From the Archives - Saints v Wasps 2001

.
By From the Archives
October 2 2002

In our first visit this week to the Saints v Waps archive in the run up to Saturdays game its back to last seasons game at the Gardens on a cold December afternoon. The era of the Smudger was just dawning......

Saints continue winning ways as they down Wasps

By Rich on the Spot
Date: 9/12/2001

The Saints come up trumps again but on a scrappy afternoon littered with mistakes and interesting refereeing decisions, but who cares. Smudger's words seem to have galvanised the players and put a hard edge back into Fortress Franklins.

The crowd, as ever, appreciated the passion by adding their voices to the Saint's huff and puff. So its four more points and Saints climb closer to the right end of the table.

From the first scrum the Saints intentions were obvious, they were going to shove Wasps off the park. Smith, Stewart and in particular Thompson won the front row battle, tackled ferociously and made the hard yards. Wally kept appearing on the wings to frighten the life out of Logan and Waters. The England elite squad member had the better of first Greening and then Leota who looks more like a tellytubby every time we see him. Smith also looks to have regained his ability to pass with a cheeky reverse whilst raiding down the flanks.

Another area of improvement was at the restart where Brouzet was bossing proceedings, in the second half he seemed to take all the restarts apart from one, which he made available to his back row. Hunter, Budge and Rennick had good games but Saints did look to be missing Blowers. He was absent due to whiplash injury picked up in last weeks win over Newcastle.

Had Cohen and Jorgenson taken their chances the Saints would have been home and dry and hunting for bonus points in the second half, but it wasn't that sort of afternoon.

With the game still at nothing all, Saints lost John Leslie. He was replaced by a site favourite Mark Tucker who must have been considered for the England Elite squad. There is no news yet on Leslie's injury.

It took 10 minutes for the scoreboards to get busy (another source of amusement all afternoon,) when Grayson kicked his first penalty. Earlier he had exchanged misses with Kenny Logan and he really didn't seem to have his usual power or accuracy. Perhaps the pressure of the game combined with getting close to the 2000 mark was affecting him.

The next purposeful action saw the Saints defence fall asleep as Denney wandered a gap that a bus would get through comfortably. Grayson replied with a penalty in the 15th minute to make it 6-7 but King cancelled this out in the 27th minute with one of only two successful kicks. Indeed this would be the last time Wasps troubled the scoreboard.

Matt Dawson entered the game in the 35th minute, with a warm reception from the crowd. His introduction added some urgency to the back play and he gave Martyn Wood a lesson in pestering at the base of the scrum. However it was not long before Daws was holding his head. It is always an indicator of something 'naughty' going on when the Main stand erupts at the referee and a Saints player is left on the floor. More often these days Daws seems to be on the receiving end.

Saints scrummaging had Wasps in all kinds of trouble and this pressure told just before the break when Wasps made a mess of clearing their lines and Brooks pounced on a loose ball in the in-goal area. Grayson missed the conversion with another kick that didn't seem to have its full weight behind it but Saints went into the break 11-10 to the good.

Saints played the territory and possession game in the second half, which proved highly effective. The tactic of kicking the ball down Logan's throat needs reconsidering. On another day Wasps would surely have made more of their counter attack ball. However they contained the pacey back three of Logan, Lewsey and Waters to close out the game.

Three more Grayson penalties and a well-taken Brooks drop goal saw the Saints home, winning the second half 12 nil. Pressure late into the match saw the team have successive lineouts from close range but the tries just wouldn't come.

Late in the second half, there was more controversy for Dawson, after taking Wasps up and under with his boots raised. Logan was once again the man to react to this and was involved on the floor with the England number nine. Daws was wrong to go up feet first but surely the retaliation was a more serious offence. The crowd thought Logan was going to the bin and were astonished when the referee gave Wasps the penalty. At the end of the day you have to wonder whether Matt was just providing himself the protection that the officials had neglected.

So a wins a win even if the game was nothing to write home about. There was a definite feel good factor around Franklins Gardens (or was that just the Guinness?) with the Gordon Terrace enjoying banter with physios Phil Pask and Wasps man "twiggy", Bernie and Saints new waterboy Ali Hepher. It really didn't matter how good the game was the important thing was to win this "8" pointer.

Job Done!