RuckedOver's Premiership Season Review

With one last TMO decision, the Premiership season for 2013-14 bowed out in typical drama and controversy, with Saints claiming a stunning win to secure their first domestic title.

But before we say goodbye to one of the tightest tournaments in memory, it’s time to dish out the awards and rate the teams; welcome to RuckedOver’s End of Season dinner.  Order yourself a takeaway. 

RuckedOver's Premiership Team of the Season

1.  Joe Marler (Harlequins) – A much improved scrummager these days and seems to have matured without losing his 'edge'.

2.  Dave Ward (Harlequins) – Outstanding breakthrough season.  Looks like the English Schalk Brits, who himself was brilliant as well.

3.  Logovi'i Mulipola (Leicester) – Chief battering ram and now a monster scrummager.  Decent combination.

4.  Steve Borthwick (Saracens) – Boring?  Sure.  But ever present, and ever reliable in the most dominant pack of the season.  Just edges out the impressive Ed Slater and dynamic Dean Mumm.

5.  Michael Paterson (Sale) – Courtney Lawes and Dave Attwood both looked good but Paterson combined glorious footballing ability with brute power.  A key figure in Sale's revival.

6.  Tom Wood (Northampton) – A season in which he has justified the comparisons with Richard Hill, and that's some compliment.

7.  Jacques Burger (Saracens) – Absolutely stark raving mad, but brilliant.  A terrifying presence in defence for the Londoners.

8.  Billy Vunipola (Saracens) – Just edges Nathan Hughes of Wasps.  His fitness has improved markedly and now he has a work-rate to match his power and un-nervingly large thighs.

9.  Danny Care (Harlequins) – His haircut may be becoming more sensible (perhaps by comparison) by the day, but his performances are getting better and better as well.  Electric.

10.  Danny Cipriani (Sale) – George Ford was a revelation and Stephen Myler was an unsung hero, but for the sheer scale of turnaround, take a bow Mr Cipriani.  He varied his play superbly throughout and appears to have added a controlling presence whilst maintaining his maverick outlook on the game.

11.  Vereniki Goneva (Leicester) – Top try scorer doesn’t tell the whole story.  Always made something out of nothing, which was usually what the Tigers backline created in an injury plagued season.

12.  Luther Burrell (Northampton) – The big centre has developed a deserved reputation for running smart, hard lines, but the Saints man also has a great pass on him, making him a focal point for the Saints game.

13.  George Pisi (Northampton) – It wasn’t a vintage year for outside centres, but Pisi always provided an aura on unpredictability to an otherwise structured (but effective) gameplan.

14.  Chris Ashton (Saracens) – Love him or loathe him, Ashton’s club form has been very impressive – especially at the end of the season.  He seems to have really worked on his defence and got his mojo back in attack too.

15.  Mike Brown (Harlequins) – Well, who else?  Possibly Chris Pennell, I suppose, but the Quins man has picked up every award under the sun this season for a good reason – he’s been an animal in attack and defence, all the while maintaining the look of a young gentleman who will acquire your phone outside of a Wetherspoons at kick-out time.

Awards

Player of the Season:  Vereniki Goneva.  The man has magic dust in his feet and the power of approximately 2 gorillas in his arms.  It is no exaggeration to say that he carried the Leicester team when Manu Tuilagi was away – if it wasn’t for his magic, goodness knows where the Tigers would have ended up.


Runners up:  Mike Brown, who would have won if he wasn’t being superb for England for half of the season; Jaques Burger, who was just ludicrously good to watch in the contact area; and Tom Wood, who finally justified the Richard Hill comparisons.

Young Player of the Season:  George Ford.  I thought he made a mistake taking the ‘cushy’ option and moving for guaranteed rugby and a place closer to daddy at Bath.  I was wrong.  Not only has he controlled games with phenomenal authority but he is capable of moments of individual genius too.  A class act – now he just needs to work on his drop goals...

