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OVERMACH RUGBY PARMA 21
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 68
Heineken Cup pool six round
three
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Saints’ outing at the Stadio
Sergio Lanfranchi started brightly for the visitors with the first of six
opening half tries coming after just five minutes for Carlos Spencer. However,
despite the bonus point being won after 30 minutes of play, the half was tinged
with gloom as league convert Stephen Myler had to be helped off the field in
the 12th minute with what looked like medial ligament damage to his
knee. The disappointment was obvious in both the player, his team-mates and the
coaching staff.
Myler’s injury followed the
only other low point in the half when centre Ezio Galon scored an interception
try as Saints’ fly-half hit the ground. Mark Robinson came on for the
22-year-old and Ian Vass moved to fly-half. Vass, it seems, does not seem
destined to get a run in the No 9 shirt.
Saints bounced back though
from the disappointment of losing their fly-half by scoring a try through
full-back Paul Diggin, who pulled through a late fitness to start the game.
Spencer missed this conversion but he had plenty of opportunities to get into
his rhythm as the tries started to come at a regular rate.
Chris Wyles found the space
down the wing to score the third and the forwards made themselves known with
the fourth on the 30-minute mark. Life was then made even easier for Saints as
inside centre Nadridri Sego was sent to the sin-bin. It gave Saints that extra
bit of space for Heineken Cup man of the match Steve Thompson and Robinson to
both speed over the try line. The half-time score was a heart-warming 7-40.
The temperature had definitely
changed at half-time as the sun began to slip behind the stadium, but there was
still plenty more action to come on the pitch including a resurging effort from
the home team. However, it was still Saints that scored the first try of the
half through No 8 Daniel Browne, showing the athleticism that can make him such
a dangerous player.
Then the replacements started
to come on thick and fast with Saints making three changes in the forwards on
49 minutes to give Soane Tonga’uiga, Christian Short and Sam Harding a chance
to stretch their legs. The extra impetus gave Sean Lamont, who had looked
lively from the whistle, to find his way to the line and in doing so taking the
visitors over the 50-point mark.
A few more replacements were
thrown into the mix before Pat Barnard was shown a yellow card for foul play.
The 14-man Saints began to lose their shape a little and opened the door for a
brief comeback for Parma.
Winger Giovanni Gidini skipped past the forwards to score in the corner and Marco
Neethling cut through the centre to add two tries to their tally with Roberto
Robuschi converting both to bring the score to 21-54.
But Saints had not finished.
Diggin popped up for his second score of the day, quickly followed by Lamont,
to take home a 10-try haul and five points to keep them in contention in pool
six of the Heineken Cup.
Teams:
Northampton Saints – Diggin;
Lamont, Spencer (Howard 74mins), Kydd, Wyles; Myler (Robinson 12mins), Vass;
Smith (Tonga’uiha 49mins), Thompson (Hartley 63mins), Barnard (Smith 74mins),
Lord, Gerard (Short 49mins), Easter (Tupai 56mins), Fox (capt) (Harding 49mins),
Browne (Smith 68mins).
Overmach Rugby Parma – Robuschi; Ghidini, Galon (Neethling 15-31mins),
Sego, Pavan (Neethling 40-41mins) (Rubeni 70mins); Canale (Neethling 57mins),
Pellicena (capt) (Frati 70mins); De Marchi (Fontana 41mins), Zanini, Staibano (Paoletti
57mins), Tait, Minello (Masetti 50mins), Soffredini (Barbieri 63mins), Pascu,
Vosawai.
Scorers:
Northampton Saints – Tries:
Spencer, Diggin (2), Wyles, Penalty, Thompson, Robinson, Browne, Lamont (2):
Cons: Myler, Spencer (7), Howard.
Overmach Rugby Parma – Tries: Galan,
Ghidini, Neethling; Cons: Canale, Robuschi (2).
Attendance: 2,300
Heineken Man of the Match:
Steve Thompson
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