Thoughts from the Chron 17th December
By Chris Gleadell
December 17 2009
o use a well worn football cliché it was a game of two halves for Saints on Saturday against Treviso. Luckily however the lads got it the right way round on the day and instead of feeling as sick as a parrot they were left feeling over the moon.
Thoughts from the Chron
17th December 2009
And what contrasting halves they were. In the first period we struggled to get into any kind of rhythm at all and a try for the Italian side within the first five minutes looked like we were in for anything but plain sailing. Whilst most thought that down to Saints failings, and the odd know it all boo boy down to individual players, I do not think we can underestimate Treviso's part in that that first half disruption.
Remember this is a side that not only beat Perpignan in the opening group game but gave Munster a hell of a fright for the best part of an hour at Thomond Park. Perhaps we did not give the Italians the credit they deserved for coming to the Gardens and not rolling over as some had predicted indeed for that first forty minutes they gave as good as they got.
The second half was of course a completely different story. Chatting at half time I thought that perhaps, with the Saints clawing their way back in the closing stages of that first half due to a Ben Foden try, Treviso might have one last throw of the dice at the start of the second period before greater fitness by the home side shone through. After having a breather I thought they would throw everything at us for ten minutes to try and break our resolve once more. I could not have been more wrong.
Whatever Jim and Dorian puts in the half time tea seems to have worked wonders yet again. The Saints upped the ante from the off and in the next fifteen minutes dominated proceedings. Sean Geraghty, who did not have everything his own way in the first half, was central to all things and certainly the spark that ignited the team back into life.
Three quickfire tries, the first from Joe Ansbro then a brace for Chris Aston, not only put the game out of the visitors reach but secured the vital bonus point too. Fair play to Treviso though, they did not give up the ghost. They scrambled back and indeed ‘won' the last quarter of the game with a second try.
But for all the ups and downs over the eighty minutes at the end of the day the victory was for the Saints and the first part of the Treviso double header mission has been completed. With three games played the win takes Saints up to second in Pool One of the Heineken Cup just a single point behind leaders Munster and three points ahead of third placed Perpignan.
If Saints can come home with the spoils from the trip to northern Italy this weekend then they could well head the group going into the last two rounds of games in January. However that is relying on Perpignan doing the business down in Catalonia against Munster. Given the return game in Ireland last Friday night you would expect the boys from USAP to have enough at home to gain revenge on a team that narrowly edged them by a single point despite outscoring them in tries. You can never discount Munster on their Heineken travels though. They have pulled out some dogged results in the past in Europe though on current form this weekend in Perpignan might be a game too far.
In an ideal world the Catalans to win without a bonus and Munster to go home pointless would probably suit Saints the best but then it would also bring Perpignan back into contention in the group. If Munster were to prevail then the silver lining on that cloud could well be that with Perpignan adrift Saints would be in pole position for at least a runners up spot and quite possibly qualification for the quarter finals, it may well also set up a winner takes all finale in Limerick.
As always there seems to be plenty of twists and turns yet to come in the group but first up Saints have complete that double over Treviso before there can be any thoughts of qualification for the latter stages. Given last Saturday's effort by the Italian team that might not be quite as easy as we thought a week or two ago. I am sure Treviso will look at last weekends game as a whole and taking out that spectacular quarter of an hour for Saints will think they made a good account of themselves. On their home ground they might even fancy a second upset this campaign.
For Saints well perhaps they just need to have that spectacular period at the start of the first half rather than the second this time round. I am probably asking for the moon on a stick but a couple of early scores will not only settle the jitters of our lads but also put any thoughts of giant killing out of the minds of the hosts.
As always there will be a fair smattering of Saints supporters making the journey out to Italy over the coming days. A Wasps supporter who has made the similar trip in years gone by posted on comeonyousaints.com on how Saints had won the Heineken Christmas away game lottery.
He went on to say "Treviso has lots of tucked away coffee bars and restaurants - a great place to spend a weekend. The atmosphere when we were there 3 or 4 years ago was like a scene from "It's Wonderful Life" - it was snowing, they had school kids singing carols round a tree in the town centre, ahhhhh. It really is one of those special Heineken Cup weekends.
