Chris Gleadell: Season of progress for Saints
Well, the result may have gone against us up at Edgeley Park on Saturday in the game against Sale Sharks, but it was just about the only blot on a day that I think was enjoyed by just about everyone present.
The hosts had it all to play for, not only hoping for a four-try bonus point victory, but hoping other results went their way to secure a play-off place.
They got their first wish but, sadly, the second eluded them meaning the end of the season for them.
At game end they said goodbye in the sunshine to a raft of stars and it looks like they are starting on that long road called rebuild.
As for the Saints, well Saturday's performance convinced me that we are already a long way down that road.
A few of our leading lights were missing for various reasons from the starting line-up but those who stepped in, stepped up, and you got to appreciate what strength we have in depth now and the standard to which those replacements can play.
As Eric Morecambe used to say, you can't even see the join! Up until Chris White adjudged we had passed forward at the final whistle, the Saints were still in hunt for the win.
It was not to be, but there was so much good from the Saints perspective to take out of the game.
So perhaps with an eye on the next few days especially, we probably got more out of Saturday's game than the single losing bonus point that the record books will show.
Several players through their performances threw their proverbial hats into the ring for a start or bench spot for tomorrow night's big game at the Gardens and, looking further ahead into next season, real competition across the board in all positions.
Exciting times ahead I think.
So with the Guinness Premiership season over for Saints, I think as returnees to the division the team have exceeded what most of us had secretly thought would happen when the season started.
While the glass half-full brigade had us as a top-six side – and the glass half empty doom mongers as relegation candidates once more – I think most of us realists, noticing the step up in class, hoped that we would win around half-a- dozen games, enough to survive in the first season and consolidate our status and improve going forward next season.
With a final tally of 10 wins, just one less than the 11 we lost, on reflection I have to say I am pleasantly surprised.
Home form was of course the key, with just that single blip against an in-form Falcons side that caught us cold early in the game.
And, yes, maybe there was only the single victory away from home at Worcester, but the momentum has been building and if the form of the last few weeks can be bottled and carried forward into the next campaign, then who knows?
When you consider that London Irish finished third and made the Championship playoffs with just two more victories than Saints (albeit with a bucketload of bonus points) then you realise how close we might be to that next step up on our journey back to being a top club.
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Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
