Northampton Saints
Fri, 09 May 2008 10:22
Club Details
Franklins Gardens
Weedon Road
Northampton
NN5
Stadium Capacity: 12,500 (9,500 seated)
Website: www.northamptonsaints.co.uk
Founded: 1880
- 2006/7 Season Preview -
Last time around: Saints had a dismal start to the 2005/06 season but somehow managed to turn it around in the New Year by going unbeaten in January and recording crucial wins against Gloucester, Newcastle, Saracens, Bath and Bristol to leave the club in a job-well-done sixth place in the Premiership table, ensuring Heineken Cup qualification in the process. The new signing of All Black fly-half Carlos Spencer proved to be the answer to the team's prayers as the Aucklander eventually found his feet and helped his new club along to ten wins and a draw as well as picking up the coveted Saints' Player of the Year award.
This time? The team will definitely be heading into the new season with more confidence in themselves and their coaching staff. They proved they are no push-overs in their last few outings in 2006, and will run out a more settled and well-balanced side from their previous seasons. One advantage Northampton hold dear is the fact that the club does not possess many current internationals that could be called up for Test duty. Besides Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson making up Northampton's contribution to the England squad, the only other Saints players the club has to worry about giving up would be Sean Lamont (Scotland) and perhaps Pat Barnard and Jon Clarke (England's Senior National Academy squad).
Coach: Budge Pountney and Paul Grayson have taken the coaching reigns with ease and beyond any rugby critic's expectations last season. With Pountney appointed as the club's new Director of Rugby and Grayson signing on for another five years as head coach, it seems the players and management alike have all the faith and confidence in these two former Saints players to take them to greater heights.
Captain: Bruce Reihana has proved his worth as captain and player for the Saints to become his team-mate's obvious choice to lead the team again this year from his fullback position. The former Waikato and All Black did an excellent job with the boot and ball in hand last season as he notched up a phenomenal 310 points for his team.
One to watch: Pat Barnard has come along in leaps and bounds for his newly adopted club since arriving from South Africa last season. The Saints fought off offers from London Wasps, Saracens, Gloucester and Worcester Warriors to nail this man after the tighthead prop made a casual comment to a South African newspaper that he fancied the idea of playing rugby in England. As yet uncapped for the Springboks, Barnard did win the IRB U21 Player of the Year award in the inaugural U21 World Cup in 2003 and has recently been included in England's Elite Players Squad this year. South Africa's loss, Northampton's gain - - and possibly England's, too.
Final 2006/7 league position prediction: 8th
totalbet.com prediction (29/8): 20-1 to finish first
In: David Akinluyi (Cambridge University), Christian Short (Connacht, Ireland), Soane Tonga'uiha (Bedford Blues), Ian Vass (NEC Harlequins), Matias Cortese (Liceo, Argentina), Rob Laird (London Wasps)
Out: John Rudd (Newcastle Falcons), Matt Grove (Exeter Chiefs), Colin Noon (Biarritz, Fra), Ross Beattie (Border Reivers), Ben Patston (Bedford Blues), Andrew Vilk (Sale Sharks), Grant Seely (retired), Selborne Boome (released), James Pritchard (released), Luke Harbut (released), Ben Jones (Doncaster), Mark Soden (Capitolina, Ita).
Colours: Green, yellow and black
Tickets: £11-34
Travel connections: Northampton lies on the M1, the main motorway heading north from London. Luton and Stansted airports are within driving distance and connect all over Europe. By rail, Northampton is not a main-line station, but there are ample train links from London and the stadium is only a fifteen-minute walk away.
