News: Saints (47) Stun Sorry Sale (7)

By Casual Saint
April 21 2013

Spring decided to grace Franklin's Gardens on Saturday, for the Final Home fixture this season, the finish of Saints With Heart 11 and the SSC supporters' Club player of the year award. Casual Saint tells us about the 1st of these.

Aviva Premiership Round 21.

Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks

Saturday 20th April 2013, Franklin's Gardens

KO 5:45 pm

Great running rugby on a hard pitch, wingers scoring tries, a firm referee with a string grip on the scrum .... but that was the morning’s entertainment as The Northampton Alliance took on East Northants and Peterborough and Huntingdon in a Under 14 Tournament at Kettering RFC. Would the afternoon’s game provide the same quality ?
Due to an unexpected diversion to the Crooked Hooker I get to my seat as the Saints were running out and very impressive is the sound that greater me. A quick scan confirms that everything is in order, Saints are playing towards the Pavilion End and are receiving the ball. The pitch is bathed is that strange phenomena apparently called “sunshine”.

The kick is fielded comfortably enough with the ball being despatched to touch around the Saints 10. From the lineout Sale launch a number of phases ... a bit of an understatement in fact, a full 5 minutes of uninterrupted possession. Lex Luther made himself busy with a big hit early on and almost turning the ball over later on. Sale attacking down their right and looking very dangerous and Saints eventually conceded a penalty at the break down. Cips kicked to the 5 yard line but the ball is knocked on from the resultant lineout. Scrum time, which quickly became Saints penalty time, after which the 2 front rows exchange handbags to continue the process of getting to know each other. Smyler kicks the ball to the 10 , time to bring on the Saints secret weapon – line catch and drive ... I’m sure no-one saw that one coming .. as a secret weapon it works pretty well as the maul is marched up to the half way line, before the ball was spun right. Play breaks down but is brought back for a penalty for collapsing. The subsequent lineout however is lost and Sale kick long. Fodes returns the ball and a couple of phases later Jamie Elliot is bundled into touch just short of the line. Advantage is being played however and with the kick comfortably within Smyler’s range, after 12 minutes Saints are 3 points up.

Again the restart is comfortably dealt with and after a little kicking ping pong GJ decides to have some fun by putting in a monster touch finder a good 30 meters cross field to find touch with the Sale 20 metre line on the Saints right. We then have a brief period of Rugby 7s with both sides passing the ball around with a fair amount of abandon. Eventually Sir decides enough is enough and awards a penalty in front of the sticks to Saints for not releasing. Smyler slots the kick, 16 minutes gone and Saints are 6 up.
Play restarts, Leota makes a half break to bring a few hearts into mouths ... a feeling that continues when Smyler stays down after a tackle. Things are returned reassuringly back to normal - Smyler back on his feet, Saints awarded a penalty from the scrum and Tiny making a half break from the line out. The ball was lost in contact and again after a little kicking ping pong Pisi K decided the be a bit more imaginative with the ball. A simple chip and chase turns into much more as the Sale defence make a complete Horlicks of the gather. From the subsequent breakdown the ball finds itself into Woody’s hand and he crosses for the first try of the game. Smyler converts and after 23 minutes Saints are 13 up.

The game restarts and suddenly hearts are in mouths again as Day stays down. He gingerly walks off, but at least he is walking and on trots Big Sam. Scrum time again turns to penalty time and I’m thinking of calling Bet Fred to get the odds of every scrum ending in a penalty. A lineout on the Sale 22 sees a break by Pisi K but the ball was eventually knocked on and it's scrum time. A penalty yet again, this time to Sale just to break up the pattern. Nothing too much to worry about as Cips kicks the ball a good 5 yards. Saints steal the lineout and spin the ball left and right, a penalty is awarded, Dicko taps and goes, and out paces Peel from 20 out and scores in the Shrubbery Corner. Smyler converts via the left hand post and Saints are 20 up after 32.
The restart is caught and kicked long and its time for Sale to work the phases. It’s all a bit pedestrian though and eventually a penalty is conceded for over the top. Saints kick down field and are pressing inside the Sale 20. May puts in a lovely grubber that Lex Luther dabs down. Sir goes upstairs, unfortunately the big screen is unreadable in the sun from the South Stand so after waiting around it’s duly confirmed. This time the conversion hits the right hand post but does not go over so after 34 minutes gone , Saints are 25 points to the good.

From the restart there is a half break from Saints, the ball is knocked on and after 36 minutes we have the first completed scrum ... ‘nuff said. The final 4 minutes sees a fair amount of huffing and puffing and general turning over before Sir decides its time for a half time orange and a rub down with a well greased towel.
An entertaining first half ¾ of the way towards a bonus point win, what will happen in the second?

