Northampton v Scarlets

First topic message reminder :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15725328.stm

Northampton put their seven-and-a-half year unbeaten Heineken Cup record on the line against Scarlets on Friday.

The Llanelli region were the last team to beat Saints at Franklin's Gardens when fly-half Stephen Jones kicked eight points in an 18-9 win in 2004.

The Scarlets have only won once away in their last eight European games and but Heineken Cup runners-up Northampton lost their opener this term at Munster.

Rhys Priestland could make his first Scarlets start this season.

The versatile back suffered a shoulder injury in Wales' World Cup quarter-final victory over Ireland and came on as a replacement for Stephen Jones in the Scarlets' opening European victory against Castres.

Northampton beat Llanelli at the Madejski Stadium in the 2000 Heineken Cup semi-final en route to winning the tournament.

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Should be a good game but unfortunately I can't see the Scarlets getting much out of it, hopefully a LBP. Still we can dream

Great to see Gareth Davies get a chance and young Rhodri Williams too. Both have played some good rugby when they have had their opportunities.


Good pack considering they are missing several first choices like McCusker, Turnbull and Day.

Welch looks good, another Bradly Davies type player.


This could be interesting.

Gareth Davies has looked really good when I've seen him, but Rhodri has looked out of his depth at the moment every game he's played - except maybe the Ospreys game but he was only on the field for around 10 mins.

I'm worried if something happens to G Davies or if he's not quite on form what will happen to Rhodri against a (more than likely) dominant Saints pack, behind a beaten scrum with little go foward.

But you never know we could get a decent lot of possession from our fowards fronting up and cut through their midfield. It'll be interesting as you say Maes

At least the Scarlets 2nd row add a bit of grunt. May couteract the Saints scrum a bit. The backrow isnt bad considering the injuries. Edwards is finding form. I really rated him when he first started playing for the Scarlets and thought he might get caps, but then had a string of injuries. Still afraid we will be bullied upfront.

Yeah It's going to take a big cohesive effort from the Scarlets pack to stand toe to toe with the Saints pack - I really liked Edwards 2 years ago, and same as you thought he may if he picked it up a bit get a call up but he's been knocked back and this season seems to be giving away a few too many penalities (like Lloyd Burns in giving away penalties)

It was interesting watching that Dragons scrum last night, and i envisage Scarlets vs Saints being similar, that the defensive scrum was actually quite a decent weapon where as the attacking scrum where they were trying to launch attacks at the base was appallingly under powered.

Scarlets should pay attention to that and look to work not off the back of the scrum but off second phase from a scrum. Keep the forwards pushing while scrum half clears the ball to set up second phase where ball carrying forwards like Welch and Morgan can make some good yards.

We (Dragons) got mullered at scrum time last night, but it didn't affect the result. Obviously Saints away is a tougher prospect than a relatively poor Perpignan at home, but the Scarlets still have enough wit and invention to get something out of this, even though they might find themselves shoved around in the scrums.

Pob lwc, bois!

Interesting point Maes and could work though I don't expect the Saints to be as lethargic as Perignan were last night

Dragons were only "MULLERED" in their attacking scrums...! They did well in their defensive ones.

Good Dragons performance all round though, and their scrum will only benefit with experiences last night.

Hopefully when Rowntree is announced as the new Welsh scrum coach then it will also be announced that he will work with the regions on improving their scrummaging too...

It would be a real coup if we could get Graham Rowntree.

That would be good if he signs for Wales AND works with the regions - but I do wonder how much impact a coach can have for 1 day a week or just 2 days a month or something.

Still it would be good news - and I agree with Maes that the Dragons scum was defensively very, very good and won a few pens off it if I remember.

To be fair, Scarlets did the same last weekend against Castres as Dragons did last night against Perpignan with regards to defensive scrums.

nerves kicking in big time now.

Ben Morgan needs another massive game.

In the defensive scrum you can maintain an eight man shove for much longer...!

Welsh regions really need to work on their ability at the scrum. We have a lot of young props around and a few ageing war horses... They need to develop fast and with good techniques...!

Not Downey and Clarke in the centres again!

Stink, stink, stink.
Saints-Scarlets are not on tv here in the US.
I reallly don't like streaming in over the internet, but will do if needed.

I have surgery in a few minutes which should go until about 90 minutes before kickoff. I actually scheduled this so I can see the match. And it is a tough op. All I wanted to do is get home, have a beer and watch.

Can someone please fix this for your friendly neighborhood doctor?????????

It won't be broadcasted here either
Does anyone know of a good stream?

I thought it was on Sky - which I would have assumed was accessible in some weird way via network/cable in other parts of the world (that has Fox)

I'm in an even worse boat as because it's not on terrestrial TV I'm forced to go to the Cardiff City stadium to watch the Blues!!!!

"4 Sione Timani
5 Damian Welch"

This second row isn't underpowered. Saints is with Lawes though, that guy's a bit overated in my opinion. They don't need much power from the engine room though with that front row. The Scarlets team is pretty good, I think they have a chance to get something, unless their heads go down like Welford Road last season.

That Saints team looks pretty strong. It will be a hell of an achievement for Scarlets to sneak a win.

I'm just going to miss geting away from work in time to go, blast it.

BlueNote wrote:That Saints team looks pretty strong. It will be a hell of an achievement for Scarlets to sneak a win.

ooooh, red rag to a bull........must resist..........yeaaaaaaargh!