Runners up:  Anthony Watson, who looked electric all season;  Ollie Devoto, who had a strong end to the year; and Charlie Walker and Jack Nowell, who both impressed in short bursts before injury cut their campaigns short.

The ‘Where the hell have you been?’ award:  Dave Ward.  Ricky Gervais gave a good quote that stated “Got a proper job at 25.  Gave it up to try comedy at 35.  Got fit at 45.  It’s never too late, but do it now.”  Well Dave, you made it – in the season you turned 29.  But by gum it was worth waiting for.  As almost the English version of Schalk Brits, he offers wonderful footwork and compact power in the loose and is a jackal-like presence over the ball.  He fully deserves his England shot this summer.

The Danny Care Sh*t Haircut Award:  Goes to...Jack Nowell.  In an unprecedented turn of events, Danny Care has relinquished his crown, as it were, to the young England and Chiefs winger – who, it is fair to say, has broken all barriers of sh*tness with his barnet.  Greasy slick sweep across the front?  Check.  Mullet?  Check.  Wannabe-Maori Rat’s tail?  Oh please no, but...check.  Stop it Jack.  Who knows what abomination you’ll drive Danny to.

Nowell's haircut has actually been listed as a "Feature of Interest"

in the popular guide, "A Tw*t's Guide to Britain"

Try of the Season: 

1) Jamie Elliot (Northampton) v Gloucester.  This try had everything – George North entering beast mode, slick handling from forwards and over-excited commentary from the box.  Elliot’s not quick, but he’s smart, and his support for this score was top notch.

2) Logovi’i Mulipola (Leicester) v Exeter.  I defy you to show me something more superb than a 21 stone prop hurtling through dainty wingers as if they weren’t there.  Poetry in motion.

3) Christian Wade (Wasps) v Gloucester.  Because you can’t do that Christian.  You can’t just beat half the team by yourself.  Please Christian, stop being injured.


Surprise of the Season:  BT Sport.  I’m sure I wasn’t alone in groaning when BT Sport took over the broadcasting rights to the Premiership.  If their coverage was anything like their broadband then I would expect it to drop out at the climatic moment of an enthralling scrum every time I wanted some alone time.  However, I was proven wrong.  The pre-match build up, the half-time interviews, the commentators, the pundits and the excellent Rugby Tonight have all been top drawer.  It’s finally forced Sky to buck up their attitudes too, as they shamelessly steal various ideas from the BT Sport team.

Villain of the Season:  TMO delays, closely followed by the ridiculous nannying on ‘tip tackles’.  Referees are becoming way too reliant on the video ref – and understandably so.  In my opinion, the intervention of the TMO should be limited to the scoring phase (i.e. from the last breakdown) and to dangerous foul play.  And the tackles – as I commented on by tribute to the great man, half of Wilko’s hits would have led to him being shown a yellow card back in the day.  A good dump tackle is not dangerous, but it is humiliating.  Watch this space for a proposed amendment to the law.


Team Reports

Bath

Grade: B.

Final position:  5th. After sitting in 4th place all season, they took the mother of all kicks in the nuts when Quins beat them to steal the final playoff spot.  Regardless, a season of improvement and emergence of young talent for the West Country side.

Best Player:  George Ford.  The phrase “Like a boss” fits very well.  Steered the ship majestically at times.

Next Season:  More of the same.  Players are growing into their potential.  Perhaps slightly more beef in the tight 5 wouldn’t go amiss.

Exeter Chiefs

Grade:  C.

Final position:  8th.  The Chiefs are no longer new boys and I’m not going to patronise them with another “Oh, they tried hard”.  They have a strong squad, and they should have been targeting another European Cup spot, but a dire run where they couldn’t win in a tombola meant that they slumped down the table.

Best Player:  Dean Mumm.  Captain Amazing.  Masterful in the lineout and a superb ball player. 

Next Season:  There is plenty of young talent coming through but more punch in the back 3 and the front row is needed to really pose a threat.

