Northampton Saints
LV Cup Final: Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton Saints - Preview
By Robby Richmond
March 12 2014
Saints travel to the South-West on Sunday to take on Exeter on the Chiefs' home soil, Sandy Park, in the 2013/14 LV= Cup Final. Regular COYSDC contributor, Robby Richmond, takes a look ahead at what to expect from the game...
EXETER CHIEFS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
LV= CUP FINAL
Sunday, 16th March 2014 - 3pm (Sky)
SANDY PARK, EXETER
MATCH PREVIEW
Why I CHUFFIN’ HATE Cup Finals!!!
“I hate losing. I hate losing even more than I love winning!” - Billy Beane- Moneyball (2011)
Cup Finals, win them and everyone remembers your name. Lose them and you are relegated to the ignominy and despair that comes with hearing the phrase...
“Oh well, there’s always next year...”
God, it hurts, it really, really sucks big time. The best way I can describe the feeling of losing a cup final is reminiscent of the scene from Kubrick’s ‘Clockwork Orange’ where Alex has that eyelid lifting doo-dad placed on his head and is forced to watch Keith Lemon’s Celebrity Juice for hours on end...
That’s what happens in the film isn’t it?
You see things are different for me; I grew up on the terraces of the Recreation Ground in Bath. My brother Danny and I were gilded in the golden period of Bath, in the amateur era every season seemed to end with a trip to Twickenham and the chance of a double. Yes, back then Stuart Barnes was just a gobby little so and so without a microphone, Jerry Guscott could side step a sumo wrestler in a phone box and if you came from Bath, trophies were seemingly a given.
As you get older, things change. My allegiances did, and have I never regretted them but suddenly I found myself at Twickenham watching Saints lose to Wasps in a season where, fighting on three fronts we found ourselves eventually just winning the one...
...And what a one.
But that lost to Wasps still hurt me more than the euphoria and joy of winning the European cup. Strange to say, must be equally strange to read for you. I remember more about the game we lost than the game that we won.
How Dr. Evil got his name
Two years later the Saints found themselves red hot favourites for the now Powergen Cup, having been rebranded more times than Old Spice, its important to remember that by 2003, with the large influx of Sky money and the explosion interest in the Heineken Cup, the competition didn’t seem to hold the same prestige as it did when we called it the John Player Trophy or the Pilkington Cup. No longer the end of season extravaganza (and I use the term loosely) my family booked a mini bus, filled it with our friends and family and wondered down to Twickenham on a bright and sunny April day.
It turned out a horrible day. I remember it all so vividly, that’s the thing about losing- you remember it all. I had a good time with my friends, we shouted ourselves horse and enjoyed each other’s company, especially when my youngest brother foolishly decided to jump in a swimming pool of a local school but we drove home thinking of what might have been and with a bad taste in my mouth...
Look, first things last, Irish were better than us on that day, a lot better. But I will never forgive that prize muppet Steve Lander for allowing Brendan Venter’s cheap-shot on Matt Dawson and I will certainly never forgive Venter either. Rugby is a hard game; a physical game and we’ve all seen our fair share of cheap shots, late hits and off the ball incidents. But this one for me took the biscuit. The thing that brought it home to me wasn’t the hit itself, it was the yelp, and the reaction I heard and then saw in the faces of Dawson’s family in the seats behind me, I will never forget it.
The will to win can do strange things to man, it can make you forget everything you hold dear just to come out on top of another man. Years later we saw again just how desperate Dr. Evil can be to win. In many ways he changed English rugby, bringing a ruthless streak only previously ever seen at Welford Road but one thing about Dr. Evil is definitely true, he hates to lose as much as any man I’ve seen.
Getting it wrong so you can get things right.
One year later, another day trip to Twickenham in the bright spring sunshine of April and this time we faced a Gloucester side that were, steamrollering, and I mean steamrollering everyone they faced. The Saints were no different, quickly succumbing to the power of the Glaws pack and the boot of Ludovic Mercier the saints supporters sung their hearts out as we watched on powerless to stop a ruthless display of rugby.
Brendan Rattcliffe, Saints forwards’ coach at the time, believed that the Saints could not only find parity but also dominate the Gloucester pack, filled with serial Jaffa cake eater Oliver Azam, celebrity chef Phil Vickery and future Saint Adam Eustice. Such folly is normally found in a Bernard Cromwell novel with Major Sharpe and his riflemen tasked with stealing one of Napoleon’s Eagles.
It’s tough when your team shows up and are beaten better side, it proved to be even worse when your side doesn’t show up at all.
That was it for my Mum and Dad, they couldn’t handle the losing anymore and both of them swore off ever going to a cup final again. It certainly seemed a tempting idea, and extended members of my family seemed to believe they were a source of bad luck or even cursed after additional trips to Franklins Gardens and had seen the Saints lose too. Even then, as the Saints were soon relegated I looked back at the Golden goose we called the European Cup final of 2000 and wondered if were cursed and that maybe we only won because Munster were even more cursed than us.
