Saints 30 - Sarries 8

From one extreme to another.  As bad as the Saints were last week, this week they were good.  The Sarries have been a bit of a Bogey team for the last few seasons, having beaten us at home on a number of occassions.  Earlier this season getting the LV win was nice, but this was the match that would really matter, the premiership and grown up rugby.  Surely this was going to be a proper test.

But something had shifted in the Saints psyche.  After the humiliation of last week they weren't going to roll over and die.  From the off this was evident, Lamby started the match, a Sarrie forward collected only for Jamie Elliott to crash into him.  The mismatch in size was ther for all to see, as was the effect as Jamie was clearly dazed and for a moment it looked as though his match was over.  While he was still reeling and under the physios care, Sarries made a sortie into the Saints territory with a run from Strettle.  For a moment it looked as though we were going to relive the Scarlets match, but the defence held and the Sarries were driven back.  And back was where they stayed for the remainder of the first half.  The positional advantage told, with a neat sniping try from Dicko created by superb work in the lineout from Sorrenson, then a lovely run and sidestep for a try from Easy all coming from a great offload from Downey, and finally a try from Dowse coming through an unstoppable rolling maul.

Half time saw a solid lead and a bonus point seemed in the offing.  It wasn't to be, as the Sarries shored up their defences, to prevent the Saints getting their fourth try in the second half.  The Sarries even tried to come back with some good positional play but it was too late for the Sarries and their was no way through a determined Saints defence.  True, a soft try at the end gave them a vestige of respectability, but they went home without a point to add to their total.

Match Details

• Half Time 27-3
• Attendance 13,402
• Referee Dave Pearson

Northampton Saints

No.	Name	T	C	D	P
15	Ben Foden
14	Chris Ashton
13	George Pisi	1T
12	James Downey
11	Jamie Elliott
10	Ryan Lamb		3C	1D	2P
9	Lee Dickson	1T
1	Soane Tongauiha
2	Dylan Hartley
3	Paul Doran-Jones
4	Courtney Lawes
5	Mark Sorenson
6	Phil Dowson	1T
7	Tom Wood
8	Roger Wilson
16	Mike Haywood
17	Alex Waller
18	Brian Mujati
19	Samu Manoa
20	Ben Nutley
21	Martin Roberts
22	Stephen Myler
23	Jon Clarke

Saracens

No.	Name	T	C	D	P
15	Alex Goode
14	David Strettle
13	Chris Wyles
12	Brad Barritt
11	James Short
10	Owen Farrell				1P
9	Ben Spencer
1	Rhys Gill
2	John Smit
3	Carlos Nieto
4	Steve Borthwick
5	Mouritz Botha
6	Kelly Brown
7	Jaques Burger
8	Ernst Joubert	1T
16	Jamie George
17	Deon Carstens
18	Matt Stevens
19	George Kruis
20	Jackson Wray
21	Luke Baldwin
22	Adam Powell
23	Duncan Taylor

Saints 23 - Scarlets 28

It's a while since we've really been able to calim Franklins Gardens as a fortress.  And tonight saw another brick fall from the wall.  After such a good match last week against Munster the expectations were high.  But while the names on the sheet looked the same (baring Fodes dropping out at the last minute still carrying an injury, and Easy taking his position at full back), on the pitch it was a different matter.  Nothing was going right for the boys.  The number of turnovers and knock ons conceded was shocking.  And the Scarlets simply gave a lesson in good strong running rugby.  The honesty is that the Saints did not deserve a losing bonus point.

Within two minutes the Scarlets had barrelled over for a try.  The warning signs were there, but last week when Munster did the same then the Saints came back with composure.  Not tonight though.  Scarlets managed to get four tries, some in slightly controversial circumstances, and they dominated everything.

From last years Heineken run, where the only match the Saints lost was the final, to this year and two losses from two meaning it seems unlikely that the Saints will progress beyond the pool stages.  A match best forgotten.

