SAINTS GO MARCHING ON
Twenty miles and over 130 years away from the moment an impudent boy at Rugby School chose to run with a pig’s bladder rather than boot it, like one was supposed to, Northampton Saints marched to promotion from National League One with a 18-8 victory over second-placed Exeter Chiefs at a packed Franklins Gardens on Saturday, espousing William Webb Ellis’ flair for creativity.
Regardless of whether or not it was indeed Ellis who invented the game of rugby, he would have revelled in the fluidity between backs and forwards which has proved the hallmark of former Sale Sharks full back Jim Mallinder’s team this unbeaten season.
All 26 games hitherto have ended in a Saints win, and with the talent of former All Blacks Carlos Spencer at fly half and captain and full back Bruce Reihana, it is little surprise that they have bounced straight back up to the Guinness Premiership.
Against the Chiefs a National League One record 13,498 watched hooker and man-of-the-match Dylan Hartley twice and winger Paul Diggin once cross the whitewash to cap crisp attacking moves which seamlessly linked backs and forwards. The mercurial Spencer was the heartbeat of Saints’ creativity, and his team oozed with a confidence that had been absent last season when they slumped to relegation.
To their credit, Spencer, Reihana, and veteran prop Tom Smith valiantly chose to stick by the club this season – unlike England internationals Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson – and Northampton’s youngsters have reaped the rewards of playing alongside such fine technicians.
Delighted chairman Keith Barwell, with choruses of ‘When the Saints go marching in’ ringing in his ears, said: “Everyone at the club is desperate to win some silverware and get back in the Premiership. Last year was a humiliating experience when we were relegated. We want to lose the tag of underachievers and put some pride back into our supporters.”
Barwell’s next task will be to secure the services of the top players who penned only season-long contracts in case immediate promotion was not attained. Though Spencer and co are expected to sign on the dotted line, Barwell will have to spend heavily in the close season if the Saints are continue their attacking rugby adventure in the Guinness Premiership.
The £3m awarded to the top-placed side will indubitably help, but Mallinder knows that if they are to build on this season, which could end in a double if they defeat Exeter at Twickenham in the EDF Trophy final in less than a fortnight, they must invest.
The former PE teacher said: “It takes time to develop a team. We have the nucleus of a really good team here. I am really delighted that all the players have stuck with the club when we came down to the first division. Hopefully we can build on this team; we can recruit high quality and we can challenge. We are trying to cultivate a winning culture.
“Our task is now to continue our momentum. We have gone unbeaten up to now and we don’t want any slacking off, and we want a good win at Twickenham. We have bought some good players for next season. I know the players fairly well and I think they will fit into the culture and understand what we are trying to achieve here.
“Recruitment is an on-going process. We need to keep looking and adding some quality players because the Premiership is tough. We don’t want to be fighting for relegation in a year’s time. We want to be challenging.
“I think the fans have been outstanding this season. Hopefully we can repay them with a little bit of success with the Cup final and in the Premiership next season. But for the moment we are just enjoying our promotion.”
For now the Saints go marching on, and who would bet against them winning at Twickenham? But next year will be the true litmus test for Mallinder and his charges.
Twenty miles and over 130 years away from the moment an impudent boy at Rugby School chose to run with a pig’s bladder rather than boot it, like one was supposed to, Northampton Saints marched to promotion from National League One with a 18-8 victory over second-placed Exeter Chiefs at a packed Franklins Gardens on Saturday, espousing William Webb Ellis’ flair for creativity.
Regardless of whether or not it was indeed Ellis who invented the game of rugby, he would have revelled in the fluidity between backs and forwards which has proved the hallmark of former Sale Sharks full back Jim Mallinder’s team this unbeaten season.
All 26 games hitherto have ended in a Saints win, and with the talent of former All Blacks Carlos Spencer at fly half and captain and full back Bruce Reihana, it is little surprise that they have bounced straight back up to the Guinness Premiership.
Against the Chiefs a National League One record 13,498 watched hooker and man-of-the-match Dylan Hartley twice and winger Paul Diggin once cross the whitewash to cap crisp attacking moves which seamlessly linked backs and forwards. The mercurial Spencer was the heartbeat of Saints’ creativity, and his team oozed with a confidence that had been absent last season when they slumped to relegation.
To their credit, Spencer, Reihana, and veteran prop Tom Smith valiantly chose to stick by the club this season – unlike England internationals Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson – and Northampton’s youngsters have reaped the rewards of playing alongside such fine technicians.
Delighted chairman Keith Barwell, with choruses of ‘When the Saints go marching in’ ringing in his ears, said: “Everyone at the club is desperate to win some silverware and get back in the Premiership. Last year was a humiliating experience when we were relegated. We want to lose the tag of underachievers and put some pride back into our supporters.”
Barwell’s next task will be to secure the services of the top players who penned only season-long contracts in case immediate promotion was not attained. Though Spencer and co are expected to sign on the dotted line, Barwell will have to spend heavily in the close season if the Saints are continue their attacking rugby adventure in the Guinness Premiership.
The £3m awarded to the top-placed side will indubitably help, but Mallinder knows that if they are to build on this season, which could end in a double if they defeat Exeter at Twickenham in the EDF Trophy final in less than a fortnight, they must invest.
The former PE teacher said: “It takes time to develop a team. We have the nucleus of a really good team here. I am really delighted that all the players have stuck with the club when we came down to the first division. Hopefully we can build on this team; we can recruit high quality and we can challenge. We are trying to cultivate a winning culture.
“Our task is now to continue our momentum. We have gone unbeaten up to now and we don’t want any slacking off, and we want a good win at Twickenham. We have bought some good players for next season. I know the players fairly well and I think they will fit into the culture and understand what we are trying to achieve here.
“Recruitment is an on-going process. We need to keep looking and adding some quality players because the Premiership is tough. We don’t want to be fighting for relegation in a year’s time. We want to be challenging.
“I think the fans have been outstanding this season. Hopefully we can repay them with a little bit of success with the Cup final and in the Premiership next season. But for the moment we are just enjoying our promotion.”
For now the Saints go marching on, and who would bet against them winning at Twickenham? But next year will be the true litmus test for Mallinder and his charges.
Labels: National League One, Northampton Saints, rugby union
