News: HC: Glasgow vs Northampton Saints - Match Preview

By Broonie
January 17 2013

Northampton Saints travel north of the border this weekend knowing only a bonus-point win over Glasgow Warriors will give them any hope of continuing their season in Europe. Stalwart of the COYSDC message-board, Broonie, takes a look ahead to an eagerly anticipated encounter...

GLASGOW WARRIORS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

HC (R6): Saturday, 19th January 2013 - 1.35pm (Sky)

SCOTSTOUN STADIUM, GLASGOW

MATCH PREVIEW

At present it sounds as if the game is going to be on (thank goodness it’s not at Bath or Sale or indeed Newcastle all of whom have let Saints down with cancelled games in recent years). If current forecasts are to be believed, it may provide an interesting experience for the Pisi brothers at least.

Looking at Saints position, we are a long shot for the Amlin and an extremely long shot to progress in the Heineken Cup.

Hopefully the lads will give it a real lash and make us and themselves proud and it would certainly be nice to see them playing with confidence again.

If you did happen to be looking for a team against whom to cruise in with four easy tries when you needed a bonus point, Glasgow would not necessarily be the best option however. They are a fairly awkward bunch, particularly on their home turf.

As we all think we know all about Saints I will concentrate mainly on Glasgow Warriors who may be a less familiar topic. Here I do have to declare a slight interest.

GLASGOW WARRIORS

Scotstoun Stadium – Glasgow has moved from Firhill (the home of Partick Thistle a football club which was originally owned by West of Scotland Rugby Club as indeed was Firhill). My late uncle, Willie Burnett, who led the pack for Scotland many years ago was West of Scotland’s first international. The rugby history of that part of Scotland is peppered with Burnets, Simmers and Shaws who have played for Glasgow and among whom I have relatives. The new ground at Scotstoun is smallish (capacity 9,700) but a modern purpose built ground with (hopefully) modern drainage systems in place!

Last game – Ulster 23 Glasgow 6 at Ravenhill. Glasgow were reasonably heavily affected by injury and on a muddy pitch allowed Ulster a late try which exaggerated the difference between the sides. As with most games that Glasgow lose, the opposition found themselves in a dog fight but managed the referee more smartly than Glasgow and came away with the win. Glasgow are on a learning curve.

What will Glasgow want from the game?

19 of Scotland’s latest squad play for Glasgow and that is out of a whole squad of 35. 9 new squad members have been declared, 8 of whom are from Glasgow. Scotland’s latest defeat against Tonga triggered Andy Robinson’s resignation and was honestly a bit of an aberration, as despite what appears to be the case on the surface, the international team are on one of their periodic upswings, having troubled both South Africa and New Zealand in the Autumn tests but in each case having taken half a game to come to terms with the opposition. When you consider that there are Scotland capped players in Glasgow’s squad who did not make the national squad this time around, Glasgow’s contribution is impressive.

Historically, the S.R.U. have favoured Edinburgh before Glasgow as between the two city teams. To some extent, this has gradually worked in Glasgow’s favour as they are without any doubt the grittier of the two teams; Edinburgh have their glamorous side but over the years Glasgow have developed a bit of bloody-minded grit which appears to be entirely lacking with Edinburgh. You may beat Glasgow, but it won’t be like drowning kittens in a bag.