[quote="Morgannwg"]"4 Sione Timani
5 Damian Welch"

This second row isn't underpowered. Saints is with Lawes though, that guy's a bit overated in my opinion. They don't need much power from the engine room though with that front row. The Scarlets team is pretty good, I think they have a chance to get something, unless their heads go down like Welford Road last season. [/

Oh dear dream on.....

I think Morgannwg is right, Welch is a big lad and a hell of a player ball in hand... This could be very interesting. THe Scarlets need a lot less ball to work from than Saints do...!

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I thought it was on Sky - which I would have assumed was accessible in some weird way via network/cable in other parts of the world (that has Fox)

The only channel that broadcast Heineken cup here is setanta sport but they're not airing the Northampton match.
I really wanna watch the match but I can't find a stream. help!

Ask Alyn Davies he seems to know how to find games

maestegmafia wrote:Ask Alyn Davies he seems to know how to find games

It's ok, just found one.
hope it runs smoothly *fingers crossed*

Good start. Saints are dirty buggers though...

3-14

Tries by Liam Williams and Aaron Shingler

Scarlets have a great reputation for upsets in the HC over recent seasons, including beating Toulouse, London Irish(who had just beaten Leinster) and Munster away from home.

Looks like another one could be on the cards, wish Id backed them cause I thought about it.

Looks like the ref fancies himself as the 16th player for the scarlets! Shocking!

Artful_Dodger wrote:Scarlets have a great reputation for upsets in the HC over recent seasons, including beating Toulouse, London Irish(who had just beaten Leinster) and Munster away from home.

Looks like another one could be on the cards, wish Id backed them cause I thought about it.

Scarlets have never beaten munster away that quarter finals was in wales.

3 of the four tries conceded by Saints in the HC so far have had bad refereeing blunders. Feel sorry for them.

However despite being bullied by Saints front 5, the pace and ambition of Scarlets is fantastic. I am impressed by their tackling this year - last year it was woeful.

Quite right vajester, my mistake, now that I think about it it would be a lot more obvious if Scarlets had got a victory against Munster at Thomond in the HC.

Still some big upsets in recent years.

The ref is awful, no where near HEC standard. Scarlets defense is offside at nearly every saints attack. The scrum is a farce. Got to love the way the scarlets attack though.

This ref is cr@p. High tackle, knock ons etc. And he's an international ref. Amazing!

Saints are not playing well and are obviously rattled.

Shingler off injured. Apparently his brother got a red card for irish

Saints always stand up in the scrum.

Dirty buggers too. Always scraping of the ball...

LondonTiger wrote:3 of the four tries conceded by Saints in the HC so far have had bad refereeing blunders. Feel sorry for them.

However despite being bullied by Saints front 5, the pace and ambition of Scarlets is fantastic. I am impressed by their tackling this year - last year it was woeful.

It took sky three or four times to figure out whether it was a knock on using slow motion replay, the ref doesn't have that benefit. The offside was a yard or so and again its hard for the ref to judge it.

Owens missed the knock on in the build up to the howlett try but northhampton had more than enough phases to stop it after the knock on.

I missed the first try today so I don't know what the ref messed up for that.

They've been unlucky with a few mistakes but I wouldnt describe them as 'bad blunders.'

I hate when crowd shouts for a sending off

Did someone call the Saints dirty earlier? How many pens is that now?!

Val,

The offside was about 4 yards.

First try last week saw Ashton pulled back off the ball right in front of Owens, while Howlett ran through a gap created by perfect blocking.

LondonTiger wrote:I hate when crowd shouts for a sending off

The crowd are appallingly badly behaved

Fitzgibon looks out of depth refereeing HEC

Am i missing something in these scrums or is hartley standing up in every single one?

LondonTiger wrote:Val,

The offside was about 4 yards.

First try last week saw Ashton pulled back off the ball right in front of Owens, while Howlett ran through a gap created by perfect blocking.

There was no blocking, which interfered with a tackler for Howlett's try, if you want to moan about blocking in the Munster match you should be giving out about the blocking by DOC on the players trying to charge down the drop goal. Even sky didn't go on about ashton being pulled back, incidents like that never get given, it was minimal.

On the offside today it was about two yards at most and as seen a few minutes ago when the commentator said offside from the kickoff when the replay showed everyone onside, it is really difficult to judge whether or not someone is offside.

Giblets got the try..l

9-21 to the scarlets..

Just turned over from the Blues game.

Did not expect that!

Brilliant Scarlets

Stupidity by the Scarlets but I'm delighted to see a ref penalising the tapping opposition on the head.


Fitzgibbon really is a poor ref but hes not to blame for the Saints being behind, they look nowhere near as good as they were last week.

Fitzgibbon isn't having a great game but lets be honest Saints are making so many unforced errors. I expect them to make fewer mistakes in the second half.

Also I would say that Saints are definitely getting it easy at the scrum. Standing up, turning in, going to their knees. plenty of pens could have gone against them. The 'high tackle' wasn't a high tackle as it started on the shoulder and slid up. missed the offside so can't comment

Gareth Davies conceded a penalty after the try for back chat or something to a saints player.

Considering the amount of punches and kicks he has taken from the saints front five, the ref should have more empathy...!

Scarlets on limited ball, but not making many mistakes, saints are riddled with errors, losing eir cool constantly and spending far too long trying to get stuck in with a bit of afters off the ball rather than play any rugby.

Scarlets definitely surprisingly ahead by three tries to none at half time and surely after a bonus point win now...!

No one predicted that...

Saints could well get into this.. Their abbrasiveness makes up for their lack in how rugby ability