By Simon Robinson
September 4 2005

Saints were comprehensively outclassed 32 – 0 in the opening Guinness Premiership match at Welford Road. The promise shown in pre-season faded as the forwards were outpowered and the backs outrun.

 

The only "excitement" the Saints fans had was trying to figure out what Piggy would say if they tried to land a helicopter in the centre of the Gardens.

This was many Saints’ fans first chance to see irascible genius Carlos Spencer in action. Maybe next week the Saints will get together enough for him to show the reasons we signed him. A first half plagued by inaccurate kicking (two missed penalties by Bruce Reihana, four penalties, two conversions and a drop-goal missed by Tigers’ Andy Goode) the deadlock was finally broken on 14 minutes when Tigers lock James Hamilton was pushed over from a lineout.

Tom Smith was sin binned on 26 minutes for taking a man out at the lineout (right idea, wrong player for referee Maybank) and on 32 minutes his opposite number Michael Holford was again driven over by the superior Leicester forwards.

Just as Saints finally got inside the Leicester 22 on 36 minutes, a wild pass was intercepted by Alesana Tuilagi for an 80 yard run-in. One successful conversion from Goode left the half time score 17 – 0.

Alex Rae, an academy flanker making his Premiership debut, was replaced at half time, Saints playing Selbourne Boome in the 6 slot. One of the few promising players in the Northampton pack was Daniel Browne, and the Number 8 made a few cheeky breaks but, like all the Saints plays, they broke down due to woeful passing, bad positioning and a quality Tigers counterattack.

Only three minutes into the second half and Leicester centre Dan Hipkiss ran in for the third try of the game, Goode again converting to leave the deficit at 24 points. A spat of changes around the hour mark saw the departures of players like Martin Corry, Darren Fox and Tom Smith and the introduction of Ben Kay, Julian White and debutant Ben Lewitt.

A Leicester penalty on 67 minutes stretched the lead, and even the (late) arrival on the pitch of Scottish international Sean Lamont, for John Rudd, failed to endanger the scoresheet. Dan Richmond entered the fray three minutes from time, replacing a good prospect in academy hooker Dylan Hartley, who has had a baptism of fire he’s not likely to forget in a hurry.

A Tom Varndell try in the fourth minute of injury time added insult, but the scoreline reflected the game. Saints were limited to occasional runs into the Leicester half, and a handful of kickable penalties. The team will need to be comprehensively rebuilt in time for the game at the Rec next Saturday, otherwise we may find ourselves at the opposite end of the table to the same time last season.