Debutant James Cannon got his hands on the ball early with a pass from a ruck to second row partner, and fellow Senior Academy member, Phil Hoy. And the team as a whole worked through their phases in pursuit of an early try.
It would come, but not before wing Matt Jess scooped up a loose ball in his 22 and raced into acres of space. Unfortunately for the Launceston flyer the whistle had gone for a penalty for offside in the preceding play. This was sent to the corner, again it was won and Chris Budgen – with a little help from Mark Easter – drove over in the Shrubbery Corner.
Stephen Myler landed the touchline conversion and four minutes later had a second shot at goal from the other side thanks to Joe Ansbro’s third try in four days. The centre did well to squeeze past the covering defence but the try was deserved for more good approach work by the team.
Saints had had all of the play and despite the second conversion being missed they were well worth their 12-nil lead.
But Launceston showed that they weren’t at the Gardens just to make up the numbers as scrum-half Sam Alford scooped up a loose ball, chipped the defensive line, collected the bounce himself and scored between the sticks. Fly half Marc Scrivener converted and Launceston were back in the hunt at 7-12.
Number eight Gavin Quinnell had showed his power and skill on many an occasion with Worcester and he was soon at it again. One break on the left made yards, but another on the right came to a shuddering halt thanks to Soane Tonga’uiha.
For the next 10 minutes the All Blacks were looking rejuvenated and dangerous. But the Saints showed for the umpteenth time this season that they cannot be taken lightly anywhere by turning the ball over at a ruck on their 22 and running 80 metres for the try. Bruce Reihana finished the move off with a swallow dive between the sticks and Myler added the extras.
The bonus point came two minutes later thanks to Alex Rae’s first try of the season, set up by a great break by Hoy. And though the Cornishmen had more ball and tried their hardest Saints still scored two more tries before the break through Neil Starling and Paul Shields.
Starling grabbed a second try seven minutes after the break, finishing off a simple handling move. Ansbro had set up the territory with a lovely run up the left wing but he, and the rest of the team, were called into defensive duty soon after.
The All Blacks camped out on the Saints line and drove repeatedly and spread the ball occasionally. Wherever they looked for the gap however there was a white shirt in attendance and eventually a turnover was forced.
That was as close as Launceston got to the Saints line, although they refused to give up the game until the final whistle. On the score board however it was one-way traffic as tries for Myler, Reihana again, replacement Darren Fox and Mark Easter took the score to 67-7. Both sets of coaches used their full set of replacements and from a Saints perspective the only concern was Ben Lewitt’s being helped off the field.
Jess nearly got away again from deep in his own half and was only pulled down by a last ditch Dylan Hartley tackle. This received a cheer, but the roof was raised when a quick throw in ended up in Reihana’s hands for the Saints skipper to complete his second hat trick in four days.
Teams:
Launceston – Birkett; Jess, Westren, Perry, Dibble; Scrivener (Fisher 49mins), Alford (Turner 59mins); Bolt, Clark (Brooking 59mins), Ovens (Liddington 59mins), Pape, Myerscough (Parker 64mins), Lord (capt)(Rawlings 64mins), Roques, Quinnell (Hocking 44mins).
Northampton Saints – Reihana (capt); Starling, Ansbro (Harries 68mins), Downey (Everitt 55mins), Diggin; Myler, Robinson (Vass 55mins); Tonga’uiha (Stewart 64mins), Shields (Hartley 64mins), Budgen, Cannon, Hoy, Rae (Fox 64mins), Lewitt (Lord 68mins), Easter.
Scorers:
Launceston – Try: Alford; Con: Scrivener.
Northampton Saints – Tries: Budgen, Ansbro, Reihana (3), Rae, Starling (2), Shields, Myler, Fox, Easter; Cons: Myler (6).
Referee:
Llyr Apgeraint Roberts
TIMELINE:
8mins SAINTS Try Budgen Con Myler 0-7
13mins SAINTS Try Ansbro 0-12
18mins LAUNC Try Alford Con Scrivener 7-12
28mins SAINTS Try Reihana Con Myler 7-19
30mins SAINTS Try Rae 7-24
37mins SAINTS Try Starling 7-29
40+1mins SAINTS Try Shields Con Myler 7-36
HALF-TIME LAUNCESTON 7 SAINTS 36
47mins SAINTS Try Starling Con Myler 7-43
58mins SAINTS Try Myler 7-48
63mins SAINTS Try Reihana 7-53
70mins SAINTS Try Fox Con Myler 7-60
75mins SAINTS Try Easter Con Myler 7-67
83mins SAINTS Try Reihana 7-72
FULL-TIME LAUNCESTON 7 SAINTS 72
