The Saints

The Saints are the Northampton rugby team. Having gone through some rough patches, including most recently relegation during the 2007/2008 season (they completed the year in National Division 1 with an unprecedented 35 wins from 35 games), they have rapidly come back through the combined powers of Jim Mallinder, Dorian West and Paul Grayson, alongside a strong combination of youth and experience.



EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP WINNERS 2009

LV= CUP WINNERS 2010

Heineken Cup Finalists 2011




Pictures by Merlin

Northampton Saints News

Saturday, 24 April 2010

Saints 27 - Saracens 28

I got the overall number of tries correct, but the wrong way around.  Saints only scored two while the on-form Sarries scored three.  This running rugby from the Sarries comes from a change of game plan after the Saints had beated them twice at Franklins Gardens earlier in the season during the LV Cup, so in a way we have ourselves to blame.

In fact, the Saints have themselves to blame in a lot of ways for losing this match.  For the first 20 minutes of the game the team did not seem to really get going, and overall they were looking tired throughout.  A long campaign has started to catch up with them.  Then the defence, which earlier in the year was so strong, has begun to show holes.  The last few matches have seen us letting in tries, something that wasn't happening before.  And finally the restarts are terrible, whether by us or the oppostion, we aren't winning the contest and this keeps us on the back foot.

It was a close match, only ever a point between it.  And a score by the Saints in the last two minutes looked as though it might have been another of those last minute get-outs that we have seen so often.  Unfortunately Shane couldn't convert, and the end result was that the Franklins fortress was broken.

Scorers
Saints - Tries: Penalty, Foden; Con: Myler; Pens: Myler (5)


Saracens - Tries: Joubert, Powell, Penney; Con: Jackson (2); Pens: Jackson (3)

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