Gloucester

Grade: D.

Final position: 9th.  Well, it could have been worse.  They were slumped at the bottom with Worcester for a long while, before a semi-recovery helped them up the table.  Nigel Davies (now departed) was a good coach with talent at his disposal but forgot the key ingredient to an exciting team – a solid platform.  His pack was mauled all season long.

Best Player:  Billy Twelvetrees.  He wasn’t always brilliant, but he consistently threw himself in and developed as a leader throughout the season.  His attitude was first class – unlike some.

Next Season:  A pack would be nice.  John Afoa and Richard Hibbard are good signings, but more grunt in the second row is required as well.

Harlequins

Grade:  B+.

Final position:  4th.  After a nightmare start, Quins recovered and were fizzing by the end, pipping Bath to the final playoff spot.  That is credit to the squad as they were forced to deal with a horrific injury crisis and the spine of their team being selected for internationals.  The final was a step too far, but an admirable campaign given the circumstances.

Best Player:  Danny Care.  I’ve already mentioned Mike Brown once and so I really should mention Care.  Intelligent and lightening quick, he is the heartbeat of the Quins attacking game.

Next Season:  More of the same, hopefully without the injuries.  The young talent in the pack is developing nicely, although if I were O’Shea I’d be looking at other options in the midfield – the only area which lacks real class.

Leicester Tigers

Grade: B.

Final position:  3rd.  Usually I’d slap a ‘D’ on a Leicester side failing to make the final but the fact that they, like Harlequins, were so decimated by injury means that it was incredible that they even got as close as they did to making another final – and they should have won their semi.  They threatened to explode into top gear towards the end but didn’t quite make it.

Best Player:  Ed Slater.  Yes, OK, Goneva was really the stand out man but the stand-in skipper deserves a mention.  Brutal power and deceptively soft hands make him a specimen modern lock.

Next Season:  The squad remains looking strong (injury permitting) but I think a change in Cockerill’s coaching team is needed – it’s far too incestuous.  Phil Blake has come over from Oz to take charge of defence, which is a positive step, but if I was Cockerill I would be imploring the board to break the bank to bring over Aaron Mauger or Daryl Gibson to coach the attack, which stagnated badly at times.

London Irish

Grade:  B-.

Final position:  10th.  OK, it’s not a great position, but I had them as favourites to go down, to be honest.  Shorn of plenty of star players, those remaining and those brought in forged a superb team spirit which pulled them out of many a tight spot.

Best Player:  Eamonn Sheridan.  Unfussy is one word I’d use to describe him, but he’s been the rock this year that Irish needed.  Brutal in defence, he’s also developed his handling skills to become a genuine attacking threat.

Next Season:  With Marland Yarde and James O’Connor leaving, there’s a bit of an absence of magic amongst the Irish squad.  A bit more firepower out wide would be very useful.

London Wasps

Grade:  B+.

Final position:  7th.  Wasps continued their upward curve under Dai Young and even managed to claim a European Cup spot with a playoff win over Stade Francais.  Their game plan is simple but effective and they’ve become a good side to watch – even with Andy Goode playing (just don’t look at him).

Best Player:  Andy Goode.  Yes, he’s funny to look at, but Goode has shown why he is one of the Premiership’s best fly halves from the last decade.  Lovely pass, booming boot.  Won Wasps some crucial games (lost a couple too, but we’ll forget about those...).  Will Hughes has been a revelation at number 8 as well.

Next Season:  If they can keep their first choice players fit they can kick on, but they don’t have much strength in depth.  The front row and the back row in particular are areas where they are thing on the ground.

Newcastle Falcons

Grade:  B-.

Final position:  11th.  Well, objective achieved, so to speak.  They’ve stayed up after a decent start to the season saw them pick up points, but they’ve failed to win since October 2013.  The inability to score tries – where they couldn’t finish a Sunday roast – proved costly throughout the season.