Match Details

• Half Time 9-21
• Attendance 13,475
• Referee Peter Fitzgibbon

Northampton Saints

No.	Name	T	C	D	P
15	George Pisi	1T
14	Chris Ashton
13	Jon Clarke
12	James Downey
11	Vasily Artemyev
10	Ryan Lamb		2C		3P
9	Lee Dickson
1	Soane Tongauiha
2	Dylan Hartley
3	Brian Mujati
4	Courtney Lawes
5	Mark Sorenson
6	Calum Clark
7	Tom Wood	1T
8	Roger Wilson
16	Mike Haywood
17	Alex Waller
18	Paul Doran-Jones
19	Samu Manoa
20	Phil Dowson
21	Martin Roberts
22	Stephen Myler
23	Scott Armstrong

Scarlets

No.	Name	T	C	D	P
15	Liam Williams	1T
14	George North
13	Scott Williams
12	Jonathan Davies
11	Sean Lamont
10	Rhys Priestland	1T	4C
9	Gareth Davies
1	Iestyn Thomas
2	Matthew Rees
3	Rhys Thomas
4	Sione Timani
5	Damian Welch
6	Aaron Shingler	1T
7	Jonathan Edwards
8	Ben Morgan
16	Ken Owens
17	Phil John
18	Rhodri Jones
19	Lou Reed
20	Matt Gilbert	1T
21	Rhodri Williams
22	Stephen Jones
23	Daniel Evans

Munster 21 - Saints 23

Anyone who knows the history of these two teams would have known that this was always going to be close.  But Thomond Park is a really tough place to play, I've been there, it epitomises the word "cauldron".  The Saints have learnt in the last few years, but had they learnt enough.

Within 3 minutes of kick off Munster had scored a try.  And not only had they scored but they had done it by pushing our forwards over the line.  It could all have gone wrong then.  But instead the Saints lifted their heads and came at Munster.  They got ahead with a try and almost went into the half time oranges ahead, but a panicky end to the half gave Munster the chance to get back ahead.  Again the Saints came back and took the lead.  They held it for all of the second half.  The game went past the 80 minute mark, the next time the ball went dead then it was all over.  But Munster had the ball and were in the Saints half.  The Saints drove them back, but then they came again.  Over 40 phases and four and a half minutes neither side gave away a penalty.  Munster were left with one choice and one choice only, but they had a sublime player for it, and sure enough Ronan O'Gara took a drop goal and planted the ball between the sticks.

It was all over.  The Saints had played one of their best games, but it wasn't enough and they had victory snatched away.  A painful painful end.  But both teams could be proud of their work on the pitch.  A fantastic spectacle and a great advert for the game.

Match Details

• Half Time 17-13
• Attendance 26,500
• Referee Nigel Owens

Munster Rugby

15	Johne Murphy
14	Doug Howlett	1T
13	Danny Barnes
12	Lifeimi Mafi
11	Denis Hurley
10	Ronan O'Gara		2C	1D	2P
9	Conor Murray
1	Wian Du Preez
2	Damien Varley	1T
3	Brendan Botha
4	Donnacha Ryan
5	Paul O'Connell
6	Peter O'Mahony
7	Niall Ronan
8	James Coughlan
16	Denis Fogarty
17	John Ryan
18	John Hayes
19	Donncha O'Callaghan
20	Denis Leamy
21	Tomas O'Leary
22	Ian Keatley
23	Will Chambers

Northampton Saints

15	Ben Foden
14	Chris Ashton	1T
13	Jon Clarke
12	James Downey	1T
11	Vasily Artemyev
10	Ryan Lamb		1C		3P
9	Lee Dickson
1	Soane Tongauiha
2	Dylan Hartley
3	Brian Mujati
4	Courtney Lawes
5	Mark Sorenson
6	Calum Clark
7	Tom Wood
8	Roger Wilson
16	Mike Haywood
17	Alex Waller
18	Paul Doran-Jones
19	Samu Manoa
20	Phil Dowson
21	Martin Roberts
22	Stephen Myler
23	George Pisi

Wasps 13 - Saints 24

Last year the Saints achieved their first vistory at Adams Park.  It was very much the show of the scrum that ground the Wasps into the ground.  Could a resurgent Saints manage it again against a Wasps squad which has shown fluctuating fortunes again so far this season.

The Wasps scrum certainly came out not intending to allow a repetition of last years engagement.  In fact it is a while since I have seen the Saints pack puched around like that.  At least for the first 30 minutes.  But playing at that intensity takes its toll and the Wasps weren't able to maintain the pressure for the full match and that, most probably, is the reason behind the final score.  To add salt to the wounds, the two Saints tries came from the props, Tiny and Mooj.

