Saints sliding - Solly Seeks Solution

On 11 minutes Saints powerhouse Chris Budgen stole the ball in a ruck, the play leading four minutes later to a fracas when Damien Browne was replaced temporarily by Ed O'Donaghue - making his first team debut - and it was not looking good for Saints. A third Mapletoft penalty on 18 minutes made the situation even worse.

It took until the twenty-first minute for the Saints to win a lineout, not helped be the fact we only started with one second row and insisted on throwing it wherever Bob Casey stood in the line.

A minute later, Saints got on the scoreboard through the boot of Paul Grayson, making his 250th appearance.

At 9 - 3 it was looking good. However, when Mapletoft scored his first try of the afternoon on 26 minutes, converting it as well, 16 - 3 was looking grim to say the least.

Damien Browne's return did nothing to reinforce the set piece, as it took until the thirty-fifth minute for the Saints second lineout win. Saints retrieved the ball and were awarded a penalty on 40 minutes for killing the ball. Grayson stepped up and trimmed the Irish lead to 16 - 6. This was how it stood at half time.

The second half began with two second rows in the Saints pack for the first time in the match - O'Donaghue replacing Soden with Seely dropping back to 8.

Saints reversed the normal trend of second half starts and went on the attack. A Grayson chip ahead for Wylie Human just outreached him and was turned into a Saints lineout. This was driven to the line, but held up. The ball was spun out to the right wing, where an off form John Rudd was put into touch.

Nine minutes into the half Grayson kicked a third penalty from 40 metres to bring the Saints within a score, 16 - 9. Saints had many more attacking chances early in the half, one from Grant Seely ripping the ball in a tackle, resulting in a knock on short of the line. Saints were deemed to turn the scrum illegally, and an Irish penalty allowed them to clear their lines.

The great Saints attacking force in recent times, the cross field punt, was tried several times to both wings, but Irish always had the answer, the play going into touch. Saints had another penalty on 59 minutes and took it, Grayson kicking the Saints to 16 - 12.

The hour mark saw Johnny Howard on for "Sharky" Robinson, and Saints put the pressure on an Irish scrum, turning it but Grayson fluffed the clearance and put it straight out.

A sustained period of Irish pressure was halted short of the line many times by Saints. Play was stopped on

65 minutes as both sides had injuries. Six minutes passed before Chris Hyndman was stretchered off, a worrying injury. Andy Vilk came on in his place.

Saints powered towards the Irish line, finally clearing from their own half on 72 minutes. Johan Van Wyk replaced Dan Richmond on 73, the Saints then spent five minutes on the back foot. It seemed that Irish knew where their wingers were, whereas the Saints had no idea.

Mapletoft went over for his second try of the afternoon two minutes before injury time, missing the conversion to put the Saints seemingly out of it at 21 - 12. Grayson kicked his fifth penalty of the day, on

81 minutes, to put the Saints to 21 - 15 before he was replaced by Drahm.

Saints collected the kickoff and drove towards the Irish line, with Brett Sturgess coming on for an on form but tired Chris Budgen. The usual spate of early leavers were about to miss something of a rarity - a Saints try.

Wylie Human finally received the ball on 88 minutes, after spending several minutes on his wing waiting for the ball. It seemed as though he was destined to wait all match, but when he got it he ran through and scored in the left hand corner.

Saints were now one point behind, eight minutes into injury time, with a conversion to come. Was it to be a fairytale ending? Could the Saints pull victory from the jaws of defeat? Alas no, Drahm's conversion faded left from an awkward position.

Saints tried hard in the remaining five minutes of play to get a score, to no avail. Maybe if they had played better in the first half, they may have won?

Few positives can come from the game, apart from a bonus point and good play from Wylie Human and Bruce Reihana in the backs. On the down side, obviously the loss, the injury to Hyndman and the loss of form of players like Rudd, with very few players exhibiting the passion we need to get an all important win next week.