Best Player:  Will Welch.  It’s not easy skippering a team that’s often at the wrong end of a pummelling, but Welch impressed me with his physicality and determination throughout.

Next Season:  They desperately need some more firepower for next season and, with the Tuilagis arriving, that looks being exactly what they’ll get.

Northampton Saints

Grade:  A*

Final position:  2nd.  Champions.  Talk about timing it to perfection.  A month before the end of the season it looked as if the wheels might be coming off but, with huge credit to Jim Mallinder, the squad brought it back together and finally shrugged off their 'nearly' tag, winning a magnificent double in the process.

Best Player:  Tom Wood.  Luther Burrell was impressive in the centres but Wood was a pillar of strength throughout the year, leading from the front even when he didn't have the captain's armband.  His physicality and intelligence off the ball in the Premiership Final was top class.

Next Season:  It would be easy to say more of the same but I think Mallinder needs to add some more depth.  There are certain positions – especially in the backline – where the Saints will struggle if one of their frontline players gets crocked.

Sale Sharks

Grade: B+

Final position: 6th.  A very welcome return to form for the Sharks which has coincided with the 're-birth' of Danny Cipriani.  Now that the flamboyant fly half isn't practicing tackling buses in his spare time, the Sharks have combined powerful play in the loose with intelligent and varied attacks out wide, fully earning a place in the top half of the table.

Best Player:  Daniel Braid.  Sure, Cipriani was the poster boy, but Braid was the dog in the pack, working hard in every game and causing havoc in defence by mastering the choke tackle and pilfering plenty of pill on the floor.  Michael Paterson was a freak of nature in the second row as well.

Next Season:  A front row took a worryingly regular hammering.  If Sale want to kick on and start pushing for a playoff spot, they'll need to start

Saracens

Grade: A

Final position: 1^st (runners up).  Yes, they suffered double heartbreak when it really mattered, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that, for 95% of the season, Sarries were relentlessly dominant, obliterating any foolish outfit that tried to stand up for them.  The downside?  They looked shattered and burnt out when it really mattered – at Twickenham. 

Best Player:  Jacques Burger.  Why tackle with your shoulders when you can use your face?  The man whose nose is slowly migrating across his face led the wolf pack with a ferocious display of commitment in every match.

Next Season:  Sarries need to channel their anger at the injustice of being robbed of a deserved title (when based on the year’s performances) and focus on kicking on to an even higher level next season.  I still think they could do with a really effective ball carrier in the midfield too – they rely too much on the Vunipola brothers for making yards.

Worcester Warriors

Grade: Z

Final position: 12^th.  Just pants.  Take away Dean Ryan’s clap-trap about being ‘a win away from turning things around’, and the fact remains that a side that was good enough to stay up did not do so.  Unimaginative and brainlessly undisciplined at times, it’s sad to see a great club slump so far so quickly.

Best Player:  Chris Pennell.  The full back was a shining ray of light in a dark turd of a season – so much so he’s had a deserved call up to the England squad.  His acceleration and eye for a gap gave the Warriors a rare attacking platform.

Next Season:  They fall into an increasingly competitive Championship, where the likes of Leeds, Bristol and Rotherham all have squads to match them.  They must hang on to their key players and re-assess their style of play to bring back the crowds.

 

Premiership Final Review - Saracens 20 - 24 Northampton Saints

Sometimes rugby games can come down to the tiniest of margins – a knock on, a missed tackle, a distractingly well-endowed streaker – and it always serves to remind you of the constant pressure that is on the players at the highest level.  As they often say, rugby is a game of inches.  Actually, that's what the excellent Al Pacino says about American Football in the superb Any Given Sunday, but I think it applies equally to our (better) version of the oval ball game.  So sure, rugby is a game of inches.  But an entire season coming down to that margin?  In fact, not even inches – think half an inch.  A millimetre even.  That can be the difference between total glory and total dejection; between knowing that your 9 months of slugging away at training have all been worth it and knowing that it has all been for nothing.

