News: The Long view (1st in an occasional series)

  Well, that was resounding, for several reasons. The defeat of Sale I mean!  Whilst Saints were getting a "Big Win" over Sale, yours truly and crew (aka Helen) were Sailing (how strangely appropriate) into a freshening breeze, down the Solent to Yarmouth. At about no side, we were just mooring up at Harold Hayles quaint old yard in the Isle of Wight harbour and checking our text messages for score updates. Job done on both counts, tricky waters safely navigated and just the result we desired. Pop, fizz, burp. 

The Long View

Watching the game again this evening on the box, many things struck me. One day SWMBO will stop throwing the crockery at me. 

But seriously, it became clear that Lil Thatched Orstin (aka Mini Cooper) seemed to be really complimentary about his old arch enemies. Ken Pisi's try, which truly was a thing of great beauty, was described by Austin as, well, a thing of great beauty. The ex Tiger kept putting words like "Saints" and "Champions" in the same sentence, usually in close juxtaposition! 

We indeed live in strange times. 

Ken's assist for his brother's try was also top notch and he talked about it in the post match interview with Saaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaa Elgan, where two facts became apparent. 

Firstly, Ken has a very dry sense of humour. 

Secondly, Dan Braid doesn't have any sense of humour. Whether that is as a result of his upbringing or as a result of the, err, result can only be speculated upon. 

Squad depth is looking as deep as peering down a very deep well in Market Deeping which must be a place where one can purchase something as deep as a Brecht play. Substitutions were seamlessly absorbed and although the scoring slowed down, the quality of play didn't suffer and the last 15 minutes were a fantastic demonstration of Saints' defensive strength. Take a bow Alan Dickens ( I do hope I have spelt that correctly......). 

Wolfpack? Pah! Marvel at Dicken's Dyke! 

Kahn Fotuali'i's (too many apostrophes?) amazing cover tackle to deny Sale what looked like a stroll-in try was typical of his cameo appearance at fly half, where his sniping play brought a late poacher's try as his pack turned the screw yet again. Marvellous! 

One was intrigued by Sale's replacement prop, the well upholstered Eifion Lewis-Roberts-Jones-Evans-Davies-Williams-Llewellyn-Hugh-Pugh-Barney-McGrew-Cuthbert-Dibble-And-Grub. Already of more than adequate proportions, he seemed to be wearing a fat suit between his torso and shirt?! Well padded for the front row contest, which was fairly one sided, regardless of who was in the Saints' front row. Sub Gareth Denman was superb in demolishing one scrum and it was reassuring for the European rendevoux ahead that Dylan Hartley was back running about and being feisty again.

So, we break for Europe as the top of the table team (which of course means nothing, even at the end of the season, unless you play your rugby in a parallel universe called Barnet. But the pundits, experts, commentators and Austin keep calling us "Champions" and saying we are playing like the aforesaid and look strong and well organised and rather good. 

Which is nice!