The game was scrappy from the Saints point of view.  A lot of near misses but difficulty in stringing together the final pass at the crucual moment.  Some wonderful breaks by Vaseline who once again looked threatening, but Ryan Lamb was neutralised quite effectively and couldn't unlock the backs.  Add to that a couple of missed kicks and it would be fair to say a difficult day for him.  One of his penalties was deemed to not go over but he was convinced otherwise and called for the TMO, but it was impossible to tell on the reply as the ball went too high, and it was finally not given despite Lamby shaking his head repeatedly.

While some penalties were traded early on, the first try actually came from the Waps while they were a man down.  Tim Payne had been shown a yellow after throwing a punch at Callum (who, for once, didn't retaliate but made sure he got the linesmans attention instead).  Somewhat against the run of play Wasps had the ball and Jo Simpson put in a lovely probing kick that Flash failed to collect.  Wade took the ball and threw what looked like a speculative pass but instead went straight to Riki Flutey who was then able to dive in at the corner.  It was a lovely try and one of the moments of the match.  Some more penalties and the Saints went in slightly ahead but wondering how to break the Wasps defence.

When all else fails then look to the forwards.  Two minutes into the second half and Tiny went over after some lovely ball handling.  Two turnovers gave the Saints the ball and it was quickly heading down the line.  A forwar pass from Courtney was missed by the linesman and suddenly Vaseline was breaking for the line.  He couldn't quite get there and was brought to ground but Tiny gathered the ball and dived forward, his long arm extending, ball in hand to touch down.  The momentum of the game shifted and the Saints looked in charge.  10 minutes later and Mooj scored after a run from the 22, bursting through a tackle from Nicky Robinson and just making it to the whitewash before Jo Simpson caught him.

At this point Saints fans would have relaxed a little.  But the Wasps do not le down and die.  Soon they were back and pushing.  The last 15 minutes of the game was mainly played in the Saints territory and a soft try for Filipino, Flash looking for where the ball might go rather than where it was, saw the gap close.  But the final play saw another turnover from the Saints and the ball was cleared to the sound of the refs whistle and another victory.

Both the ref and the linesmen were poor and detracted from the game.  The Saints deserved to win but instead the focus was on a number of poor decision from the officials.  Before Wasps fans get too agitated it is worth pointing out that the penalty count was high for both teams and I believe that the Saints got pinged more often.  Be that as it may, at this level the refs need to be consistent and show an understanding of the game.

MOM went to Courtney.  Despite a ban at the World Cup and also a yellow card the other week, Courtney is still packing in the power at the tackle.  One on Nicky Robinson early on in the game was especially brutal (but legal) and Nicky was left on the ground need help from the physios.  It isn't just the power but the speed that causes the opposition the problem, as Courtney appears from nowhere going like a steam train.  Rugby is a physical sport, and Courtney wants to instill fear in his opponents, if they can even have a split second when they are wondering if he is going to hit them then there is more chance they will make a mistake.

Match Details

• Half Time 8-12
• Attendance 8,222
• Referee Tim Wigglesworth
• MOM Courtnet

London Wasps

15	Hugo Southwell
14	Tom Varndell
13	Chris Bell
12	Riki Flutey	1T
11	Christian Wade
10	Nicky Robinson				1P
9	Joe Simpson
1	Tim Payne
2	Rob Webber
3	Ben Broster
4	Ross Filipo	1T
5	Marco Wentzel
6	Richard Birkett
7	Jonathan Poff
8	John Hart
16	Tom Lindsay
17	Sakaria Taulafo
18	Jeremy Castex
19	Joe Burton
20	Matt Everard
21	Nic Berry
22	Ryan Davis
23	Chris Mayor

Northampton Saints

15	Ben Foden
14	Chris Ashton
13	Jon Clarke
12	Tom May
11	Vasily Artemyev
10	Ryan Lamb		1C		4P
9	Lee Dickson
1	Soane Tongauiha	1T
2	Dylan Hartley
3	Brian Mujati	1T
4	Courtney Lawes
5	Mark Sorenson
6	Calum Clark
7	Phil Dowson
8	Roger Wilson
16	Mike Haywood
17	Alex Waller
18	Paul Doran-Jones
19	Samu Manoa
20	Tom Wood
21	Martin Roberts
22	Stephen Myler
23	George Pisi

Saints 44 - Falcons 15

This was always an important match for both teams.  The Saints, after a difficult start, now had three wins on the trot and wanted to keep the form flowing.  Falcons, even this early in the season, were contemplating possible relegation and desperately needed a win under their belts.  With both teams at the bottom of the table a lot was riding on the result.

