Attwood to catch Lancaste

By P G Tips
September 23 2014

First plays third at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday. What is already shaping up as a Top 4 clash brings together 2 of the 3 teams who have produced standout performances in the first 3 Premiership rounds.  Saracens demolition to nil job on Quins at the Stoop 2 weeks ago was impressive, but surely the top laurels go to Saints and Bath for the exciting manner of their triumphs over Gloucester & Leicester respectively? Northampton started their season looking like a well drilled international team with an 8 try rout of once mighty Gloucester. Not to be outdone, Bath dispatched Leicester last weekend with a combination of ruthlessness and dash which had the pundits trawling for superlatives. In this context, Saturday’s clash should be mouth-watering.

On the face of it, Northampton had the easiest task of the 3 stunners to date – Gloucester arguably proving the weakest –and certainly the most disjointed – of the 3 opponents. They then stumbled a week later against a belligerent Wasps outfit who will take a few scalps this season. They restored normal service on Sunday with a bonus point win over Newcastle, although Jim Mallinder was critical - warning his squad not to “drift out” of games. Bath would be well advised to take his concerns with a pinch of salt. Franklin’s Gardens has overtaken fortress Welford in recent seasons as the hardest ground to visit & Saints were deserved champions last year. If Mallinder was not happy last weekend, that means a hard training ground week for the men in Green, Black & Gold – and look what a similar approach did for Bath: 26 points conceded against London Welsh but 0 against Leicester.

Motivation is not hard to find for Bath. They will want to continue the feel-good factor of recent victories and at least 7 members of the team will be pressing cases for inclusion in the squad for the Autumn Internationals. Then there is last season’s experience. In the equivalent fixture Bath stunned the Franklin’s faithful by taking an early 13- lead, only to concede yellow cards and 3 tries in a Saints purple patch in the second quarter. A six tries to 3 thriller led to many Northampton fans describing Bath as “the best team to visit the Gardens this year”, but Bath still went home without league points. At the Rec Bath, without Garvey, Louw & Eastmond had arguably the better of a nail-biting draw marred as a spectacle by lengthy & mystifying TMO deliberations. These eventually led to an unfortunate finish in which Bath, expecting a chance at a winning penalty kick on the cusp of time, were denied the right to kick by a correct decision, but one reached in unsatisfactory circumstances when the touch judge’s intervention was overruled.

There are delicious match ups throughout if both teams can field full teams. Corbisiero v Wilson, Hartley v Webber, Lawes v Attwood, Myler v Ford, Burrell v Eastmond, North v Rokodoguni. Enticing for fans: surely a must watch for Stuart Lancaster? Many players outside Lancaster’s squads will press their cases too; both sides boast class and potential game changers on the bench. Bath will hope that Carl Fearns and Anthony Watson can recover in time from recent injuries, while Saints will hold their breath for Myler – so often the understated architect of their game.

Having said last week would be close I hesitate to predict again. Northampton at home must surely prevail, but few would bet against Bath in the mood they found last week. Bath must travel with confidence and take the game to Northampton. It should be Saints’ day, but Bath may not come away empty handed.

Possible teams:

Bath:, James, Webber , Wilson, Attwood, Hooper , Fa’osiliva, Mercer, Houston, Cook, Ford, Banahan, , Eastmond, Joseph, Rokoduguni, Arscott
Bench:, Auterac, Dunn, Thomas, Day, Ellis, Stringer, Henson , Watson Banahan,

Corbisiero, Hartley, Ma'afu; Day, Lawes; Clark,Wood (capt), Manoa.. Fotuali’I, Myler, North, Burrell, Pisi, Pisi, Foden.
Bench: A Waller, McMillan, Mercey, Craig, Fisher, Dickson, Hooley, Wilson.

A Cracking Prospect: Northampton Saints v Bath

Discussion started by Comeonmylovers.co.uk (IP Logged), 23/09/2014 20:46

Comeonmylovers.co.uk
23/09/2014 20:46

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:30:12:11:17 by Stuart Anderton.

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