Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:48 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

Thanks the Saints twitter . I'm crying into my Maths revision because Uni has stopped me from being there.

Maths revision in January? It must have changed since my day as the only revision I did in 3 years at Uni was 6 weeks' cramming for my finals right at the end of it (I could get away with it though being dead brainy). I never let Uni work get in the way of getting to a Saints game either

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:52 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

Maths revision in January? It must have changed since my day as the only revision I did in 3 years at Uni was 6 weeks' cramming for my finals right at the end of it (I could get away with it though being dead brainy). I never let Uni work get in the way of getting to a Saints game either

We get examined every January and every June, a set of exams at the end of each semester for all the modules covered.

Well I've got 5 exams in the next 2 weeks so there's no way I could afford to lose the time

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:57 pm  

We're gonna win the league!

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:23 pm  

Percival did well , looked confident and ran hard cant ask for more really. Walmsley (sp) did ok too if you forget is first carry

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:45 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

We also had 3 tries disallowed: Percival, Flash and Roby.

We must have had four disallowed then because Walmsley got over during the first half. And it was a try. Why old blow the pea out of the whistle disallowed it I will never know.

Lomaskell looked good tonight; back to their old selves. Lomax had a great short kicking game, Gaskell was excellent in defence as well as linking up very well with Lomax, particularly for the Wello try. They do look a real pairing do those two; they just need coaching. I do hope Brown sticks with them this season and gives them the support they need after last season.

Jordan Hand and Alex Walmsley are big units and both made yards in the collision which was great to see.

Percival's try was excellent and there was one passage of play which looked very impressive. If we can pull off that kind of stuff more often as the season goes by then happy days are here again.

Defensively we looked pretty handy although we will have bigger tests than tonight as the season gets underway and everyone gets serious.

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:48 pm  

No1 Saint wrote:

Percival did well , looked confident and ran hard cant ask for more really. Walmsley (sp) did ok too if you forget is first carry

It wasn't his carry though that was the problem. It was his play the ball. I felt so sorry for him! To goof up like that on your first PTB at the new club must be embarrassing. But he did look good for his debut. Liked the way he was tricky to stop in collision.

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:52 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

We must have had four disallowed then because Walmsley got over during the first half. And it was a try. Why old blow the pea out of the whistle disallowed it I will never know.

Lomaskell looked good tonight; back to their old selves. Lomax had a great short kicking game, Gaskell was excellent in defence as well as linking up very well with Lomax, particularly for the Wello try. They do look a real pairing do those two; they just need coaching. I do hope Brown sticks with them this season and gives them the support they need after last season.

Jordan Hand and Alex Walmsley are big units and both made yards in the collision which was great to see.

Percival's try was excellent and there was one passage of play which looked very impressive. If we can pull off that kind of stuff more often as the season goes by then happy days are here again.

Defensively we looked pretty handy although we will have bigger tests than tonight as the season gets underway and everyone gets serious.

All sounds good, so would you say Brown's coaching seems to have some of an attacking ethos?

The big part for me was the 0, Huddersfield can score points as good as anybody else and to nil them is a good effort.

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:13 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

All sounds good, so would you say Brown's coaching seems to have some of an attacking ethos?

To be honest, it is hard to say. We were passing the ball quicker than last season (not hard, to be fair!) but we were clearly rusty. We didn't look as regimented as last season but it was in the second half that the best attacking moves were made IMO and they often involved the younger blokes. They just bring a dynamic to the play so I'm not sure how much of it is Brown and how much of it is simply that they are young, faster and keener!

Jon Wilkin kept up his penalty conceding from last season but his kicking game was transformed tonight.

But the person who looked like he had been transformed the most was Lomax. But with both he and Gaskell it was like watching them in 2011 all over again: they looked like a happy pairing and both had excellent games. Lomax's short kicking game was outstanding, and he had a hand in almost every try.

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:31 am  

Thought we were excellent defensively tonight, which was reflected on the scoreboard. First half we didn't have much field position, but took our opportunities, and went in 16-0 up at the break, second half we brought on the youngsters, and with the continuous swapping of players, coupled with Huddersfields indiscipline at the PTB, the game didn't have any real flow to it. Attacking wise, we weren't fantastic, but our forwards combined well around the play the ball. It was a freezing cold night, but we did the basics well, unlike Huddersfield.

Out of the youngsters, Greenwood in particular impressed, and ran the ball in with real aggression. Percival made a few breaks, and looked really dangerous with ball in hand. Finsished off a nice move in the corner, and had another one chalked off. Jordan Hand was another who court my eye, and carried the ball forward really effectively.

Walmsley recovered well from the worst possible start, although he did look a little bit lanky. However, he gave us some great yardage from first receiver, as well as some steel defensively. Sia was superb, and was comfortably my MOTM, whilst Gaskell slotted in well at 6. Hohia improved us when he came on at Full Back, although I still expect him to rotate with Robes come the start of the season. Manu was outstanding first half, and caused the Huddersfield defence some real problems. If he can continue this sort of form, he will be a great addition.

Attendance wise, the official figure was just under 4,000, but I thought there was more than that to be honest. The west was about 65% full, and although their was a lot of room to move, it was a decent turnout, and the middle blocks in the south stand looked to be taken.

Anyway, overall it was a great team performance, and a good win. So far, so good.

Re: Saints v Huddersfield - Team News & Updates : Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:54 am  

I wouldn't get too carried away with the fact we didn't concede a point as Hudds attack was very predictable and easy to defend against, and clueless once Brough went off.

Agree with above: Lomax was a different player to what we saw last season. He looked controlled and took us around the pitch well. Also, his short kicking game was much improved. Jon Wilkin played well and seemed to be playing 3rd pivot to Lomax/Gaskell which worked well I thought. Josh jones was good too, he set up Percival twice in the last 10mins when he had a bit of work to do to create the overlap.

In terms of the new signings: Manu looked very strong and his offload is superb. Looked at his most dangerous off the wedge running down that left channel. Turner did well, carried the ball strongly, but defensively he looked suspect and that's going to be our 'weak' spot, definitely, especially as teams like to go right to left. Walmsley looked ok, ran the ball well and looked eager to be involved. The only criticism from last night was his fitness: played the last 20 of the first half and the first 20 of the second half and he was out on his feet, more so than anyone else. But I suppose that's understandable really.

Another interesting point was positioning: when Lance came on I thought he'd replace Roby, but when he came on it was for Wellens. Speakman came on eventually and gave Roby a rest. So I don't know whether that means that Hohaia will be rotated with Wellens this season?

Overall we showed glimpses of quality. It was nothing to get too excited about but last night we looked like a coached side - cannot remember the last time we looked like that