The start was all about testing out the opposition, and while the Saints looked more dominant, it was initially honours even with 3-3 after ten minutes.  The next ten mminutes were a different story though.  Slow ball from a ruck allowed the Saints to get themselves well set and as Chris Pilgrim tried to clear the line his kick was charged down by Tiny.  It was a clean charge but it was enough and Dowse was able to gather it in.  A couple of quick passes and the ball reached Tom May.  Now, in all honesty, he should have passed it one more time, but this was his 200th premiership appearance and it was against his old team, so clearly he wanted to make it a bit memorable and he barged his way over the line to touch down his first try for the Saints and the first try of the match.  It only took 7 more minutes for May to go over the whitewash again and he had bagged a pair.

The Saints were looking in control but to the supporters dismay Lawes was soon in trouble.  Whether the ref thought it was a shoulder charge or a late tackle was not entirely clear but Lawes was seeing a yellow card while Manning rolled around on the ground in obvious agony.  Well, it was obvious until Lawes sat on the naughty step, at which point Manning sprang up with no assistance from the physios, grinned at the crowd, and then got on with the game.  This had the side effect of making the game appear like an early panto show as every time Manning touched the ball throughout the rest of the match then boo'ing could be heard around the stadium.  The first couple of times the boo's were heartfelt but after that it became a comedy element that everyone got into and enjoyed.  Gopperth managed to kick the penalty and then the Falcons tried to up the pressure.  Despite some silly handling errors byt the Saints, the Falcons couldn't capitalise on their advantage in numbers and finally Gopperth had to go for a drop goal. 

Half time and the score was 18-12 to the Saints.  The reality was that the Saints had had the best of the match so far but Gopperth was keeping the Falcons within touch and greater discipline would be needed in the second half if the Saints were to make the most of their dominance.

It didn't take long.  Within 4 mionutes of the second half the Falcons had a line-out at their 22.  An overthrow saw the ball collected by the Saints and spun out to Lamby.  He spotted a gap and dived through it, leaving enough numbers to his left for him to pass to Clarke who then passed to Vaseline.  The Russian was over for the Saints third try of the  match and continuing his impressive entrance into English rugby.  And it became even more impressive 10 minutes later when he went over again in a similar move.

The scrum were now demolishing the Falcons who were repeatedly left a pile on the floor.  And Flash was obviously feeling left out having watched others score tries.  He was to round out the game with a brace for himself however, the first from short range and the second scopping up the ball in the Saints 22 after a Falcons handling error and running the length of the pitch for a Splash.

The Saints had put in another strong performance.  A defence that never looked like being breached, a scrum that had territory, a line-out that was winning and pressurising the opposition, and a back line that was spinning the ball and finding the gaps.  While positions in the table haven't changed that much, with the Saints at 8th, it looks more hopeful and the Saints seem to have remembered their winning ways.

Match Details

• Half Time 18-12
• Attendance 13,326
• Referee JP Doyle
• MOM Ryan Lamb 

Northampton Saints

No.	Name
15	Ben Foden
14	Chris Ashton	2T
13	Jon Clarke
12	Tom May	2T
11	Vasily Artemyev	2T
10	Ryan Lamb		3C		2P
9	Lee Dickson
1	Soane Tongauiha
2	Dylan Hartley
3	Brian Mujati
4	Samu Manoa
5	Courtney Lawes
6	Calum Clark
7	Tom Wood
8	Phil Dowson
16	Mike Haywood
17	Alex Waller
18	Paul Doran-Jones
19	Mark Sorenson
20	Roger Wilson
21	Martin Roberts
22	Stephen Myler		1C
23	Scott Armstrong

Newcastle Falcons

No.	Name
15	Jeremy Manning
14	Luke Eves
13	Corne Uys
12	Jamie Helleur
11	Rikki Sheriffe
10	Jimmy Gopperth			1D	4P
9	Chris Pilgrim
1	Grant Shiells
2	Joe Graham
3	Euan Murray
4	Andrew van der Heijden
5	Tim Swinson
6	Mark Wilson
7	Will Welch
8	Ally Hogg
16	Mike Mayhew
17	Ashley Wells
18	Dan Frazier
19	Glen Townson
20	Redford Pennycook
21	Jordi Pasqualin
22	Greg Goosen
23	Alex Tait