All that and a game of rugby too! I envy those going as I am missing out on this one. I had it all planned, the overnight train down from Paris to Venice through Switzerland and the Alps, the swish hotel, the weekend drinking ahem coffee watching the world go by. Sadly the gods conspired, or in my case the builders rebuilding my house, that I had to cancel but I will be in my local hostelry on Saturday lunchtime watching it on Sky. I might even have spaghetti hoops for my tea so it will feel like being there. Well almost...
Drinking in the Foundry before Saturday's game we were surprised to see a coachload of Treviso supporters pile in through the doors. Not noted for their traveling support it was strange to say the least, but there they were. There could not be any mistake they were all in their clubs colours, some even had the player's shirts on, but something did not quite add up. Not only did none of them actually look Italian but when ordering from the bar the accent was definitely more Jimmy Tarbuck than Pavarotti.
We got talking to a couple of their number and it turned out than rather than hailing from northern Italy they hailed from Hoylake in Merseyside and were all conneted to the local RNLI. A few years ago someone hit on the idea of going to a Heineken Cup game as part of their fundraising for a new lifeboat.
The away team that day happened to be Trevisio and they decided to follow them on their travels from then on each season.
It seems Treviso have adopted their English supporters I return and not only the players shirts mentioned earlier but the club have also supplied them with tickets for games including the recent trip to Munster.
Apparently the initial £1million they needed for their lifeboat was raised a while back but they still keep these trips going not only for further funds for the RNLI but as one chap told us as days out or weekends away the Heineken Cup games are great social occasions. I would second that.
Remember this is a side that not only beat Perpignan in the opening group game but gave Munster a hell of a fright for the best part of an hour at Thomond Park. Perhaps we did not give the Italians the credit they deserved for coming to the Gardens and not rolling over as some had predicted indeed for that first forty minutes they gave as good as they got.
The second half was of course a completely different story. Chatting at half time I thought that perhaps, with the Saints clawing their way back in the closing stages of that first half due to a Ben Foden try, Treviso might have one last throw of the dice at the start of the second period before greater fitness by the home side shone through. After having a breather I thought they would throw everything at us for ten minutes to try and break our resolve once more. I could not have been more wrong.
Whatever Jim and Dorian puts in the half time tea seems to have worked wonders yet again. The Saints upped the ante from the off and in the next fifteen minutes dominated proceedings. Sean Geraghty, who did not have everything his own way in the first half, was central to all things and certainly the spark that ignited the team back into life.
Three quickfire tries, the first from Joe Ansbro then a brace for Chris Aston, not only put the game out of the visitors reach but secured the vital bonus point too. Fair play to Treviso though, they did not give up the ghost. They scrambled back and indeed ‘won' the last quarter of the game with a second try.
But for all the ups and downs over the eighty minutes at the end of the day the victory was for the Saints and the first part of the Treviso double header mission has been completed. With three games played the win takes Saints up to second in Pool One of the Heineken Cup just a single point behind leaders Munster and three points ahead of third placed Perpignan.
If Saints can come home with the spoils from the trip to northern Italy this weekend then they could well head the group going into the last two rounds of games in January. However that is relying on Perpignan doing the business down in Catalonia against Munster. Given the return game in Ireland last Friday night you would expect the boys from USAP to have enough at home to gain revenge on a team that narrowly edged them by a single point despite outscoring them in tries. You can never discount Munster on their Heineken travels though. They have pulled out some dogged results in the past in Europe though on current form this weekend in Perpignan might be a game too far.
In an ideal world the Catalans to win without a bonus and Munster to go home pointless would probably suit Saints the best but then it would also bring Perpignan back into contention in the group. If Munster were to prevail then the silver lining on that cloud could well be that with Perpignan adrift Saints would be in pole position for at least a runners up spot and quite possibly qualification for the quarter finals, it may well also set up a winner takes all finale in Limerick.
