Premiership Preview - Northampton Saints v Harlequins

'Brotherly love' is an odd concept.  Don't get me wrong, I love my brother to pieces and he's a top bloke but, like most sets of siblings, it's a bond that's been built on the foundations of relentless teasing and scraps as opposed to gumdrop smiles and hand-holding.  We would be joking around one minute, but the next he would be smacking me over the noggin with my Jurassic Park Triceratops toy (horns first), or I would be serving a tennis ball into the back of his head from point blank range.  All painful at the time, all highly amusing to us now.  Of course, I don't fight with my brother at all now (although games on FIFA can get a little heated) and we get on brilliantly, but we don't really get put into a spot where one of us might lose it.  But the same can't really be said about the Dickson brothers.

As Karl Dickson replaces Danny Care for Harlequins, thanks to a niggling injury for the England man, the older Dickson will find himself lining up opposite his younger sibling, Lee, who turns out for Northampton.  Now, brothers playing against each other in the Premiership is rare enough in itself  (I can think of the Tuilagis doing it, when Andy Tuilagi was at Sale), but a pair of brothers lining up against each other playing in the same position? I stand to be corrected, but I reckon that's a first.  To make matters worse, they're both scrum halves as well, the gobbiest of all players with little man syndrome coursing through their veins.  Add to this the fact that the older Dickson struggles to get a regular club spot, whilst 'little bro' has firmly established himself in the England set up, and you get the feeling that brotherly love may go out the window for this one.

Of course, outside of the Dicksons, this remains a cracking match-up with plenty to play for and a whole host of fantastic battles all over the park.  Saints, the hosts on Friday night, have been in scintillating form on the domestic front all year, with summer signings, emerging players and great upturns in form from key players such as Lee Dickson, Stephen Myler, Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley.  Gone is the side that used to wallow in the self-pity of being nearly men – here is a club who firmly believe that their time has come.  The side that lost this identical fixture 364 days ago is n more.  They certainly look like title contenders on paper, even with a mini-injury crisis in the back 3 at the moment, with a host of England internationals and a dash of Samoan flair (George Pisi), a lump of American beef (Samu Manoa) and a smattering of Welsh 'gargantuan-winger' (the freakish George North).  The only concern for the East Midlanders is the absence of England flanker Tom Wood, the grafter of both his club and the international side.  The sort of player whose absence you notice more than his contributions on the pitch, Wood lends control and leadership to a relentlessly physical Northampton gameplan.  If the weather proves to be as wet and windy as it has been for most of the country, then it's hard to see this Saints pack being beaten in the tight exchanges, but if we're blessed with a clear night and Quins play at the pace we know they can, then the hosts just might miss Wood as a rallying point.

Yes, Quins may well be praying to the Gods of weather this afternoon, as they hope conditions will be good enough to utilise their slick handling and offload game, which the likes of Nick Easter and influential captain Chris Robshaw are so effective at.  The Londoners will also be hoping to able to put the ball into the hands of their in-form wide men – in particular Mike Brown and the electric Charlie Walker.  Brown has been a revelation over the last 12 months, ever-reliable under the high ball and always beating the first man in contact, whilst Walker has burst onto the scene, lighting up games with his wonderfully balanced style of running and searing acceleration.  The youngster has a big test against North today (shockingly, they're the same age…I'd love to know what North's parents fed him when he was younger…) but if he gets any space at all, he will be deadly.  The faster the game, the more it will suit the visitors.

And in the middle of all this mayhem, a battle between brute force and slick hands, will be a certain squabbling duo.  Whilst they may have been having Christmas dinner together last week, this week they will be at each other's throats – and I bet it'll be a cracker.

Northampton Team News

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder has made three changes to the team that beat Bath.  Lee Dickson returns at scrum-half, Phil Dowson comes into the back row and Tom Collins starts at full-back.

Starting Line-up: Collins; Elliott, G. Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Dickson; Waller, Hartley (capt), Ma'afu; Lawes, Day; Clark, Dowson, Manoa.

