Northampton Saints
News: Six Try Super Saints stun Birds from Tyneside!
By Jonathan Stockham
October 30 2011
Northampton Saints continued their recent improving run of form in the Premiership and LV= Cup with a thumping win over Newcastle Falcons to remain at ninth place in the Premiership table and only four points behind Bath in 4th place. Falcons remain rooted at the foot of the table.
Aviva Premiership Round 7
Franklins Gardens, 29 October 2011
Northampton Saints 44, Newcastle Falcons 15
By Jonathan Stockham
There were times yesterday when Saints were only troubled by one opposition player, Falcons No10 Jimmy Gopperth. It was he who kicked all of the visitors points (4 penalties and a drop goal) and the odd line break came from his speed and vision.
The much anticipated tussle in the front row between Saints loosehead Soane Tonga’uiha and former Gardens favourite Euan Murray at tighthead for the Falcons probably ended honours even, although the destructive scrummaging of Brian Mujati and Dylan Hartley ensured the Saints set piece came out very much on top. Some of Murray’s binding and angles may have been illegal but very few officials seem to know what is going on in the front rows so on it goes.
Where Soane does earn his food budget is in his loose play and a charge down by the mighty Tongan led to the first try for the home team. Falcons seem to take an age to use the ball from the base of a ruck and this time, Pilgrim’s box kick was blocked. Phil Dowson, back to his best form in this game, collected the ball and, via Courtney Lawes and Ryan Lamb, a perfectly timed pass to Tom May saw his first Premiership try for the Saints, ironically against his old club. Lamb missed the conversion but at 8-3 after 15 minutes Saints had certainly looked the more ambitious side on the field.
Five minutes later May crossed again for try number 2 after the whole team went through the phases and, with powerful direct running, delivered the inside centre for 5 more points. Lamb added the extras this time and a decent gap was appearing at 15-3.
Unfortunately, the Saints game plan was knocked askew when Lawes received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Falcons 15, Jeremy Manning moments after a clearing kick. Now, late it certainly was but Lawes protested that he’d tried to avoid Manning, had crossed his arms over his chest to signal that he wasn’t tackling and had moved to his left to try to avoid contact. Only stop frame replays will reveal the actuality but an Oscar winning performance as a critically injured patient by Manning probably added to the ref’s mindset. As soon as Lawes was seated on the naughty step, Manning bounced to his feet and played on without the merest hint of a knock. Surely we haven’t gone down the route of soccer and fake injuries to con the officials?
At least the Saints faithful felt sufficiently annoyed to faithfully boo Manning whenever the orange booted one received the ball and it all became rather pantomimic as the game wore on.
Thanks to a couple of penalties, including the yellow card, Gopperth had narrowed the gap to 15-9 before Saints won a scrum against the head with only 7 men, then stole a Falcons line out, only for Lamb to make a hash of a drop goal attempt.
Lamb deservedly won Man of the Match. His distribution, linking with his backs, especially May at 12 and chips over the opposition defensive wall brought rewards all afternoon but his tactical kicking was a bit overcooked on a couple of occasions. However, the Saints back line looked threatening all day with Jon Clarke at 13 getting back to form and Ashton, Foden and Artemyev adding to the potent mix.
Then, on 35 minutes, as Saints attacked from their own half, a trip on Ben Foden chasing an up and under was missed by only 3 observers in the crowd of over 13,000 and before you knew it Falcons had taken play back up to Saints’ half for Gopperth to slot over a drop goal. Gap getting nervously narrow now at 15-12.
No matter though, as Saints went in at half time having added 3 points after a powerful scrum drive 15 metres from the Falcon’s line had brought a penalty and 3 more points from Lamb.
The teams returned for Part 2 with Saints holding a 6 point lead but playing up hill! OMG! This isn’t meant to happen! We always play the down the slope in the second half!
I blame Martin Thomas for this but let’s not have an inquiry, the RFU won’t have any paper left!
No worries though as pressure on a Falcons’ line out saw the ball stolen by Dowson from an overthrow, shipped quickly to Lamb who broke the first line of defence and delivered another perfectly timed pass to Clarke and then on to Artemyev for his first Premiership try within 2 minutes of the restart.