It seemed a long time until we were in a Cup Final again and we faced our foes we will once again face this weekend, Exeter. Back in the days when we faced day trips to Launceston and cow pies in Doncaster we found ourselves at H.Q. and curiously on the bill second to an LV Cup final between Tigers and Ospreys. We not only took on the combined might of the Exeter’s Kiwi center’s known as Cantpassi and Wontpassi (Otherwise known as Mark and Junior Fatialofa) and won but also outnumbered the Tigers supporters at Twickenham that day.
I think even Exeter’s supporters outnumbered the Tigers by half-time in that Final mind......Yes, it’s a dig and I reserve the right to mock the Tigers at any and every given opportunity.
Just be glad I didn’t mention the prop at fly half that we encouraged the Ospreys fans into singing with us.
So what was different from our previous incursions to the Richmond region of London? Something had changed? As it turns out, it’s the little things that seem to make the big differences. We used to charge head long into cup finals, all on a whim and a heartbeat. Nowadays, focused, determined and more often than not, with a clear idea of how we wanted to play and where on the pitch we wanted to do it.
In 2009 we came head to head with Bourgoin at the Twickenham Stoop and all my concerns about curses and not showing up and generally losing were soundly put to bed. It severed as a calling card and Europe was put on notice, Saints were not messing around anymore.
2010 saw the side galvanize to win the LV Cup for the first time proper as we got one over on Brian Redpath’s Gloucester side who fought hard and found the Saints were simply too strong for them, long gone were the pushovers of 2004.
Now we had a team with a spine, a team with some spirit, lads who would put their bodies on the line for each other, who would hit anything that moves, twice if needed and get up and do it again and again and again. Lads we could get behind and lads who seemed to really understand the club and the town.
And just like that it all came crashing down around our ears.
2011’s Heineken Cup final proved to be a landmark moment for the Saints. We came so close, we were so proud of our lads that for once it didn’t quite seem to hurt so much. In a game where no one seemed to give us a chance we ensured that firstly the Leinster front row needed a change of underwear at half time after the royal beasting they received and sadly we later ensured that most of Europe heard a Sky Sports commentator reach climax live on TV as Jonny Sexton
scored.
Tissues all round I guess...
Like AC Milan in 2005 we have found ourselves as the infamous other team in the game of the century and we never ever seem to hear the end of it.
Speaking of things we never hear the end of the last two cup finals we’ve reached have both been against the old enemy and both have seen some of our players suspended for two very naughty breaches of discipline.
In 2012 in the LV Cup final Calum Clark fancied him self a UFC fighter as he decided to hyper-extend and break the arm of Rob Hawkins, in front of the ref, as close as my fingers are to my keyboard he got away with it and eventually received a long ban that put pay to his England touring adventures and also received the sternest talking to from Richard Cockerill post match. I imagine it ‘s like being given a bollocking off Penfold from DangerMouse.
Still, again it was a tough loss to the Tigers, no one ever likes losing to the Tigers at the best of times but to see it happen in a final was grating to say the least. Back to the bad old days so it seemed, no matter what seemed to happen we just don’t seem able to get on over on our old nemisises, nemisi, nemicisussis?
As luck would have it, it got worse. Once more underestimated and unbowed we stepped into the lion’s den of the Allianz Park and gave a performance so fearless, so mesmeric, and so physical it beggared belief. The Saints, those underdogs with bite went into an Aviva Premiership final for the first time...
Maybe, just maybe.
Well, things didn’t go to plan as we all know, Dylan got fruity with his language and lost his spot in the Lions and once again COYSDC was infested with trolls willing to say many things about Dylan that they wouldn’t dream of saying to his face. This was without doubt the toughest loss to come to terms with, for me personally at least.
Each game that is played in the premiership is recorded and uploaded to an RFU database for each of the teams or any of the senior management to watch. I was given the chance to access this database with our kid and together watch the game again with just the ref mic and the open mics around the field. To say it was uncomfortable was an understatement.
Years ago Danny taught me to watch a game twice. “You have to take the emotion out of the game” he said. And he was right, go back and watch a game where you already know the score and often times you see a different game from before.
Mistakes were made, by the players and by the coaching staff too. There are often things that we see the Saints do seemingly for the sake of it and sometimes seemingly to make a point of things to other teams. The ego and machismo that surround the squad, the laddishness, the banter all of it makes this team of guys
what it is today but it can sometimes go too far and that cup final was an example of that.
As strong as the bond inside the squad is, it isn’t infallible, as we’ve seen and every once and a while a little bit of humility goes along way.
Which brings us to this weekend...
You’ve got to admire Exeter, a team built on pride, hard work and commitment. They keep the ball and ask you to beat them. Much like their coaching staff the side have plenty of mongrel about them and are a lot smarter than people give them credit for.