TREVISO
As always there seems to be plenty of twists and turns yet to come in the group but first up Saints have complete that double over Treviso before there can be any thoughts of qualification for the latter stages. Given last Saturday's effort by the Italian team that might not be quite as easy as we thought a week or two ago. I am sure Treviso will look at last weekends game as a whole and taking out that spectacular quarter of an hour for Saints will think they made a good account of themselves. On their home ground they might even fancy a second upset this campaign.
For Saints well perhaps they just need to have that spectacular period at the start of the first half rather than the second this time round. I am probably asking for the moon on a stick but a couple of early scores will not only settle the jitters of our lads but also put any thoughts of giant killing out of the minds of the hosts.
As always there will be a fair smattering of Saints supporters making the journey out to Italy over the coming days. A Wasps supporter who has made the similar trip in years gone by posted on comeonyousaints.com on how Saints had won the Heineken Christmas away game lottery.
He went on to say "Treviso has lots of tucked away coffee bars and restaurants - a great place to spend a weekend. The atmosphere when we were there 3 or 4 years ago was like a scene from "It's Wonderful Life" - it was snowing, they had school kids singing carols round a tree in the town centre, ahhhhh. It really is one of those special Heineken Cup weekends.
All that and a game of rugby too! I envy those going as I am missing out on this one. I had it all planned, the overnight train down from Paris to Venice through Switzerland and the Alps, the swish hotel, the weekend drinking ahem coffee watching the world go by. Sadly the gods conspired, or in my case the builders rebuilding my house, that I had to cancel but I will be in my local hostelry on Saturday lunchtime watching it on Sky. I might even have spaghetti hoops for my tea so it will feel like being there. Well almost...
DON'T JUDGE A BOOK
Drinking in the Foundry before Saturday's game we were surprised to see a coachload of Treviso supporters pile in through the doors. Not noted for their traveling support it was strange to say the least, but there they were. There could not be any mistake they were all in their clubs colours, some even had the player's shirts on, but something did not quite add up. Not only did none of them actually look Italian but when ordering from the bar the accent was definitely more Jimmy Tarbuck than Pavarotti.
We got talking to a couple of their number and it turned out than rather than hailing from northern Italy they hailed from Hoylake in Merseyside and were all conneted to the local RNLI. A few years ago someone hit on the idea of going to a Heineken Cup game as part of their fundraising for a new lifeboat.
The away team that day happened to be Trevisio and they decided to follow them on their travels from then on each season.
It seems Treviso have adopted their English supporters I return and not only the players shirts mentioned earlier but the club have also supplied them with tickets for games including the recent trip to Munster.
Apparently the initial £1million they needed for their lifeboat was raised a while back but they still keep these trips going not only for further funds for the RNLI but as one chap told us as days out or weekends away the Heineken Cup games are great social occasions. I would second that.
Thoughts from the Chron 17th December
Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)
Date: 18/12/2009 00:00
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Re: Thoughts from the Chron 17th December
Posted by: keith in bahrain (IP Logged)
Date: 18/12/2009 04:42
Thanks Chris. Really sets the scene. Parallel universe in the Foundry before the Treviso match, no? Now just hoping that I can find the match streaming online.
Keith in Bahrain
Keith in Bahrain
Re: Thoughts from the Chron 17th December
Posted by: SAINT_aitch (IP Logged)
Date: 18/12/2009 07:25
Lovely story about the scouser Treviso fans, Chris.
Re: Thoughts from the Chron 17th December
Posted by: Wee Jim (IP Logged)
Date: 18/12/2009 07:54
Great read and think you are spot on about Treviso.
Love the story about the RLNI treviso supporters - thats what rugby is all about.
Love the story about the RLNI treviso supporters - thats what rugby is all about.
Re: Thoughts from the Chron 17th December
Posted by: Saint Dom in Hanoi (IP Logged)
Date: 19/12/2009 11:17
Must be a big lake at Hoylake if they need a lifeboat...
Good read, Chris.
And we all want a moon on a stick!
Come on you Saints...
Good read, Chris.
And we all want a moon on a stick!
Come on you Saints...
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