Subs: Haywood, Waller, Mercey, Dickinson, Wood, Fotuali'i, Dickson, Autagavaia.

Key Player

Samu Manoa.  The colossal American is in some vein of form this year.  A stupendously physical presence in defence, the second-row-cum-number-8 has also shown off an impressive sleight of hand which has added a whole other dimension to Saints' forward play this year.  Although they are not quite at the same level as Quins just yet, they are improving all the time and Manoa is leading the way, using his strength to free his arms and flick delightfully soft passes to his support runners.  His grunt will be vital to the hosts' cause in the wet, but if the weather stays dry, he could just lead the way in beating Quins at their own game.

Harlequins Team News

Conor O'Shea makes 3 changes to the side that beat Exeter at Twickenham last weekend.  Tim Molenaar, Karl Dickson and Tom Guest return, with England scrum-half Danny Care one of those to miss out.   Care and Luke Wallace both picked up minor knocks in the win over the Chiefs, while Tom Casson had to have nine stitches to a head wound suffered in the same game.

Starting Line-up:  Brown; Walker, Hopper, Molenaar, Smith; Evans, Dickson; Marler, Ward, Collier; Matthews, Robson; Guest, Robshaw (capt), Easter.

Subs: Crumpton, Lambert, Doran Jones, Kennedy, Trayfoot, Stuart, Botica, Lindsay-Hague.

Key Player

Chris Robshaw.  The England captain never puts in a bad performance – or even an average performance – for club and country, but if ever there was a game he needed to step it up from the 7.5/10 to the 9/10, it's this one.  We know he doesn't shirk the physical stuff, so he'll need to lead his side out to face down the inevitable muscular barrage that Northampton will throw at them early on.  If they can get through the opening quarter, they can look to work their way into the game and Robshaw's work rate, intelligent rugby brain and sharp hands will ensure they'll present a threat both in close and in attack.

Key Battle

Lee Dickson v Karl Dickson.  Aside from the sheer intrigue of having a brother v brother match up in the same position, these 2 both have key roles to play.  Lee (probably best to use first names in this instance) is renowned for his service but his box kicking can be very wobbly at times – his job will be, in difficult conditions, to assist Myler in gaining field position.  It's the same story for Karl, but under particular scrutiny will be the Quins' man's decision making.  With the Londoners' instinct telling them to go wide early whatever the weather, it's going to be up to Karl to ensure that the ball in only allowed out of the pack when they're in the right places. 

Prediction

Both these sides can play the others 'brand' of rugby, Saints can offload and Quins are certainly no pansies in contact, but there's no point in denying where both side's real strength lies.  With the weather set for rain, the advantage on gameplan would appear to be with Saints – adding to the already significant home advantage they would have, being roared on by the Franklins Gardens faithful.  Quins will play some good rugby and will make a real game of it, but I'm going with the homeside for this one.  Saints by 10.

 

What else is happening in the Premiership this weekend?

Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks:  A northerly battle that is sure to be a gritty affair, Sale look in decent nick and should sneak a win, but I expect the Falcons to get a crucial losing bonus point.  Sale by 5.

London Irish v Worcester Warriors:  The battle between the 2 out-of-form sides was almost my game of the week because it is a real relegation crunch-match.  Warriors simply have to win…but I'm not sure they can.  Irish by 3.

Gloucester Rugby v Saracens:  Prior to this season I would have had this down as a top of the table clash.  Now it’s a no brainer.  Gloucester have been terrible at home, Saracens look irresistible.  Sarries by 9.

Leicester Tigers v Bath:  Another huge game, the Tigers have to win against one of the in-form sides to keep themselves within striking distance of the top four, or the top two.  A close one, but home advantage should swing it.  Tigers by 4.

London Wasps v Exeter Chiefs:  Wasps at Adams Park are a tough ask but the Chiefs look like a much more composed side this year and I suspect that they may sneak a win in what could be a game littered with tries.  Chiefs by 5.