News: Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints - Match Preview


By St Marlowe
April 23 2009

My first away trip to Sale was to Hayward Road in 2002. I remember it as much for the Journey as anything else. I had raced from Berlin to make the Friday night Game, and it took me as long to find a parking place as I was in the air and driving from Birmingham. I arrived just in time to see Ben Cohen touch down in the second minute, in a close fought match which Saints lost 24 21,

Guinness Premiership Round 22

Sale Harks v Northampton Saints

Saturday 26th April, Edgeley Park

K.O. 3pm

 

Saints scored 2 Trys against 2 drop goals and a host of penalties slotted by Charlie Hodgson. I blamed the 20-candle power output of the floodlights (well tricklelights anyway). Anything North of Stafford tends to bring on a touch of the yips for Saints.
 
For the form-followers our record away to Sale in the last 13 years stands at Won 2, Drawn 1, and Lost 8. Our home record is just a little better, and overall in that period we have : Won 10, Drawn 2, and Lost 11. Fairly even Stevens overall then, with home advantage greatly to the fore.
 
So what of Saturday? A big disadvantage for Sale is that they will be playing at 3pm on a Saturday, an alien concept at Edgeley Park, where the competition from the "other" game, and sharing a football ground has meant that Friday night matches are the norm. So look out for a load of Sale WAGs, up in arms that their men folk are not allowed to do the shopping at Cheadle Waitrose this week, so they have lost their chance to get together at Selfridge's nail bar at the Trafford centre. Feathers will be spat!

Given that our last meeting was a home match in which Lobbe Senior bested his younger brother, and Saints ran out 38-3 winners, what will that do for our chances taking into account the history of home advantage?

This weekend, the last Guinness Premiership match for those of us denied the chance to elbow the eventual league leader of their perch in the knockout matches, sees almost all the teams bar Bristol with something to play for. Sale are in fourth place (Having been deducted a point for being Northern) , with Gloucester 4 points behind. We are on equal points with Wasps, but ahead on Points differential. Wasps play Gloucester this weekend......

The dream Scenario for Saints is for us to take at least four Points from Sale, and Gloucester to overcome their battles with Deano and take 5 points from Wasps. 3 months ago, the latter scenario would have been probable, but now, who knows?

Stirring Saracens (one point behind us and Wasps) into that mix, makes the battle for fourth and seventh places wide open. Only a fool would predict. (See this fool's prediction at the end of this preview)

The last (real) game of the seasons is always one for farewells. This weekend is no exception. Sale will be hoping that Sebastian Chabal will deliver a swansong (a number of Saintly ladies of my acquaintance are going just for a glimpse!) and it is of course the last season for Phillipe St-Andre, so they will be looking to go on a high. I expect, the Sale team to be somewhat adjacent to:


For the ladies who can't get to Sale!

15 Nick MacLeod
14 David Doherty
13 Matthew Tait
12 Anitele'a Tuilagi
11 Oriol Ripol
10 Charlie Hodgson
9 Richard Wigglesworth
1 Lionel Faure
2 David Tait
3 Eifion Roberts
4 Sebastian Chabal
5 Dean Schofield
6 Jason White
7 Neil Briggs
8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe

Stuart Turner
Andrew Sheridan
Chris Jones
Sebastien Bruno
Dwayne Peel
Rudi Keil
Selorm Kuadey

However, this is without an intimate knowledge of Sale's current injury situation!

Saints too have their leavers, and I expect an appearance from wee Tam, and some changes to cover injuries sustained in the bruising encounter with the London Irish last week. My pick would be
A Saints Legend


15 Ben Foden
14 Paul Diggin
13 Joe Ansbro
12 James Downey
11 Bruce Reihana
10 Stephen Myler
9 Lee Dickson
1 Soane Tonga'uiha
2 Dylan Hartley
3 Euan Murray
4 Christian Day
5 Petrus Johannes Juandre Kruger
6 Neil Best
7 Scott Gray
8 Mark Easter

Brett Sharman
Tom Smith
Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
Courtney Lawes
Alan Dickens
Barry Everitt
Sean Lamont

This match will come down to whichever team wants it most. Nacho will want to exert his sibling dominance again; Digger will want to show Oriol how to do it.  I believe Saints will want it more.
This fool predicts Saints by 3 in a firecracker of a match!

 

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News: Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints - Match Preview
Discussion started by ComeOnYouSaints.com , 23/04/2009 01:31
ComeOnYouSaints.com
23/04/2009 01:31
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desbralass
23/04/2009 07:06
Good one.I don't mind if it's Saints by 1!

Bridesmaids no more.

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Wee Jim
23/04/2009 08:02
Good preview! Lets finish the league with a bang!

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Shaddo
23/04/2009 08:33
Nice one St M.
It would be nice to secure seventh place, and I believe we are more than capable of winning the game, but I can't help feeling this season has a few more twists and turns for us yet.
If we're not in the HC by 5pm on Saturday, then it would be so sweet for Wasps to come seventh and then us nick their spot by winning the ECC - having first won the A league of course.

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Howlin
23/04/2009 11:12
Good stuff. I am happy to be going to Sale with a chance of a result. We have come so far form last season and it feels good to be back battling toe to toe with the big boys !

Saint til I die

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cd2
23/04/2009 12:48
Hi there..enjoyed your preview, made me smile more than once smiling smiley

I think the Sale team will be more like:

15 Cueto
12 Bell
14 Kuadey
2 Bruno

^ but thats just my prefernce smiling smiley

I think Schofield is still injured and so too Peel.

Have a safe journey oop North and here's to a great game smiling smiley

Breathe.Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

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St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad
23/04/2009 13:04
Foolishly hoping you're right St.M

No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.

Dryathlon

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Phil.
23/04/2009 17:17
A foolishly fine read, David! (Sm13)

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Saint Dom in Hanoi
24/04/2009 21:23
There will be a feather-spitting frenzy from me if we fail to challenge for this game.

I don't care how important the HC is deemed by the financiers, or the mercenary tarts who pick only those teams who play in the "premier European competition".

Do well in the league, keep doing well in the league, and everything else will fall into place.

Or I will fall foolishly off my perch...

(Sm71)

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Paul Flatt
24/04/2009 22:49
I predict a tight game with lots of noice from the Stands. (I shall be there).

I missed the 38-3 at home (I beg forgiveness) so cannot guess our chances for tomorrow.

A win would be very satisfying. Better than Wasps would really annoy my brother!!

"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.

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Sarge
24/04/2009 22:51
Paul,

We've already been better than Wasps once this week. Being better than them 3 times in the space of 8 days would be delicious.

http://www.sargenorthampton.demon.co.uk/simages/s1.gif

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