After two tricky away games at Exeter and Nottingham, welcome back to Franklin’s Gardens! We now have two home games against Coventry and Newbury and one away game against the Cornish All Blacks to take us to the half-way stage in National League One. Our aim must be to win all three games and to continue to widen the gap at the top.
After 15 games it would be comforting to be 15 points clear at the top and still be unbeaten. As we discovered at Nottingham last weekend it is often easier said than done. Every team will raise their game against us and we must be 100% on song. We have already got 10 bonus points, but so have today’s visitors Coventry.
Anyone who thinks that today’s game will be a stroll in the part could well be wrong. All I ask is two things – for boys to give 100% and for you to get behind the team and cheer them on. A big welcome to the Coventry team, their management and all their supporters.
When I was a lad and first became interested in rugby there were four great clubs in the Midlands: Northampton, Leicester, Bedford and Coventry, and at that time the latter two clubs were the greatest. They come here with a great pedigree. So bring it on!
The Saints are in a difficult position at the moment. We obviously have to keep our heads down and take each game as it comes, focussing completely on the match in hand. On the other hand we must believe we can win promotion this year and have some private thoughts on what we need to do to compete successfully in the Guinness Premiership.
This is beginning to happen, but in a quiet, low-profile way. We obviously don’t want to be seen to be counting our chickens before they are hatched. On the other hand 80% of all recruitment takes place in the first three months of the year. This is just a few weeks away so we cannot leave it too late.
Jim and his coaching team will make all of the decisions as to the comings and goings. Although your Board has elected three directors – Colin Povey, Nick Beal and Phil Pask – to act as a Rugby Advisory Panel, mainly to deal with the strategy we need to take over the next few years to produce a team we can be proud of.
Some of you will have read about the new agreement between the RFU and Premier Rugby, which I sincerely hope will work. This deal will eventually lead to more English players taking a part in the Guinness Premiership, although in my opinion there is still ample room for world-class foreign players.
Jim and the Advisory Panel need to take all this on board; choosing the right way ahead will be critical. Our supporters and the press are always keen to be updated. This, however, is difficult. Let me give you an example. Agent A talks to us about Player B. We make an offer. Agent A then deliberately leaks it to the press to see who will make a better offer. Often the better offer comes from Player B’s existing club. It’s all part of a market place!
However until the deal is signed and sealed all sorts of false rumours will be started and fanned by the aficionados on the World Wide Web. We will try and keep all of you up to date. Just take anything you read with a pinch of salt until then.
Our home crowds have been excellent this season and the games against the Cornish Pirates on December 22nd and Bedford on January 5th are really selling well. At least one of these will be a complete sell-out so don’t miss out and get your tickets today!
