Northampton Saints: Hooker Long is raring to go as Saints look to secure semi-final spot
Pictures by Linda Dawson
As England stand on the edge of a new revolution Saints’ Andy Long remembers the first one 15 years ago.
Long was part of the start of the England revolution that eventually culminated in winning the World Cup in 2003.
Tomorrow, five Saints players will be hoping to be at the start of a similar journey that could end in triumph at Twickenham in 2015.
Long remembers the excitement and anticipation when he was a member of Sir Clive Woodward’s first England squad as he took the national side into the professional era.
“It was fantastic getting called up,” said Long. “Every year I look back and it gets further away. I was very young and had just broken into the Bath team. It was a great opportunity.”
Long won two caps under Woodward helping England draw 15-15 with Australia in Woodward’s first match in charge, a result that interim head coach Stuart Lancaster would love to put on his CV.
Now in the autumn of his career, Long is looking forward to a rare start for Saints thanks to Dylan Hartley’s England call-up and injuries to Mike Haywood and Brett Sharman.
The 34-year-old can’t wait for what will be just his third start for the club since joining in 2009, though he has come off the bench 23 times.
“I am massively looking forward to it,” said Long. “I have not started too many games, I started some at the beginning and then I got injured. I can’t wait to get out there and show what I can do.”
Saints are looking to redress the balance after two hefty defeats to Munster and Bath, conceding 10 tries and nearly 100 points in the process.
Not only do they need to win to reach the semi-finals, but also get some form back ahead of four vital Aviva Premiership games while their internationals are on Six Nations duty.
Long, who spent seven years playing at Bath before spells at Munster, Rotherham and Newcastle, says defence is something Saints have been working hard on this week.
And he feels a number of the tries Saints have let in have come when they have been chasing the game and players have become over-eager.
“We have got to make sure we get our systems right from the start and stick to it,” said Long.
“When we are chasing games we tend to fall out of our system and put pressure on ourselves.
“We know we have got to trust our organisation and then it is up to work-rate and desire. We have got to make sure we make those tackles and slow the ball down, be patient and get turnovers when we need to.”
The breakdown has also been issue for the last two games, with Saints getting slowed up badly by Munster and Bath.
“Against Munster you look at the referees who ref it slightly differently,” said Long. “Teams seem to get away with a lot more in the Heineken Cup. In the Premiership it is black and white a wee bit.
“But then we have just got to be better, we need to be more accurate and more physical at the breakdown. When you get there the first two guys need to do the job, which means you can get quick ball and you can have more players in attack, or more players to defend.
“It is about decision making at the breakdown, you have to react to what type of tackle is made in attack and defence.
“In defence, if you make a good positive tackle and you know you can win the ball you can add one or two more players to it, but if you do that to a tackle that is not as effective and they get the ball back then you are numbers down in defence. Rugby is all about decision-making and we need to be spot on with them.”
The defence should be a lot tighter with a host of players set to come back for Saints after being rested last week. A more solid looking midfield and the return of Calum Clark should also see Saints better at the breakdown as well.
And Long will ensure Saints are fully motivated tomorrow.
“This is like a quarter-final for us,” said Long. “We are looking to amend things and if we all to a man do our jobs right then we will perform well as a team.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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