News: Northampton Saints: Not Not Not a Good Day
By Ben_D
October 7 2012
Shuffle mode was good, the musical backdrop to the afternoon could not have been handpicked any better on the journey to Reading. The pale blue Berkshire skies were elegantly autographed by golden leaves lit in the shallow glow of a weakening sun. My eyes surveyed the rolling hills capped by the fast fading trees, thoughts turned to the afternoon ahead, could I dare to dream of a rampant Northampton splitting asunder a London Irish side low on points and attitude. It’s a measure of how far we have come that I find myself thinking, that if we are serious title contenders this game is a tick in the ‘W’ column.
Aviva Premiership Round 6
London Irish v Northampton Saints
Saturday October 6th,
As Clapton picked out some blues in the background life as a Saint seemed good. Sure the team sheet reflected some early season setbacks, Foden, Day, G.Pisi and Hartley were absent but the much vaunted strength in depth would settle the nerves of even the most pessimistic follower. Wouldn’t it!? On today’s outcome it’s a veneer that would appear to be very thin.
Saints were efficiently and effectively disposed of in the most unsympathetic manner. London Irish were no respecters of league position and the result was both the ugliest and most attractive feature of the Aviva Premiership that frustrates and pleases in equal measure.
Saints weren’t just beaten they were demolished by a tight, neat and speedy Irish side that ran rings around the league leaders. Northampton had an early setback with the news that Wilson was a late withdrawal from the team and Russian Vasily Artemyve slipped on the 15 shirt. It didn’t suit.
The hope of early pressure was always negated at the most vital moment as the accuracy of Northampton deserted them, not just on the odd occasion but at almost every turn. They were switched on but not tuned in! Just who was it that was second from bottom? Even the scrum monsters were penalised by an unsympathetic referee who seemed to take time to relax into his Premiership debut. London Irish made his job easy though, their drive and energy gave Northampton the biggest of headaches. Saints couldn’t protect their own possession long enough to build any momentum. Turn over ball to Irish at the breakdown or with poor kicking and you’re in for a long afternoon, and boy was it long!
Both sides played much of the first half between the 22’s, but London Irish made the most of their trips to the red zone. A gifted lineout from Northampton opened up the midfield, Irish stormed over the gain line, kicked ahead and Artemyve’s nightmare began as the ball bounced away from his despairing dive into Jonathan Joseph’s arms.
Irish tails up the match became even more lopsided for Saints, Dickson had two successive defensive kicks charged down and Northampton couldn’t breakout. When they did they couldn’t maintain any sort of continuity, David Paice added to their woes and a Shingler Penalty by bundling over late on in the first half and as if to highlight their superiority-man of the match Humphries effectively put the game beyond Saints on half time with a comfortable drop goal.
Miraculous comebacks á la Quins are few and far between. Saints had become divorced from their form and it was as if the ghost of Dr V was moving amongst the faithful and reviving memories of a certain cup final.
If anything was to brighten a fast darkening afternoon for a Saints fan it was the form of Ken Pisi who looked the most likely to dance his way to the try line. Give the man half a yard and suddenly anything looks possible, it was fitting he secured the first of the Northampton consolations. Irish however had already crossed the finishing line, Ojo sealed a scorching move with a breeze of a try-the best of the afternoon and Gibson secured the bonus point for the home side with twenty minutes to go. With even a losing bonus point beyond them Saints stuck at it yet still offered kickable penalties which the Irish accepted with glee. Home to lick the wounds.
In such a sobering week and after our best start to the season it would be churlish to over emphasise the impact of this result, yet the missing twenty six per cent is an issue for Northampton. Where do you find the bite that means you’re embarrassingly competitive even when you’re four players off your best side? It’s no coincidence that determination, management, organisation and panache all took the day off. It was almost enough to make a Saracens season ticket seem attractive and the blues even more appropriate for the journey home.
London Irish 39 – 17 Northampton Saints
Post Match by Mark Sorenson and Ken Pisi
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Don't get put off writing another report - we would all be the poorer.
Lesley
When the Irish got on top, where was that ethereal thing called leadership? Sir was running the game pretty consistently, yet Irish got this, we didn't. Our kick and run wasn't working, so why not keep ball in hand, which personally I always prefer.
Finishing on the positive side, once the bench had been emptied, we played like we know we can, and have done this season, and looked threatening.
Things improved with bench, much quicker ball, much better service from the base of the rucks, Lamb benefited from that, and Myler slotted in well at full back. We also had a real No8 on as well.
Not a happy day, the drums, the announcer, but worst of all when Lamb took a smack in the face when stopping some Irish forwards, whilst he was being treated, a voice from behind me shouts out
’O dear he has broken a finger nail’.
It seems to me that the mental attitude that lets teams back into matches we have won was evident here.
I assume we had a points target for these first six matches and I also assume that this target had been reached before kick off. So complacenecy seeps in and instead of pushing on and making it six from six, we drop intensity and let the other team in. Any team in this league can play if you let them. I am mostly disappointed in our forwards. Missing some talent sure, but there was enough quality out there to have grabbed the game by the scruff after half time.
Imo if we are to win a trophy we need to develop more of a ruthless mentality. Yep five from six probably exceeds targets so far but for me we have just lost one from one that true title contenders would have won. I hope it hurts and hurts bad.
Saint til I die
Spot on Howlin and complacency was definitely a factor, Ken Pisi himself mentioned it in the interview. LI were second from bottom before the game and if we'd have had our proper game heads on, we'd have stuffed them. However, they new the right areas to target from the off and we never seemed able to respond. Coaches need to re-appraise how they prepared the team for the game.
Quote:JR
the announcer
He really is a piece of work isn't he? - waits until MH is at the top of his throw before coming out with a late and inconsequential player change report, and yells right through the line out process culminating in the crass "Come on you Irish"
The noise from the speaker behind him nearly blew Mikey over the line.
I also find the drum roll on an opposition catch somewhat childish.
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
I couldn't go to the game, or listen to Radio Noddy, so this is the only report I will read of this game. It is enough.
As Howlin so neatly put it: normally, we let teams back into the game after we've won it. This time, it seems we let the Not Nots back into the game before we'd won it…
Re announcers: the Irish PA puffball is one of the worst (Saracens are terrible, too). But in recent weeks, I have noticed even a certain Geoff Allen commenting on events during play, and appealing for more support. Not sure I like it.
*I could agree with you - but then we'd both be wrong...*