Northampton Saints
News: GP: Northampton Saints vs Gloucester - Match Preview
By hoddros
April 15 2010
After the bitter disappointment of defeat in Limerick last week Saints have to pick themselves up off the Heineken Cup floor and throw themselves back into the Guinness fray. Northampton welcome Gloucester Rugby this Saturday knowing victory takes them one step closer to securing a home tie come the play-offs. Regular COYSDC contributor Hoddros looks ahead to another eagerly awaited game...
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs GLOUCESTER
GP: Saturday 17 April, 2010 – 3pm
FRANKLIN’S GARDENS
MATCH PREVIEW
I started writing this about an hour ago, still struggling to pull myself deep from the Slough of Despond. Many Saints supporters are still making their way back from the streets of Limerick, most of whom are most likely still attempting to fathom the conundrum that occurs when you lose to Munster at Thomond Park but still having a good time and enjoy yourself.
For those of us who had less fun it has been easier to mope around in melancholy. Cats have been kicked, wasps have been chewed by bulldogs and Eiffion still found time to twist a knife or two.
The grim feeling of despair was not helped by watching the game again and realising just how good Munster are at winning those types of games. As for Ronan Ogara, those clinical diagonal kicks that put your team way back in your own 22 hurt even more when I remember how disappointed I was with him at Loftus Versfield last year.
All that misery was overwhelming, until about an hour ago. I then decided to revert to a policy learnt in the formative years, of making a list of the good and the bad.
Rugby reasons to be miserable:-
We are out of the Heineken Cup
Rugby Reasons to be cheerful:-
Well, surprisingly there are quite a few:-
1. 1. Jim Mallinder, Doreen West, Ben Foden, The Hood, Bruce, Dylan.....etc I could go on for ages there. The squad and management are still great. So young, yet mixed with gritty wily experience. This is ongoing, but still looking promising with next season’s newcomers.
2. 2. The Saints supporters, what a tremendous effort at Thomond Park. The singing sounded vociferous and full of enthusiasm.
3. 3. The LV= Cup , already in the trophy cabinet.
4. 4. Heineken Cup, a placed secured for next season
5. 5. Guinness Premiership, 2nd with a game in hand, a great chance to secure a home tie for the semi-final.
6. 6. The last two minutes against Munster. Fourteen points down yet the team still played with a ferocious enthusiasm to go forward and get a try for themselves and the supporters.
7. 7. Franklin's Gardens. I have just watched the deliberate destruction by explosion of the Dallas Cowboys stadium. How dreadful? The Gardens are our home, and long may that continue. You cannot easily measure the sense of strength drawn by supporters for their traditional playing field, but I am convinced it helps.
Lastly, but not leastly, Gloucester. One of the highlights of our season for me, Glos at home. No other GP side brings so much atmosphere to The Gardens as the Tractor Boys.
There is plenty to play for on Saturday. Gloucester can still qualify for next year’s HEC from their league position. They need to get to 6th spot to be sure, but can make it from 7th if Wasps win the Amlin. There are other possibilities but they will not want to leave it to chance and would most likely qualify if they win their three remaining games, the others being London Irish (h) and Wuss (a). Although Saints have beaten them twice already this season (an excellent win at Kingsholm and a wonderful final of the LV= Cup), that is no barometer of what to expect on Saturday. They will be smarting from last weekend’s defeat to Wasps, where they reportedly should have scored many more points than the impressive 26 they managed. With the motivation of the ever loveable Ian McGeechen to spur them on, they will not be coasting through to season end. Apparently Geech seems to be taking a more active role than first considered, that is surely a good thing for the club. Brian Redpath seemed up against it earlier in the season, but a little guidance from a wise head will do no harm.
As for the teams, I stole a look, and some stats, from the official Gloucester Rugby site and came up with this impressive, possible starting line-up:-
15 Freddie Burns – 19 years old, 5 GP tries this season and 5 in LC= Cup, he kicks as well (5 successful pens in narrow recent win over Sarries). Would seem to be quite a prospect.
14 James SD – needs little intro, but still only 28 years old, used to be Barnes’ favourite until Ben F came along, 12 tries this season. Would have accumulated masses of international caps if not for injuries and the fact that he is English and runs at defences.
13 Tim Molennar – 29 years old, A Kiwi, 3 tries so far this season, has been in excellent form allegedly but injured his ribs against Sarries and did not play at Wasps. If he is still not fit I suspect Johnny May (20 years old) will deputise as he did at Wasps.
12 Mike Tindall – Who he? Okay he is 31 years old, been playing for donkeys years, moves in Royal circles, bashes up the centre mostly, but showed more recently, he fits Martin Johnson’s game plan when fit and holds the record for most beers drunk between Sydney and London, allegedly. Oh, and he is a World Cup winner. 2 GP tries this season
11 Lesley Vainikolo – 29 years old, big fellah, difficult to stop when he gets going. A Tongan by legally binding birth his career survived having played for England. 8 tries in all this season.