As to Glasgow’s intentions, on the face of it they have little to play for as they are not going to qualify for the knock-out rounds in any event. However, every game for the Scottish pro teams is a trial game. Heineken Cup games would be regarded as higher level trials and most of the players on the Glasgow side will be competing at some level for the Scotland team. Those who are fairly certain to actually play in Six Nations will be starting to look over their shoulder at injuries etc and maybe at this stage some element of looking after themselves will manifest. The non-qualified players do have a couple of “project players” among their number; Josh Strauss is prominent among these. He has come from the Golden Lions on a 3 year minimum contract which shows clearly that he is committed to qualifying for Scotland. Strauss is to put it bluntly a hell of a player at either 8 or 6. As Saints found in the home game, trying to get the ball off him is like pit wrestling with a grizzly. The other major project player is Sean Maitland, recently recruited from the Crusaders where he spent 5 years in their back three mainly at fullback. Maitland is a really top quality player and was within a couple of injuries of making the All Blacks World Cup squad but in view of the seemingly endless supply of quality back three players which the AB’s have, has thrown in his lot with Scotland for whom he is qualified and indeed has been declared for the latest Scotland squad. Another player who may have an eye on some international caps but needs to qualify first, is Mike Cusack at tighthead. Those attending the home game against Glasgow may recall this chap who for some years was at Leeds (although that may have been in a slightly slimmer version). To look at, Cusack is certainly a throwback to an earlier age when props progressed around the pitch in a suitable dignified manner. Despite resembling a coronary waiting to happen he succeeded in getting around the pitch surprisingly successfully against Saints until about 60 minutes and there was virtually nothing which any of our looseheads could do to move him in the scrummage. Apart from that there are a few foreign players in DTH van der Merwe (a very good Canadian winger who was unavailable for the game at FG) and Niko Matawalu (a Fijian international scrumhalf).

Barring the above, and Tim Swinson and Tom Ryder at lock (ex Newcastle and Tigers reject respectively) who have Scottish parents/grannies the rest of the squad Glasgow will draw from are natives.

It is actually extremely hard to tell what team Glasgow will put out as first, I am not up to date with their current injury position and secondly they do rotate and in some positions they are really very deep. So I will take the positions numerically starting with 1:-

1 Loosehead – Ryan Grant is the current number 1 and will probably be pushing for a Lions place this year. He is pushing 18 stone but doesn’t struggle in the tight, gets around extremely well and is tough. Jon Welsh was the RABO dream team loosehead last year but has suffered with injuries. He has just come back to fitness and is a bigger (19½ stone) loosehead, also a handy heavyweight boxer. Gordon Reid is the youngster on the scene, another 19 stoner starting to push for game time.

2 Dougie Hall is the head guy at hooker and is a tough scrummager. He has a couple of apprentices at the moment of whom Pat MacArthur is the pick.

3 Tighthead – Mike Cusack at 20 stone and not all that tall may be the first choice but I have a feeling he may also be injured at the moment. Moray Low has I think just come back from injury and is another 20 stoner while Ed Kalman is a Cambridge Blue and if you can imagine a 19 stone Charlie Hodgson, Kalman is a spitting image of him.

4 & 5 Al Kellock is first choice by some distance. Swinson and Ryder are almost the same player – tough, experienced, mobile, about 6’4” and physical. If fit they might take the chance to give a lad called Campbell some time. He is another 6’8” player but naturally big rather than having Kellock’s rangey frame. Richie Gray’s younger brother might also make the bench but that is probably a little early as he is young. He is also about six inches shorter than his big brother but otherwise looks rather like him. (They may share a barber.)

6 Probably Rob Harley (although he can also play 7). Harley is 6’5”, 17 stone and 22 years old and is regarded pretty much as a certainty to get thirty or forty Scottish caps. Was injured when we played Glasgow at FG.

7 First choice may be Chris Fusaro who has actually kept John Barclay out of the Glasgow team in his favourite position. Fusaro is about six foot and 15½ stone, traditional fetcher type open side and very good at it too.

8 Josh Strauss is an exceptionally tough player and also a natural leader so might start at 8. Alternatively Ryan Wilson (an Anglo-Scot) looks as though he is making a run for the 8 shirt in the Scotland team. Ideally it may be that Glasgow will try to get Strauss (6), Harley (7) and Wilson (8) into the starting team with Fusaro on the bench. They will feel they need Harley’s lineout presence against Saints tall men. Barclay is injured at present.

9 Henry Pyrgos has the starting shirt in the absence due to injury of Cusiter. The Fijian international, Matawalu may be the bench scrumhalf but there is a youngster called Kennedy who has just been included in the Scotland squad who is presently on loan from Edinburgh and has been playing extremely well so that is moot. Pyrgos was actually a member of Saints junior academy and played for Loughborough Students.