The rapid Russian scored a second 10 minutes later after Saints had won consecutive penalties at the scrum, with Tonga’uiha clearly now getting the better of Murray. From a line out move and a Lamb break, powerful running by May and Clarke set Artemyev up for the BONUS POINT TRY, Lamb adding the conversion to make the score a much more cheerful looking 30-12.
Although that man Gopperth got 3 back from a penalty after 20 minutes, Saints stepped up the pace, bringing on Roger Wilson, Martin Roberts and Mark Sorensen to replace Callum Clark, Lee Dickson, and Lawes and the fresh legs saw Saints thundering up the left touch line with a great take and juggle by Artemyev, rapier thrust from Foden and a surge from Dowson put Ashton in for his first of the day. Swallow dive duly completed, crowd delighted. 37-15 to Saints.
The whole Saints front row was replaced after a fine afternoon’s work and the excellent Jon Clarke replaced by Scott Armstrong.
Saints powerful forward play, with Tom Wood and Samu Manoa to the fore kept the pressure on the visitors. With 4 minutes to go, the ever slow clearing up from the base of the ruck by Falcons proved to be their undoing again.
Falcons falcked about too much and, from an attacking position on Saints 22m line, dropped the ball. Ashton picked it up off his boot laces, got away on his toes and repeated his swallow dive of a few minutes earlier to seal the game up. Myler added the 2 points and despite a late flurry by Falcons, Saints robbed the ball and booted into touch for no side and a happy home victory at 44-15.
All in all, a good squad performance by Saints against a Falcons team who tried hard but never threatened a try. Without Gopperth, I cannot see much of a future for them in the Premiership.
For Saints, Lamb and May, at first and second 5/8ths, gave an attacking edge and ball distribution which brought the wider backs nicely into the game. Lamb’s tactical kicking will improve and for me he looks the part as our starting 10 at the moment.
In the forwards, although Lawes looked a bit subdued after his yellow card, the pack were dominant at the scrum and line out and powerful in the maul. Manoa was the go-to player in the line out and carried well. Dowson has clearly benefitted from a rest and his carry stats will make good reading for the coaches. Wood quietly got on with his work in a “Richard Hill” type of way, not showy but very efficient.
At 9, it is hard to choose between Dickson and Roberts. We are indeed blessed with quality and the option to rotate players!
Next week, Wasps away but if we continue the momentum, an away victory could be on the cards.
Teams:
Northampton Saints:
Foden, Ashton, Clarke, May, Artemyev, Lamb, Dickson, Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Mujati, Manoa, Lawes, Clark, Wood, Dowson.
Subs: Armstrong for Clarke (63), Myler for Lamb (68), Roberts for Dickson (60), A. Waller for Tonga'uiha (63), Haywood for Hartley (63), Doran-Jones for Mujati (63), Sorenson for Lawes (60), Wilson for Clark (60).
Newcastle Falcons:
Manning, Eves, Uys, Helleur, Sheriffe, Gopperth, Pilgrim, Shiells, Graham, Murray, van der Heijden, Swinson, Wilson, Welch, Hogg.
Subs: A. Tait for Helleur (55), Goosen for Gopperth (68), Pasqualin for Pilgrim (58), Wells for Shiells (58), M. Mayhew for Graham (64), Frazier for Murray (72), Townson for van der Heijden (39).
Players Comments:
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David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
I thought Gopperth was good vfm and Manning should learn not to smile so openly after recovering from a life threatening nosebleed. I did not boo him, but I thought the less of him.
I agree with Stockers about Tinv v The Wee Man. it was a fantastic battle to watch.
"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.
That try from the stolen line out - is that a try off 0 phase ball?
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
Quote:St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad
Nice read skipper.
That try from the stolen line out - is that a try off 0 phase ball?
It probably is Rich. What I liked about the try was that it looked like a move we had called and were ready for. Dowse collected the ball and the backs moved forward and over the try line just as if they'd practiced it for years.
It was so remarkable for being unremarkable in a funny kind of way!
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