That really brings those tiny margins under the microscope.  In fairness, when Saracens lined up against Northampton in the Premiership Final on Saturday, we all knew it was going to be pant-browningly tight.  The sort of game that would come down to your standard small margins.  What none of us could have anticipated though, was just how small that margin would be.

Both sides were in this final squarely on merit.  Saracens had been the dominant force in England this season, sweeping aside almost anyone who tried to stand before them and losing only 3 times – to Saints away, a surprise loss to London Irish at home and to Leicester away, when they sent over their 3rd XV.  Their power-based game had come on in leaps and bounds with the Vunipola brothers at their barnstorming best, but their attacking game out wide has also caught the eye – with Owen Farrell beginning to attack the line and vary his game effectively and Chris Ashton storming back into form.  Northampton, though, have been just as impressive – if not quite as consistent.  With Saracens, they were the standout side, with power, pace and guile stuffed throughout their teamsheet – and any team who can boast the likes of the Pisi brothers, George North, Luther Burrell, Tom Wood and Courtney Lawes is bound to cause some mental and physical headaches to any side.  They also had vengeance on their mind – so close to glory last year (an ill-judged turn of phrase by captain Dylan Hartley, in fact), but this year they are firmly out of the shadows and into the limelight. 

And with all the attention focused on the Twickenham turf on Saturday afternoon, the game got off to a ferocious start – if a little nervous and scrappy.  It was Saints who had the majority of possession in the opening exchanges, with Courtney Lawes and Luther Burrell both carrying with menace into the heart of the Saracens defence.  As we have seen so many times this season, though, the men in black and red were playing by their mantra of 'thou shalt not pass', and were crashing into their opponents with relish, with Jacques Burger proving typically destructive in this area, although he was ably backed up by Mauritz Botha.  Saints were frustrated; and Saracens had the points.  Two penalties in the first quarter – one for a breakdown offence, the other for an illegal challenge by Ken Pisi – led to Owen Farrell coolly slotting the points and giving his side a rather handy 6 point lead.

It was Ken Pisi, though who would prove to be the catalyst for his side's breakthrough just before half-time.  The remainder of the half had continued in its scrappy fashion, but Sarries were starting to gain territory thanks to some exciting running from Chris Ashton and a couple of trademark rumbles from Billy Vunipola, despite it seeming that the big man was operating at 80% due to an ankle complaint.  Their pressure had pinned Northampton back, but from a scrum by their own line, Pisi stepped inside Myler and jinked past the cover to scorch 80 metres up field before being caught by a superb cover tackle from Ashton.  A couple of penalties later, however, and Saints launched a devastating close range attack where gorgeous hands from Stephen Myler, Burrell and Pisi put Ben Foden over for the game's first try.  With Myler's conversion it was 7 – 6 at half time.  Advantage Saints.

If the first half had been a little stop-start until the end, the second half was anything but, as the precision and intensity of the game went up the gears.  It was Saracens who maintained the early pressure, despite a thunderous hit from Tom Wood on Jaques Burger shaking the entire stadium, and Alex Goode made a couple of incisive breaks to induce a breakdown penalty from the Saints pack.  A simple kick from Farrell put the Londoners back into the lead.

But Northampton were starting to get an ominous hold on the game.  Sam Dickinson was beginning to dominate in the collisions and the behemoth that is George North, lurking on the left wing, was seeing more and more of the ball as Saints began to exploit the wide channels.  Twice Sarries had Ashton to thank for preventing a try – once after rushing up and putting in a big hit to prevent the use of an overlap, and then after a great chase back and cover tackle on North after Saints had exploited an absence of Saracens defenders on the left.  It would prove to be a temporary respite though.  Vunipola spilled a high kick – not for the first time – and Myler and Burrell put the ball wide to North, who went within 5 metres before being hauled down by Ashton.  There shouts of 'forward' in relation to Burrell's pass – but, despite it moving a good 3 metres forward on the pitch, the momentum of the players was such that it would have been harsh to call.  From there, Myler put in a delightful grubber kick for George Pisi to chase and dot down, with the fly half following up his good work with a superb conversion from out wide to make the score 14 – 9.  In a game as tight as this, that was daylight.