10 I think all three of the Glasgow flyhalves are fit. The two internationals Jackson and Weir are quite different players. Both will attack with the ball but Jackson is probably the more dangerous. Weir is small and chunky and tackles hard whereas Jackson is more elfin. Weir is definitely the better kicker and for a small man has a massive boot. Weir also tends to deliver with the boot at critical moments whereas Jackson may have a touch of Shane Geraghty about him. As a steady option, the 6’2” Scott Wight has come in from club rugby at the advanced age of 27 and has been improving rapidly this year; probably their best bet defensively in the 10 channel.

11 Glasgow have a depth of talent in the back three which Saints would kill for at present. When Maitland was announced it was presumed that either Hogg would play fullback and Maitland would play on the wing or alternatively that Maitland would play fullback and Hogg would play in the centre. Hogg has been on and off with fitness this season, maybe due to the fact that he has bulked up and is now quite imposing but it may be that his body needs a little time to catch up. Whatever, at the moment Maitland seems to be preferred on the wing. This is quite surprising in view of the depth which Glasgow have on the wings. The wings of choice were Sean Lamont and DTH van der Merwe. Tommy Seymour has since arrived from Ulster and is playing well, Rory Lamont is now fit again and Sean Maitland has arrived from Crusaders. Quite who out of that lot will play on the wings (bearing in mind that Peter Murchie ex Bath academy and London Welsh has arrived and improved at a rapid rate to cover both fullback and centre) is really quite unpredictable. As there is nothing at stake in this game for Glasgow, it may be that they will keep Sean Lamont under wraps (give the old boy a rest) but it is still very difficult to see what combination Glasgow will field.

12&13 There are four candidates here, one of whom is a second 5/8^th type who is a reputable place kicker (indeed landed a couple at FG in the first game).

Basically the candidates are:-

Graeme Morrison – very big and powerful inside centre with 40-odd Scotland caps. Has had injury problems last year and to a lesser extent this year. If available they may well give him a game as he needs the game time. In terms of power he is about the same as Downey but has a turn of pace. A terrific defensive unit as well.

Peter Horne – can play pretty much around the whole back line including flyhalf. He is basically a more creative option at 12 who will also act as a deputy place kicker to whichever 10 is selected.

Peter Murchie – see above, very strong under the high ball, good hands and decent pace. Has been playing mostly at fullback this year.

Alex Dunbar – another big centre. Hasn’t yet bulked up as much as Morrison but is about 6’3”, 15+ stone. He probably has more width in attack than Morrison.

Overall, any combination of those four centres will do a job of defending the midfield and slowing Saints possession at the breakdown.

15 Stuart Hogg is probably first choice in this position at the moment. He could play also in any shirt 11-14 inclusive. He has been injured on and off this season but I think he is fit at the moment. Peter Murchie mentioned above. Rory Lamont (ex Saints academy) is struggling on merit to get a game having successfully completed his rehabilitation. Lastly Sean Maitland held down the Crusaders 15 shirt for four of his five years there but has not yet been played much at fullback by Glasgow since arriving about six weeks ago.

So, perm any 15 from about 35?

Back to the Saints then...

I am not expecting much in the way of changes, although Jim and Nobby have been pulling off a few flankers recently so we might find that Dave or Craig were finally fit. Assuming that this is not the case, I would expect Saints to pick their best team (subject only to the requirement of getting four tries if we are to progress).

With this goal in mind, I would suggest something like:-

15 Wilson

14 Foden

13 George Pisi

12 Burrell

11 Elliott/K Pisi

10 Myler

9 Dickson

1 Tonga’uiha

2 Hartley

3 Doran-Jones

4 Sorenson

5 Manoa

6 Wood

7 Clark

8 Van Velze

Subs:

16 Waller A

17 Haywood

18 Mercey

19 Lawes

20 Dowson

21 Roberts

22 Waldouck

23 Elliott

If fit I would pick Pisi Junior just ahead of Elliott on the basis he is a more attacking player. Sorenson over Lawes on the basis that Kellock is one of the best lineout operators in Europe and would include Burrell in the centre at the expense of Waldouck again because he is the more attacking player of the two.

Good luck to all Travellers and to the Team.

News: HC: Glasgow vs Northampton Saints - Match Preview

Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)

Date: 17/01/2013 17:32

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