Chris Gleadell: Gearing up for a Euro glory night – hopefully!
Well you can never say life has been dull following the Saints since our return to the top flight.
After 35 competitive games so far we come to the 36th, the European Challenge Cup Final.
What a way to end a season!
Let's hope that when the referee blows his final whistle tomorrow night that we have truly gone out on a high.
Looking back to that balmy night in Toulon in the south of France where this European journey began in early October last year, I am not sure too many of the 600 or so Saints supporters present would have envisaged that eight months later we would be on the eve of the final with Saints in the driving seat.
The ECC might not get the coverage of its bigger brother, the Heineken Cup, and it might be much maligned in some quarters – some clubs even seem to treat it with disdain – but for Saints this season it has been an enjoyable ride thus far, with just one more step to go.
There have been more than a few highlights along the way. On our travels that aforementioned night in the cauldron of Toulon – where you could not meet nicer people – stands out. The team ran riot, put 50 points on the board and laid down the marker for the rest of the group.
Then the game down at Montpellier's Le Stade Yves-du-Manoir in January.
It might have been on an extremely chilly night for that part of the world, but there was no shortage of heat on the pitch as both sides fought tooth and nail to gain an edge.
The lead changed hands four times but a bit of genius running by Sean Lamont, sending his defender this way and that, settled it in Saints' favour.
With just three tries scored that night, the four-try bonus was the only point that evaded Saints during the whole of the group stages.
At home during those group games it was pretty much one way traffic.
An average of more than 56 points scored per game left nothing in doubt as, despite early jitters, half-centuries were put on both French sides and fellow English side Bristol, one of those teams who seemed to view the ECC as an inconvenience, were well and truly put to the sword in a 10-try rout.
Ending the group stages as second seeds guaranteed both home quarter and semi-finals.
To get to the second you had to win the first though, and visitors Connacht had not come to lie down.
In a totally forgettable first hour the Irish side managed to drag Saints into playing their brand of uninventive rugby, and it wasn't until around the hour mark when the visitors edged the lead for the first time that Saints sprung into life.
Sensing perhaps that all the hard work over the previous months was fast coming to nothing, the ECC Saints we were used to seeing upped the ante and ran in four tries in the last nine minutes to set up the semi-final with Saracens.
The Sarries game is of course still fresh in the memory, but again we left it late on an atmosphere-charged night at the Gardens.
After dominating the first period, Sarries hit back and levelled the score with just minutes left.
Just as it looked like it was curtains for Saints, up stepped Stephen Myler with the sweetest of drop goals to put us, by the skin of our teeth, into the final.
So that is where we find ourselves.
Friday night at the Stoop playing Bourgoin and just a matter of a few 100 yards away from the venue of our greatest triumph almost nine years ago to the day.
I would settle for the same result, but think on the night, should we play to our strengths, it might not be quite so close as the single point that saw us defeat Munster 9-8 at Twickenham in 2000.
That is taking nothing away from our opponents Bourgoin.
Those who follow French rugby will know that although the team flirt with relegation one season then fight for Heineken qualification in mid-table the next with regularity, every now and then they pull a massive result out of the bag.
They may not have set the world alight this season, but two recent results do catch the eye.
Of course we all know about the smash and grab quarter-final win over tournament favourites London Irish at Reading, but perhaps we should also take note of their Top 14 game three weeks ago.
Playing at Toulouse it took a late, late Maleli Kunavore try, the only one of the game, for a full strength Toulouse side to overcome Bourgoin 13-6.
So clearly they can play
a bit when they put
their minds to it and should not be taken lightly,
especially as they seem to raise their game for the big occasion.
They can also mix it up a bit too, they have a strong pack that can be, to put a nicer word on it, 'abrasive' at times, and it is important that Saints stay above it and don't get dragged down into a war of attrition because Bourgoin have a pair of half-backs that will take full advantage should that happen.
I am sure Jim Mallinder and his coaches will be well aware of those pitfalls though, and although paying them full respect will be concentrating on our game and what we have been doing so well recently.
Certainly with a full complement we can more than match them up front and it is our firepower behind the pack that could win it for us should we get good ball out to the likes of Bruce, Digger and Ben Foden.
I mentioned Bourgoin being big game players, well I would like to think we have a few of our own.
The thought of not only securing the silverware but also of grabbing the carrot of Heineken Cup qualification will be the spur for our lads to grab the glory.
And of course it is a big, big night for us supporters too.
After all the shenanigans over the venue and the day, arrangements are still far from perfect not only for those coming over from France, where it is hoped a few hundred will make the journey, but for Saints supporters too.
Some people cannot make it at all and that is a real shame and it is clear that television coverage takes precedent over supporters in this concern.
Plainly ERC need to look at the organisation of this tournament as whole, as from a supporters' view it has been nothing short of a shambles from the off.
From continued delayed announcement of fixtures, then two Thursday night trips to France to a final on a Friday that was initially at the worst venue for both finalists, it seems little real thought has gone into the Challenge Cup.
Having said that the die is cast and Saints are in it to win it.
At the time of writing there are no exact numbers available on attendance, but I would be surprised if there is anything less than seven or eight thousand Saints supporters there.
Tickets are still available from the Stoop ticket office so if you are wavering, go on do it, give them a call on 0871 527 1315, it could be a big night in Saints' history, be there!
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Friday 10 February 2012
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