I say the game was tight, I mean it was evenly matched, because in truth it was getting more open and more frantic.  Three minutes later, and Sarries thought they had equalised, as Goode put Chris Wyles away with a floated – and blatantly forward – pass, allowing the American to draw the last man and put Farrell in for the try.  JP Doyle awarded the try, but whilst Farrell was receiving treatment for cramp, TMO Graham Hughes requested a review, and the try was duly overturned.  It was the right call, but completely the wrong way to go about it; in my view, once the try has been awarded, it should stand – the tragedy was Saracens was that, if Farrell hadn't been injured, he could have taken the conversion by the time the try was struck off, meaning that the score would have stood.  As it were, the Londoners were dealt a double blow as they saw their try disallowed and their fly-half leave the field with severe cramp.

Sarries tried their utmost to get into the game but they were rocked backwards time and again by a brutal Saints defence, that was reminiscent of Saracens' own 'wolf pack' brand.  In particular, Lawes was phenomenal – everywhere in defence and causing all sorts of problems in the lineout, and there was one hit on replacement Charlie Hodgson which surely goes on his highlights reel.  Sarries, to their credit, held on though, and began to bludgeon their way forward through Brad Barritt and Vunipola, and they were given their reward when Schalk Brits drew in George North and popped a delightful offload over the top to Marcelo Bosch, who was squeezed over from close range.  Now Sarries were level with a conversion still to come.  Charlie Hodgson struck the conversion sweetly, but it clipped the inside of the post and bounced away.  An inch to the left, and it would have gone over.  Small margins.

The teams scrapped on, exhausted.  Full time was blown, meaning that the shattered bodies had to rouse themselves for one last effort in the 20 minutes of extra time.  It was gruelling watching for the neutral – goodness knows what the fans were going through.  The extra time period seemed to pass in a bit of a haze, punctured only when Ashton – who had had a fine game – screamed through a gap to bring Saracens within metres of the Saints line, before being called back for a Vunipola obstruction.  This, again, was a controversial moment in my eyes.  No try had been scored, and the ball was in open play when the TMO intervened and called play back.  Once again, it was the correct decision – there had been a block – but we are getting into dangerous territory if the TMO starts calling back play without the referee's request.  In this case, Doyle had missed the block and Sarries had a great opportunity on the Saints line.  Instead, the Londoners had to settle for 2 Hodgson penalties sandwiching an effort from Myler.  It would be enough.

But Northampton did not give in.  Instead, their pack hammered away at the exhausted Saracens 8, clawing their way towards the line, inch by inch.  Hartley, returning from injury and full of determination and a desire for redemption, bullocked his was forward, with Lawes and Dowson offering support.  They went within 5 metres.  The clock went red.  Surely now Myler would go for a drop goal, especially as a draw would give Saints the win, owing to the little known (and frankly odd) rule that the team who has scored the most tries is awarded the victory if the scores are tied at the end of extra time.  But he didn't.  Instead Saints continued to ruck their way forward.  Two metres out.  Somebody flies off their feet in the ruck, but JP Doyle misses it.  One metre.  Is somebody in from the side.  Again, no whistle.  Then, out of nowhere, the cheers go up.  Alex Waller, the mobile and talented looshead, emerges with the ball – inevitably, we go upstairs to the TMO.

Graham Hughes looked at every angle – and I personally cannot make my mind up about it, it is that close.  It is either a millimetre over the line or a millimetre short.  Never before has the phrase 'benefit of the doubt to the attacking side' bore more relevance.  Hughes decided bravely – and probably, in all the circumstances, correctly – to award the try.  Myler's conversion was needless, but slotted anyway.  Saints had the title in their hands for the first time and, despite the difference being a millimetre, on the balance of play you had to feel they deserved it.

