After scoring 29 unanswered points in the second half against Gloucester United yesterday afternoon, the Wanderers were crown this season’s Aviva ‘A’ League champions in front of a noisy Franklin’s Gardens.
Try scorer, Ben Nutely, said that the team are immensely pleased to be able to secure the trophy after having made their third final in four years.
“It feels pretty amazing,” Nutley told SaintsTV after the game yesterday.
“We’ve gotten close in the past few years but to actually go on and win it was incredible.
“I think after the first half and us making a few mistakes, we felt we’d been pretty poor but we came out firing in the second half. I thought it was really professional from us and we won.
“We’ll have a celebrate tonight, it’s a good feeling.”
The Wanderers were 7-8 down at the break, however, after an impressive Gloucester side fought hard in the first forty. The home side prevailed in the second half though and with Sam Olver sending 16 points over with his boot and Nutley and Tom Collins, who crossed the whitewash twice, scoring also.
“We knew ourselves in that first half, we were getting frustrated with each other on the pitch.
“We knew it was going to come though and it came almost straight away after half time. The pressure was on them nearly all the time.
“If we’d played the whole game like that then maybe we could have been celebrating a bit earlier but a win’s a win and we can’t complain.
“We play for each other in the Wanderers. We’ve got a lot of lads moving on in the summer and we knew that this would probably be their last game but what a way to go out.
“We’ve showed what we’re able to do today and in the previous Monday nights so obviously it’s great to see the boys that are leaving going on a high and hopefully we can carry that on next year.”
Winning the trophy in front of a nearly 4,000 strong crowd, Nutley said that the support was something the Wanderers team were not expecting but hugely appreciated.
“It was pretty surprising actually. I had 35 tickets so that added a few to the crowd but it was amazing.
“When the crowd gets behind you, when something goes well and you hear the crowd cheering, we definitely felt that in the second half once we got on top.
“They’re the sixteenth man every time.”
Saints face Harlequins in the last regular game of the Aviva Premiership season this Saturday (4pm) and need a win, while also ensuring that their opposition collect no league points, to secure European Champions Cup rugby for next season. Make your voice count and be the sixteenth man for Saints this weekend by filling Franklin's Gardens with noise. CLICK HERE to seal your spot at the Gardens this Saturday.
