Northampton Saints: Mallinder praises defence as his side gain sweet revenge on Scarlets in south Wales
Pictures by Linda Dawson
BOSS Jim Mallinder praised what he described as a ‘tremendous defensive effort’ as Saints sealed victory in deepest south Wales.
With the home crowd on their feet baying for a try that would have kept Scarlets’ Heineken Cup hopes alive, Saints battered back wave after wave of attack.
Then with time almost up Ben Foden pounced on a poor pass from replacement scrum-half Rhodri Williams to race 90-metres to score the game-clinching try. It was fitting for Foden because he was magnificent in defence, fielding the high balls superbly and putting in four try-saving tackles, two on Liam Williams in those final frantic minutes.
After gifting Scarlets four tries at Franklin’s Gardens in November, Saints were at the other end of the scale, desperate not to hand the home side anything.
Mallinder said: “We said in the week that we were disappointed with the manner of losing to Scarlets at Franklin’s Gardens and we wanted to put that straight. It was a good game with chances for both sides, but we were pleased to hold out with a tremendous defensive effort.”
And yet Saints had started the game offering more gifts when Tom May stupidly threw the ball into the face of Gareth Davies. It was silly and hardly dangerous, but it offered referee Alain Rolland the chance to reach into his pocket and he didn’t disappoint, producing a yellow.
Rolland had been roundly booed when he emerged at the start of the game. He is still public enemy number one in Wales after sending Sam Warburton off at the World Cup.
It was his first visit to the principality since that controversial episode that saw them lose to France in the semi-finals and he seemed to spend the first half trying to make it up to Wales.
He gave some bewildering decisions, mostly against Saints, and was the main reason why Mallinder’s men were 14-6 down at the break.
After seemingly spending most of the Heineken Cup campaign complaining about referees, Mallinder wisely kept his counsel after the game, saying only: “We will do what we always do and review the performance, look at ourselves and see what we can do better.”
Saints gave just three points away while May was in the bin and Rhys Priestland was not only kicking well at goal, but out of hand as well. He had made it 9-3 when he kicked a penalty to the corner.
Jonathan Davies was a huge threat all game with his powerful surges from deep and he smashed through of the lineout for Priestland to land a crossfield kick into the arms of Vili Iongi for the first try.
At 14-3 Saints were again being dictated to by Priestland’s kicking. At Franklin’s Gardens, though, it was his steepling bombs that caused havoc, but that was without Foden.
With the England full-back in the team, they were defused, while Stephen Myler was given a rare start to implement an ‘away-day’ game plan and his kicking was excellent to give Saints plenty of territory. The Saints forwards, in particular Soane Tonga’uiha and Phil Dowson, seemed to have the edge around the fringes while the return of Calum Clark saw them dominate the breakdown.
Scarlets’ head of rugby Nigel Davies spent most of the half waving his arms in frustration as Saints slowed up his side at the breakdown and that was mainly down to Clark. If England do want their own Richie McCaw or David Pocock then Clark could be it, though he plays with six on his back.
His game was epitomised when a dangerous break by Scott Williams was ended by Clark getting over the ball to win a penalty. Myler made it 14-6 at the break and Mallinder wasn’t that unhappy with the display; ‘just keep playing’ was his message.
The forwards got Saints back in the game, but it was a brilliant lineout move called by winger Chris Ashton and almost scored by Foden that got them in position.
A 5m lineout drive was held up and from the scrum Saints were going backwards, but Roger Wilson peeled off and Tonga’uiha dived over from a metre.
Myler kicked three superb long range penalties to make it 22-17 and he could have avoided the late drama when Saints stole a lineout in Scarlets’ 22 but instead of using players free out wide the Saints fly-half went for the line. Scarlets turned him over, sped up field and Liam Williams and Deacon Manu were inches from scoring a try. But Saints held out and Foden finished it.
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