NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs BATH RUGBY

Saturday, 22^nd November 2008 – 1pm

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS

MATCH PREVIEW

In the grand traditions of bolstering our opponents before Saturday, I think Bath are not being given the credit they deserve. While the Pests are parading at Twickers there are players that will be at Franklins that could (and possibly should) be elsewhere. Bath will be a force to be reckoned with and if we extend the FG winning streak it will because we won it, not because the full back hands us two tries on a plate. 

So let me take you back to 16th September 2006 and the last time Bath came to FG. Saints with a good team and were well beaten. A game that included a rare marvellous thing called a Tom Smith try and the “second best” try score by one Robbie Kydd (now hailing from barfcountry). 

Go back a few months to April 2006, we played Bath at FG in a very close game. The lead changed hands a number of times – five in all. Mark Easter scored the try in the last minutes of the match. As I remember I loved the match. 

Ok so what should we expect on Saturday? My feeling is that Bath have changed since those days. They have the habit of controlling parts of the match, they have become a team and play as a team and they come into this match with a good feeling from a good win last week. 

Saints on the other hand have not yet made the breakthrough. In the Premiership we have led in most of the matches at half-time, but have let the opposition play. I feel we are working to produce our best team, not helped by factors not in our control. However, there is a clear forward motion to Saints development this year and it seems a long way from this time last year. 

So could this game be a watershed? Yes. Firstly, this should be Juandre Kruger's first home match. Whoever is chosen in the lineout, it is an important key to a Saints win. The next crucial area is the defence. When Bath have the ball, we can’t allow them easy yards. Lastly, we need to strike - we need to take our chances. My unofficial count is yhat this season we have let 21 tries go un- scored. This is ok when you are 50 points up. Not when you are 2 points down. 

However if you think that I, or any of the other COYS contributors, are headless chickens, look at the Bath page on Sportsnetwork. They have a post “Meehan for the sack?” I think it is the oddest post from a team 3 points ahead at the top of the Guinness Premiership. I think Saints will not make the mistake of believing some of these posts, but I do hope they have a lot to write about on Monday. 

My prediction: 24-13 Saints (if we front up and take the chances) 

Team (possible) 
(Unless one of fallen heroes is back: nothing on STALKER??) 

15 Ben Foden 
14 Chris Ashton 
13 Chris Mayor 
12 James Downey 
11 Bruce Reihana (Capt.) 
10 Stephen Myler 
9 Lee Dickson 

1 Tom Smith 
2 Joe Gray 
3 Barry Stewart 
4 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe 
5 Juandre Kruger 
6 Mark Hopley 
7 Mark Easter 
8 Roger Wilson 

Replacements:  16 Paul Shields, 17 Soane Tonga’uiha, 18 Christian Day, 19 Courtney Lawes, 20 Paul Diggin (if fit), 21 Carlos Spencer, 22 Nils Mordt

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