Smyler restarts, Dowes regathers and GJ is off on a rumble. Smyler puts in a grubber to the left hand corner but Sale are there first. Cips kicks long, Fodes kicks high but not particularly long and it’s a penalty time. Cips kicks Sale into the Saints 22. Again Sale work the phases and again it’s a bit slow and after a half break the ball is knocked on. Saints scrum and amazingly enough its a penalty. After the line out Hartely makes a lovely break over the half way line. Play continues down Saints right. Piski K almost dances over , Big Sam powers over from a yard but linesman wants a word and it goes upstairs. Again the big screen is illegible but the eventual decision is no try as the Mooj had grabbed a shirt in the build up. Cips kicks to the Sale 10 and then an impressive maul moves play up to the half way line. The ball goes wide but breaks down and its a Saints scrum.

11 minutes gone and it's time to bring on the Sale subs. We then have some general scrum faffing around that has my 2 teenage sons playing with their smart phones with the boredom of it all. A Saints scrum is completed and play opens up with both sides turning the ball over and eventually settling for ping pong before Fodes puts the ball into touch on the right on the Saints 10. 13 minutes gone and it’s time for Tiny to take his ovation. He trots up and the ground rises to show its appreciation. Waller on as a replacement. Almost unnoticed Dowes trots off and it’s a welcome return for Calum Clarke.

The ball is knocked on from the line out and funnily enough Saints are awarded a penalty from the scrum. Dicko taps but this time does not quite have the gas and is dragged down 5 meters short. Mooj celebrates his final game by passing to Mr Nobody in the crowd and and after 15 minutes Wilson is on for May.

Sale secure the lineout but Lawes is all over their pack to turn the ball over. Play goes left and a lovely short pass from Wilson sends Elliot over for the bonus point try. Smyler misses the conversion so after 17 minutes its Saints 27 Sale 0. Micky H comes on for Captain Hartley and play can restart.

Saints despatch the ball downfield, Sale work it back up the halfway, penalty for holding on. Sale are getting wise to Dicko’s crafty ways and prevent the quick tap, Sir has a sharp word. Smyler kicks to the Sale 20 and Sale bring on more subs. Saints work the ball right and left before knocking on (which looks suspiciously like a sale knock down, but hey ho).

Roberts comes on for Dicko now he has been rumbled. Turnover and ping pong fills the next few minutes and ends with a Saints scrum on the Sale 10. 24 minutes gone and Lamb is on for Smyler. Without wanting to stir the pot, in my humble opinion he has had an excellent game, playing up on the gain line and fizzing out the flat passes. Lamb’s first touch however is a sublime cross kick from right to left to put Elliot in at the corner. Lamb’s conversion is marred by shouting from the crowd and drifts to the side. 27 minutes gone, Saints 32 points up. PDJ comes on for The Mooj and again the Gardens Faithfull stand to show their appreciation.

Play restarts and after a couple of phases Sale clear to halfway with a penalty and more Sale subs rumble on. The lineout is won by Saints and Calum joins in the “Forwards can kick as well” campaign with a flyhack and follows up by bundling the Sale receiver into touch. From the lineout the play goes left, Elliott fizzes out a pass and Wilson is in what we can now call try corner. Again there is stupid shouting before the kick, particularly from one moron who is not as clever as he thinks. The kick hits the left hand post so after 30 minutes its Saints 37 Sale 0.

Fodes clears the restart to touch and the lineout turns into a scrap. Again Sir goes upstairs; again I can see nothing on the screen, but it all results in yellow for Courtney and Rose. Review on the TV at home confirms the initially scuffle resulting from a dangerous tackle on Woody, albeit after Woody played the Sale player off the ball. Courtney then weighed in to defend his mate.

Lamb then showed the other side of his game by failing to make touch from penalty kick. The crowd is announced at 13, 493, bang tidy as they would say in Welsh comedy program. By now the pitch is covered in shadow and it very much feels like the end of term. The feeling is increased as Wilson dances his way through tired tackling to score his second. Again Lamby misses a difficult conversion so with 2 minutes to play saints cross the 40 mark.

At this point people start leaving early ... I have to ask the question .. why? Its a lovely warm evening, Saints are playing champagne rugby , a couple of players who have been the lynchpin of the team are playing their final home game, there will be no more rugby at the Gardens until September ... and you want to leave early ... seriously?
Back to the game .. Saints regather the restart but the ball is passed forward so it’s time for one more scrum, which just to be different ends in a Sale penalty. This turns into another Sale penalty and with the clock in overtime they finally get onto the board.
Final Score Saints 47 Sale 7.

Some great performances on the day but MOM went to Courts for a fine overall game.
Then more the moment of the match. The players come back onto the pitch, the fans sing and applaud, a random selection of small children run onto the pitch to be with their Dads. A small tear comes to the eye and I realise again how much I love this club.

Some videos reactions and some leavers:

News: Saints (47) Stun Sorry Sale (7)

Posted by: ComeOnYouSaints.com (IP Logged)

Date: 21/04/2013 21:05

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