Thoughts from the Chron 3rd December
By Chris Gleadell
December 3 2009
Whilst we had to wait till almost season end last term to see the Saints finally win away in the Guinness Premiership here we are with over five months of the season still to go and the lads already have two wins on the road already under their belts.
Thoughts from the Chron
3rd December 2009
The win at Worcester back in March seemed an awful long time in coming but we were still finding our way in the first season back in the top flight, this time round we seem to have cracked it early on.
We certainly look more assured on our travels and although there is still a long way to go we appear to be consolidating our place back as one of the top clubs in the GP week on week. Friday nights win up at Newcastle took Saints up to second in the table for 20 odd hours, settling for third after Saturday's round of games. But probably more important than league position, following on from the win at Kingsholm, it now looks like playing away holds no fears for us, imagined or otherwise.
Chris Ashton grabbed all the headlines with his first triple for the club but the victory was built on a second half performance from the forwards who dominated their opposite numbers to such an extent that those present stated the game for the last 40 minutes was played in just the one half. A joint effort perhaps but it was no coincidence that that rise in form just happened to be after a long term absentee took the field.
We may have been stretched at times by Euan Murray's absence since his injury during the Lions South African tour but we never truly knew what we were missing till he returned at the break on Friday night. In last weeks column I was waxing lyrical about the chunk of granite that was Carl Hayman and how as a cornerstone of the Falcons pack he might have more than a say in proceedings. How wrong could I have been? Of course it was not all down to Euan but I don't think his influence can be underestimated in a display where even some of the home support was commenting this week that they had never seen a Hayman led pack so dominated. And here was me worrying about damage limitation last week!
Certainly going forward it will be good to see the trio of Murray, Hartley and Tonga'uiha back in harness in the front row for a few weeks before the first two are called away to the Six Nations. If we were playing well before, the combination of these three players might just add a further dimension to our game. Oh what might have been up at Leicester ?
Another player hitting form was Shane Geraghty. There were questions in the week about whether his time away with England , where he was not used to his full potential, had dented his confidence. No worries on that count though as back in the number ten shirt, where surely he must be considered for the national side, he ran the show and his quick thinking and hands were instrumental in all three of Chris Ashton's tries.
So apart from Bruce Reihana's training ground injury we seem to be in fine fettle going forward as winter starts to bite. As I mentioned earlier still a long way to go but with just a single Guinness Premiership game before Christmas I think we can move into the festive season with hope of some big days ahead on the domestic front and the riches on offer in Europe, more of which next week.
BATH
The Saints can build on that current good run with the visit of lowly Bath to the Gardens on Saturday. Given league position, relative form and home advantage most would have this down as a banker Saints win. To an extent I would go along with that but perhaps not counting my chickens so hastily.
You see I have this nagging doubt about Bath . I look at the names in their squad and the way they are playing and I see us not so many seasons ago. Remember the times Saints were down in the doldrums? Struggling at the foot of the table, players, including some quite notable names, out of sorts and performing like they don't know each other or the gameplan. Then for some unknown reason it would all click into place for a one off game.
Going back to 2004, we had really hit a low point losing at home to Worcester two weeks previously when star studded Toulouse came to visit with the likes of Jauzion, Heymans and Michalak in their ranks. Foregone conclusion, Toulouse win. No, it was one of those days, the same team undone by a very ordinairy Worcester side somehow managed to undo probably the strongest team in Europe at the time all with in the space of 14 days. And wasn't it the very same Saints that went to San Sebastian to defeat red hot favourites Biarritz just four weeks before they were relegated?
That's my worry, I am sure sooner or later Bath will click and have a big game in them. They may have had some very publicised changes in personnel, and that may indeed be a factor, but this is the very same club that just missed out on the championship playoffs by a single point last season.
Now whether or not that game happens on Saturday I am still not sure they will have enough firepower to undo us. If Bath play like they did against London Irish last week it will be a walk in the park if Saints are anywhere near the top of the game. On the other hand with the monkey off their back and everyone expecting them to travel up here and lose do not be surprised if it is not the landslide some are predicting. Either way I'm still backing Saints to prevail by hook or by crook before all eyes move once more to the Heineken Cup.
TURKEYS AND XMAS
The talk around all the rugby message boards this week was not so much about the game itself rather one clubs attempts at avoided it. Call it Watergate, Pizzagate or whatever there are some very big questions over exactly what happened at Edgeley Park on Friday night where Wasps opted not to fulfill the fixture against Sale citing safety concerns.
With referee David Rose having already passed the pitch as fit and the home side Sale in full agreement Wasps decided no and exercised the rule that a team can veto the referee's decision if they have concern over the pitch.
To me, and it seems many others, that ruling is daftness personified. It is akin to turkeys voting for Christmas.
Apparently confusion reigned on Friday but I am sure it will all come out in the enquiry but perhaps note should be made of the Wasps supporters present who thought the pitch fit for use too. Surely they have no axe to grind?
Sale are up in arms about the incident and to be honest I would be too. I can't comment on the state of the pitch, I was not there, but in Sale 's shoes I would not be too happy that by inference Wasps are suggesting that they were willing to risk their own players safety. And what exactly does Wasps actions suggest about the competence of David Rose. Though ever the diplomat I expect privately he is seething too.
There is of course one very simple solution to stop this happening in future. There are three relevant parties in the decision, Team A, Team B and the Ref. Surely a vote, in fact you could make it mandatory to cover all eventualities, and then majority rules. If two of the three say yes, then the game goes ahead, simple.
Surely if safety were paramount then two parties would not take the risk? Well you would have thought not but on Friday the suggestion from some quarters were that Wasps were avoiding the game for other reasons. Outvoted they would have no option. Of course they could still walk but then they would suffer the consequences rather than having a second crack at the game when their circumstances might be different.
One final point. The week before Wasps played Saracens at Vicarage Road .
The pitch, with standing water etc, was apparently in a worse state than Sale 's on Friday night. Wasps did not have safety concerns before this game but had their pack pushed around the park all afternoon by the Sarries eight. The Sale game was just five days later. Read into that what you will...
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Interesting point about who should make the decision over playing or not. Your option of all three parties having a vote might work, but could still lead to tactical voting, if it suited both sides to have a postponement. I still think the officials should make the decison, a majority vote would ease the responsibility.
I wonder if a new official such as a safety officer could be employed?
Another good read. To me the key to Bath giving us, or anyone else for that matter, a good hiding, is whether or not the Bath half-backs can hit the form of last season. We will know that in the first twenty minutes on saturday. Hopefully by then the Bath heads will begin to fall and the way will be forward for a bonus point win.
This is one game where we should aim to get a good start. If we don't then we will have to grind out a four pointer. For that reason I would start with our most fearsome front row and not leave Euan on the bench.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:12:04:09:48:05 by SlimJimmie.
"Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it."
-- Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 A.D.
Paul you are right nad another thing is it's wasps again isn't it? Increasing wafts of fish methinks
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