10 Nick Robinson – 28 years old, ex Cardiff player, fits into the Dave Walder category of being an effective FH at the wrong time (internationally), 4 tries, 36 conversions & 64 penalties this season in all.
9 Rory Lawson – 29 years old, now the regular scrum half at Glos, played in every game this season, only 1 try this season.
8 Adam Eustace – 31 years old, if selected would get his last chance to sweat it out in the Visitors changing room at Franklins Gardens. Considered 3rd or 4th choice at Kinsgsholm now by some, but has still played an impressive 1072 minutes in the Cherry and White this season, scoring his first try at Adams Park on Sunday.
7 Akapusi Qera – 25 years old, seems destined to be a legend at Kingsholm, knows the way to the try line with 9 already this season (16 in his last season for Pertemps in Nat league 1)
6 Peter Buxton – 31 years old, been at Glos for 8 years, 155 appearances (+53 as sub), hard working, good solid clubman. Doesn’t bother scoring tries.
5 Alex Brown – 31 years old, line-out specialist, England international, over 175 games for Glos.
4 Will James – 24 years old – England Saxons player, despite his young age he gets a lot of game time. 2 tries this season in all.
3 Paul Doran-Jones, 24 years old, gained his first cap along with our Courtney when coming on against Australia. Can play either side of the scrum. Can he go on to become another Raging Bull? No tries as yet.
2 Olivier Azam – 35 years old, I love watching him play, pugnacious and aggressive. 10 caps for the French, over 200 games in the Cherry & White.
1 Alisdair Dickinson – 26 years old, Scottish ball carrying loosehead with 17 caps. 1 try so far this season. A possible Lion in 2013?
E&OE
All told that is a neat looking line-up, individually they look strong, but collectively they have struggled this season. Things seem to have improved since McGeechen arrived and they will want to continue that this weekend.
As for Saints, I suspect JM will be looking to rest a few players that were not injured against Munster. With 3 games in 8 days the management will have to balance tired limbs, aching muscles and the “here’s my chance” attitude of some youngsters. It is a lottery for me to predict the starting XV under these conditions, but here is an attempt anyway:=
15 Ben
Foden
14 Chris Ashton
13 Joe Ansbro
12 James Downey
11 Bruce Reihana
10 Shane Geraghty
9 Alan Dickens
1 Regardt Dreyer
2 Brett Sharman
3 Brian Mujati
4 IF Lobbe (capt)
5 James Cannon
6 Phil Dowson
7 Mark Easter
8 Mark Hopley
As Gloucester seem to be shipping more points this season I would play Shane
instead of Smyler. This debate can be thrashed out every week, but I would go
for his more unpredictable play in this one, where he can attack what even the
Glos supporters see as a weak defensive structure. Against Wasps they played a
drift defence, and were pierced repeatedly. Shane is more likely I feel to
spread panic and uncertainty amongst them.
The main areas of contention could be the front row where, if selected, Euan could face his Scotland colleague Dickinson, and Doran Jones could come up against Soane. Equally compelling will be the line-outs. Courtney could have his work cut out against Alex Brown. If Saints win those battles then there is potential for some dynamic play from the backs. Both Ben and Chris Ashton seem to get better every game.
Despite all that, Saints biggest issue this week is how they deal with disappointment. What can Jim and Doreen say to lift them? Well they can start by reminding them that Saints have never won the Premiership and that every Saints supporter is desperate to see that happen. The run-in starts here. Saints and Gloucester have played out some stormy games in the past, and if any one player is not suitably psyched up then Glos will make them pay. A play-off position is vital for Saints, a home game could then make all the difference. Plenty of reason to be up for the fight.
As for those of you lucky enough to be going to the game, you only have to watch the weekend’s games at Thomond and Toulouse to realise how the majority support in a motivated crowd can lift a team. Glos always bring a large, noisy and enthusiastic support to The Gardens; you must not allow them to dominate on this. Perhaps the latest most important event in our season now points to the reception given to the Saints as they emerge at 2.55pm on Saturday. How uplifting can you make it?
I have now lost my earlier despondency, and am fully worked up for the weekend, and I won’t even be there. As I said earlier, our home games against Gloucester are magic days in the calendar.
As for a score prediction, I have full faith in this club right now, everything seems to be right. Despite a glut of big games I still believe we can get back on track, Saints by 15.
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Stumbleupon15/04/2010 11:43
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Top of the League 2014-2015 Season
Many thanks!
15/04/2010 12:24
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
Saint til I die
15/04/2010 15:56
And 'Big Les' Vainikolo would probably smile at the "slip of the keyboard" spelling of his name
Come On You Saints
It's good to see that the article is read with enough interest to notice such things.
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