By Mark H
September 16 2004

The great American Football coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all-time thing". Well, Saints have two out of two, with bonus points, and are currently enjoying their longest run at the top of the ZP - ever. It has to be said though, that a win over bottom of the table Bath and the hammering of Harlequins, may not be the hardest of tests in this 23/24 week marathon. Two battles down, and hopefully only twenty-one more to go, but to a certain extent, the rehearsal for the business end of the season starts on Saturday and lasts for three weeks. Whilst the visit of Wasps in a fortnight, and the trip over the border next weekend are for the future, the fixture planners provide the first of the supreme tests for Saints in the visit of Gloucester to the Gardens.

Three wins over the next three Saturdays and we can really start believing. That's not to underestimate Gloucester though - the games between the sides consistently go with the home sides, are usually incredibly tight affairs, and are not without an atmosphere, be it contrived between the two sets of committed and passionate supporters, or like last year, when the needle most definitely stayed on the pitch.

Last year's game will live long in the memory. Saints went 27-0 up in just over half an hour (including a pushover try from Chris Budgen that started from just behind the Klingons stuck on the starboard bow), before the game went out of control in twelve minutes of utter madness. First Andy Hazell went flying into a mid-air Shane Drahm and earned himself a yellow card (when it could easily have been red), then within seconds of Cousin Andy's return, a mass punch up saw Sharky Robinson fingered by touch judge Stuart Terheege for running "thirty metres" to land a blow on Duncan MacRae, whilst referee Robin Goodliffe missed the efforts of MacRae, Boer and Hazell (amongst others on both sides) and ended up awarding one card, red to Robinson.

Nigel Melville then committed a major error by not bringing on the dynamic James Forrester earlier to take advantage of a tiring pack, and whilst three tries were scored (two in the last seven minutes by that man Forrester), Gloucester couldn't quite take advantage of the by now 13 man Saints (Tucker and Blowers taking turns in the bin) and lost by 30 points to 17. Indeed, the standing ovation that Blowers received when going off to the bin was possibly the noisiest tribute to an individual player I've seen in many years at the Gardens, and the exultant scenes in the stands at the ends were a fitting tribute to the men on the pitch. Lombardi again:- "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious."

As a result of the madness, Robinson and Hazell got three week bans (Robinson's eventually reduced to two), Shane Drahm got two weeks but was then exonerated, and MacRae was cleared of all charges. In the return match four weeks later at Kingsholm, there were boos but no bad feeling; Robinson returned with two tries but Trevor Woodman came out of the World Cup Final and over the line to cap a home 28-20 victory.

One year on, and the Sky cameras are back, no doubt hoping to be able to prevaricate over the same sort of action again (the game, which was a fantastic advert for Premiership rugby, not the other activity). The sides are different; to a certain extent the rugby cultures are different. The passionate will to win is still there though (and long may that continue), so two of the five sides with two wins to date will become one by 4.30 on Saturday.

Glaws have gained their victories solidly but unspectacularly. One of the more interesting points from last weekend's win over London Irish was that all three tries came through the forwards, with Azam, Boer and Hazell on the scoresheet. When Glaws finished top of the pile two seasons ago the try contribution from the pack was vital, but their backs now have a greater role to play in producing scores. On their day, the famous five of Gomersall, MacRae, Garvey, Paul and Simpson-Daniel can reduce any defence to rubble. Add to them the battereing ram called Terry Fanolua, and the best
young full back in the ZP last time out in Jon Goodridge, and you can see why the Glaws style isn't "everything through the forwards" any more.

The pack is still decent though. Yes, Trevor Woodman has gone to Sale, Phil Vickery is still injured, and Andy Deacon has retired (although he was registered again this week as cover), but you aren't allowed to pack down for the Cherry and Whites if you haven't got the intention of shoving your opponent's head up his own backside. If Saints can get the edge here early, then it will a very interesting afternoon again.

Solly is forced into changes in the Saintly line-up, with both Sharky and Robbie Morris picking up injuries at Quins - in Sharky's case, possibly for a good few weeks longer. In comes Johnny Howard at scrum-half, whilst on the bench, Chris Budgen makes a first ZP return since his tour of duty, whilst Ben Jones covers Howard looking to make a first ZP appearance, having featured in the Powergen loss to Bath last season. Bruce Reihana will be looking to cap his 50th Saints appearance with another starring performance. The team:-

15 Bruce Reihana
14 John Rudd
13 Mark Tucker
12 Marc Stcherbina
11 Ben Cohen
10 Paul Grayson
9 Johnny Howard
8 Grant Seely
7 Corne Krige (captain)
6 Andrew Blowers
5 Damien Browne
4 Selborne Boome
3 Robbie Kempson
2 Steve Thompson
1 Tom Smith

16 Dan Richmond
17 Chris Budgen
18 Matt Lord
19 Darren Fox
20 Ben Jones
21 Shane Drahm
22 Wylie Human

The Gloucester team is yet to be announced, but the main injury doubt is James Forrester, who came off after half an hour last week with an ankle injury.

The big screen, showing the whole game as it happens, will also be in use for the first time and be based in the corner between the Churchs Stand and the Sturtridge Pavilion.

Referee for the game is our old "friend" Steve Lander, who in his two ZP games so far has handed out four yellow cards and one red, the highest of any of the six referees who've taken games so far. Apparently, because of his style of refereeing, the Premiership players like him.

(Insert comment here about not as much as he likes himself).

It could be a classic Saturday. Saints to edge a very tight clash and cause Stuart Barnes palpitations as he realises he might have to say something nice about Saints. Or, as he seems so far this season to have ignored facts, something about Saints. Possibly.

A final thought from Lombardi. "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?"

Quite.