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Saints turn thoughts to rebuilding
WHEN Northampton revealed that their new sponsor was to be the builders merchants, Travis Perkins, it seemed the perfect partnership, for Northampton were in building mode.
Two new stands were completed for the start of the season, another is to be completed this summer. With facilities set to be the best in the land, the question is whether they will have a team to match them.
When former New Zealand coach Wayne Smith arrived in December, it seemed at first as if changes in playing personnel would be kept to a minimum. After last week's thumping defeat at Twickenham, by London Irish in the final of the Powergen Cup, it is not easy to discount rumours of a clearout at the end of next month. Building is back on the agenda. Teambuilding that is.
Smith will have no truck with those who don't perform to the best of their ability. So for starters, Matt Dawson, Steve Thompson, Craig Moir and Mattie Stewart were relegated to the bench yesterday and, had Johan Ackermann,[url=http://www.floware.fr]michael kors paris[/url], Andy Rennick and Andrew Blowers not been injured, there might have been other casualties. With a place in next season's Heineken Cup still a target for Saints, a slipup against Saracens would have brought heavy repercussions.
It did not take long for Saints to put some of the disappointment of last week behind them, Nick Beal crossing for the opening try after just two minutes. Paul Grayson converted and, by the time he had added two penalties, Northampton were scoring at the rate of a point a minute.
Saracens, having to play off the back foot, were obliged to rely on the kicking of Luke Smith, who put Tom Shanklin across for a try, which he converted along with two earlier penalty goals. Welcome as those scores were, there was little fluency to their game.
Saints led 2613 at the break. Thereafter it was only a matter of how wide the margin would be. Their fourth try came in the 51st minute and Grayson completed a faultless afternoon with 22 points after converting Mark Soden's try.
The loudest cheer was reserved for Thomas Castaignede, returning from an Achilles injury after 18 months. The Frenchman converted late tries by Luke Harbut and Tom Shanklin. Though like Saints, Saracens have some rebuilding to do.