are going to sneak this one.

Talking of being back with the big boys earlier, it was not so long ago we were in that top bracket of Heineken clubs ourselves. In the last decade we have been quarterfinalists four times, semi finalists twice and of course winners over Saturday's visitors back in 2000. Who knows, victory on Saturday might start us off on that road once more.

AND AWAY FROM THE RUGBY

Of course the effort will not just be needed on the pitch we all have a large part to play too. As I mentioned last week by hook or by crook the Munster support have got their hands on more than the usual allocation of tickets so there will be a sizable amount of the ‘Red Army' in the stadium and they will be doing the utmost to be heard as they try and lift their team. Our job is simple, to be the 16th man for our boys we just have to be louder. Sure we will outnumber them maybe five to one but I for one intend to leave my voice on the terrace on Saturday evening I hope a lot more will be doing the same.

Away from the game itself of course it will be all friendship and light between the two sets of fans. The Saints Supporters Club with the crowd from ComeOnYouSaints.com have arranged a meet with some of the earlier Munster travellers in the Malt Shovel on Friday night, all are welcome.

On the Saturday there is a band, Ginger Pig, post match in the Rodber while both the Thomas A' Becket and The Foundary are laying on extra bars and bands as well.

Sounds like it could be a good weekend all round and a Saints victory, our first Heineken one since the smash and grab raid in San Sebastian three seasons ago, would be the icing on the cake.

PERPIGNAN

I will have more on the trip down to Catalonia to play Perpignan next week. However I know that by the time the Chron is printed next Thursday a lot of the travellers, myself included, will already have left those shores heading south. So just one small snippet of information before you go. Talking to supporters of other clubs that have played out there the bar of choice for rugby supporters appears to be Chez Imbernon. Run by Jean-Francois Imbernon the former Perpignan and France second row the bar can be found at 41 bis, Quai Sébastien on the canalside. See you there, and mines a pastis merci!

Thoughts from the Chron 8th October 2009

Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)

Date: 09/10/2009 08:58

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