This weekend’s win at the Rec is a prime example of this. Sheer bloody-mindedness was on show all over the park, even with a wretched record at Bath, they came, they fought, and they conquered.
There will be articles written and pop pieces from former players telling you that Saints are the favourites and that success and another trophy is all but assured.
DO. NOT. BELIEVE. A. WORD. OF. IT.
Take Exeter for granted at your peril. This is a side with plenty of determination, like a two-year old who refuses to eat broccoli. Filled with talented youngsters like Sam Hill, Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie and with grizzled old warhorses like James Scaysbrook and Kai Horstmann they will look to their talismanic skipper Dean Munn and to their wondrously loud and raucous support for victory.
Be assured just as we were very, very fortunate to sneak a win earlier this season at Sandy Park this weekend promises to be as tight as a dolphin’s blowhole. With two of our own in their coaching ranks they know the saints pretty well and as mentioned before, know what buttons to push.
Physicality is an over used word in modern rugby. We’ve become obsessed with winning the collisions, battering sides at the breakdown and around the fringes and yet, both sides have the talent out wide to make for a very entertaining afternoon, should the chance arrive. But take your chances, because they will most likely be few and far between.
Looking through the records this season both sides have used the LV Cup to blood youngsters and both seemingly fond of doing it away from home. This leaves us with a conundrum for the selection. Few would doubt that guys like Ethan Waller and Tom Stephenson deserve the chance to take the field this weekend, but a cup final is a cup final is a cup final.
I’d like to think that having read this lengthily and somewhat babbling preview you might eventually come round to my way of thinking. As the Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis used to say...“Just win, baby!”
So as much as I’m unwilling to do it, a champion of the academy lads as I like to think I am my predicted line up is as follows...
1. Alex Waller
2. Mikey Haywood
3. Salesi Ma’afu
4. James Craig
5. Christian Day
6. Calum Clark
7. Phil Dowson
8. Samu Manoa
9. Khan Fotuali’i
10. Steve Myler
11. Tom Collins
12. Tom Stephenson
13. George Pisi
14. Ken Pisi
15. Ben Foden
16. Ross McMillian
17. Ethan Waller
18. Tom Mercy
19. Ben Nuttley
20. Sam Dickenson
21. Alex Day
22. Will Hooley
23. Fats Autagavaia
And for the Chiefs...
1. Carl Rimmer
2. Chris Whitehead
3. Hoani Tui
4. Dean Munn
5. Damien Welch
6. Ben White
7. James Scaysbrook
8. Dave Ewers
9. Dave Lewis
10. Henry Slade
11. Fetu’u Vainikolo
12. Phil Dollman
13. Ian Whitten
14. Matt Jess
15. Luke Arscott
16. Greg Bateman
17. Alex Brown
18. Luke Cowan-Dickie
19. Tom Hayes
20. Kai Horstmann
21. Haydn Thomas
22. Gareth Steenson
23. Tom James
As for the final result? Who knows? There is probably one score in it and it’s a coin toss between the two sides. All I know at this point is that I hope its not more hurt for the Saints...
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Nice one Robbie
never realised you were a Barf'ite though
Having attended the last 3 finals I am hoping my absence brings better luck.
Once a scrum half .... always a scrum half
Top of the League 2014-2015 Season
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
I think i must be lucky in remembering more good times than bad.
I can remember plenty about the 2000 Heineken Cup win. The chanting at the side of the pitch after we won with the players celebrating walking round the pitch being my favourite Saints rugby memory. But I can remember virtually nothing about the Wasps game apart from a group of Wasps fans being bad winners.
Interesting because the same is true for the other Finals I have been to. I have far more memories of the ones we won than the ones we lost. Probably just suppressing the bad memories!
Cap duly doffed, sir.
Gordon Terrace C Block
----------------------------------------
Please sponsor me for Saints with Heart [www.justgiving.com]
Once a year you produce a masterpiece.
Thank you
Next year can you make it 3 per season!!
A terrific read and from the heart
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
Just one criticism.... your selection is a teency bit impossible, unless we bring Tom Hayes out of retirement.
Enjoy your day down at Sandy Park, safe trip all!
I remember that final against Wasps such high expectation that we splashed out on premium seats - £27.50 each
Excellent piece - stirred some memories
10/10
#LetsHearTheTomaHawkChop
As others have said, it's a wonderful article - thank you!
Apologies for the one or two "editorial errors" which some might see. I had great trouble pasting the article from DropBox into SportNetwork's arcane Admin Site. Not your fault, good Sir - I'll try and tidy it up a little in the morning...
Thanks again, fella.
I can remember all of those games and felt like you at the time!
A wonderful read and hopefully can meet up again if not in Exeter at the Bath game, to exchange a couple of pints?
Per Ardua Ad Astra
Makes the winning finals all the sweeter though.
Saint 'til I die
Yep all those losing finals will make a major trophy all that bit sweeter WHEN we win one!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:03:14:09:48:23 by Stockers.
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