Equally, you had to feel for Saracens.  Two soul-shattering defeats in less than a week will have left them reeling, but they'll be back with vengeance next year – which is worrying for everybody else.  For Northampton though, they can reflect on a remarkable season where they have achieved the double – OK, not the double, but the Amlin Cup is not to be sniffed at – and reached the heights their potential has demanded for so many seasons.  Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, that was Northampton.  As Dylan Hartley lifted the Premiership title, you got the impression that those days are over.

 

Saracens Player Ratings

Alex Goode – 7 – Lively in attack and solid under the high ball.

Chris Ashton – 8 – Excellent in a losing cause.  Work rate in attack and defence was exceptional.

Marcelo Bosch – 6 – The gaps weren't there for him but he was on hand to finish well for his try.

Brad Barritt – 6 – Worked his socks off and carried aggressively but with limited reward.

Dave Strettle – 5 – Caught all at sea on a couple of occasions in defence and didn't see the ball.

Owen Farrell – 7 – A good display from the tee and with the ball in hand.  Unlucky not to be on the scoreboard.

Neil de Kock – 6 – Service was solid but kicks weren't always on the money.

Richard Barrington – 6 – Held up the scrum well but lacked Mako's prowess in the loose.

Schalk Brits – 6 – A little shakey in the lineout but a marvellous offload delivered a score after a difficult day with the ball in hand.

Matt Stevens – 6 – Generally on top in the scrum and not too many penalties given way, which is a bonus for him.

Steve Borthwick – 6 – Led from the front but as the game opened up his influenced waned.

Mauritz Botha – 7 – Part of a ferocious defensive effort and weighed in with some big hits when on the field.

Kelly Brown – 5 – Just doesn't influence the game enough for me.  He is solid but rarely causes the opposition problems.

Jaques Burger – 6 – Looked fairly one dimensional.  Flew into a couple of big hits but contributed little else.

Billy Vunipola – 6 – Some decent rumbles but he didn't look 100%.  Fluffed a few high balls as well.

Subs

Everybody offered a full-blooded commitment to the cause, but it was Chris Wyles and Charlie Hodgson who caught the eye in attack.

 

Northampton Player Ratings

Ben Foden – 7 – A couple of promising darts and a smart finish lit up an otherwise quiet day.

Ken Pisi – 8 – Brought the game to life with dazzling feet and hands in the build-up to the first try.

George Pisi – 6 – Finished his try well but was otherwise relatively quiet.

Luther Burrell – 7 – Hard running and smooth passing glued the Saints attack together.  Just don't kick, Luther.

George North – 7 – Grew into the game, and made some spectacular runs and collisions.  Still could have got more involved, though.

Stephen Myler – 9 – Never flustered.  Wonderful kicking from hand and varied play perfectly throughout.

Kahn Fotuali'I – 6 – Never managed to exploit the fringes but was busy nonetheless.

Alex Corbisiero – 6 – Not at his best in the scrum but worked his socks off in the loose in a promising comeback.

Mike Haywood – 6 – Busy and aggressive, the lineout went OK and he put himself about at the breakdown

Salesi Ma'afu – 6 – No punches this time.  Was fairly quiet but was solid in the scrum.

Samu Manoa – 7 – Not many fireworks but his mere presence gave menace to the Saints defensive line.

Courtney Lawes – 9 – Phenomenal.  Colossal in defence, carried well, and ruled the lineout.  Man of the Match.

Calum Clarke – 6 – Not at his most influential, although he put everything into it.  Dowson added more.

Tom Wood – 8 – An awesome defensive display.  Led from the front and upped his physicality.

Sam Dickinson – 7 – We didn’t see too many bulldozing carries but he left some sore bodies with his hits.

Subs

Alex Waller obviously had the biggest influence with a superb cameo and try from the bench, but Dowson impressed me as well with his work-rate and carrying.  Lee Dickson added customary zip.