Veenendaal guides Saints U19 to wet win over Leeds:
Saints U19s had a hard fought victo
Veenendaal guides Saints U19 to wet win over Leeds:
Saints U19s had a hard fought victory over Leeds Carnegie at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday. It was a credit to groundsman 'Piggy'Powell and his team for getting the pitch playable with all the recent rain and it was great to see so many local supporters at the match, including some of our Academy U16s. Both teams tried to play expansive rugby despite the conditions. Poor ball retention and some missed kicks at touch put extra pressure on Saints in the first half. The Leeds back row competed at every breakdown and rarely gave Saints a good platform to play off. Darryl Veenendaal, despite playing out of position at fly half, made good use of the little possession the Saints backs received and kicked the first points of the match with a well struck penalty.
Driven lineouts into the wind proved to be a good weapon for the Saints pack with scrum-half Harry Peck sniping around the fringes. The support play didn't arrive in time to allow any continuity from any line breaks and resulted in turn over ball. With neither side able to hold onto the ball long enough to penetrate the defences no further scores were added before half time.
The focus for the Saints pack during the break was the set piece, particularly the scrum where Leeds had the upper hand. Substitutions early in the second half had good impact on the game with Sam Hodgson and Liam Neale slowing down the opposition ball and frustrating their backs.
Good defensive pressure led to a charge down and Veenendaal dribbled the ball perfectly from 40 metres out to score the first try of the match. Veenendaal also kicked the conversion from wide out to take a 10-0 lead with 30 minutes to go. It was end to end play for the rest of the match and it was Leeds who got a well deserved try just before
the final whistle to make the final score 10-7 to Saints.
Match report by Grant Seely
Saints Academy Coach
http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/3831_4538.php
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Added: 4 months ago
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Three tries see Under-19s to a win over Sale
Saints U19s recorded a fine 22-19 victory
Three tries see Under-19s to a win over Sale
Saints U19s recorded a fine 22-19 victory over Sale at the Sharks' Carrington training ground. Playing into a slight wind in the first half the Saints pack opened the scoring with a well worked drive from a lineout with umber eight Rob Milligan breaking through tackles to score in the corner. The game was being played at a fast pace with the referee struggling to keep up at times. The Sharks side had several players with Guinness 'A' League experience and both back lines had opportunities to score during a frantic first half. Sale drew level with a powerful drive of their own and converted to take the lead at the break.
The Sale side attacked around the fringes and kept the ball tight playing into the wind. Good defensive pressure in the Saints' 22 led to a kick charge down and a kind bounce straight into the arms of the Sale lock who dived over the line. Injuries in the Saints back line saw three players out of position but the Saints side were a constant threat when the ball was moved wide. Fly-half Darryl Veenendaal struck a drop-goal to close the gap to 12-8 after a sustained period of pressure. Lock James Cannon and prop Jon Vickers, both returning from injuries, successfully completed 50 minutes of the match and left their mark in the set piece. The Sale side capitalised on a loose pass in the Saints midfield and made ground up to the 22-metre line with an attacking lineout. Three powerful picks infield sucked in the Saints defence and created the space out wide for the Sale backs to cross the line for the third time. Facing a 19-8 score line the Saints side showed no signs of panic and quickly went back on the offensive with some penetrating runs from centre Nick Greenhalgh. All the replacements made a big impact and added fresh impetus to the team. The best try of the afternoon was scored by wing Josh Clark who rounded off several phases of possession and his try was successfully converted from wide out. With a few minutes to go and Sale with a man in the sin bin for killing the ball at the breakdown Saints opted for a scrum five metres from the Sale line. A well worked back row move saw flanker Liam Neale dive under the posts for a match winning score. Despite a nervous final few moments in the Saints 22, Sam Hodgson won a crucial ball and hooker Alex Roper secured possession allowing Saints to clear our lines and kick the ball clear for the final whistle to sound.
Scorers: Saints U19 -- Tries: Milligan, Clark, Neale; Cons: Veenendaal (2); Drop-goal: Veenendaal
Match report by Grant Seely
Saints Academy Coach
http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/3831_4606.php
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Added: 4 months ago
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Wanderers have it all to do in second leg of 'A' League final
Mon 21st Apr 2008 - Dry Le
Wanderers have it all to do in second leg of 'A' League final
Mon 21st Apr 2008 - Dry Leas
London Wasps are in the driving seat of the Guinness Premiership 'A' League final at the halfway stage, having scored five tries in their 34-3 victory over the Wanderers at Dry Leas. The bulk of the scoring was in the first half, and the raft of Academy youngsters who saw action after the break came out of the game with plenty of credit. Barry Everitt kicked the Wanderers' only points with a first-half penalty. But the deficit is not insurmountable and the second leg at Franklin's Gardens next Monday is not to be missed.
Wasps are the reigning Guinness 'A' League champions, and in the first few minutes it was clear that the Wanderers would have to be on top form to come away from Dry Leas still in contention for the title. Having said that, both sides had their chances in the opening 10 minutes. Dave Ward took advantage of a loose Wasps lineout to head for the line, and Paul Diggin's interception in his own 22 proved crucial in ending a potent home attack.
Nevertheless the hosts still took a decent lead with a fifth-minute Jeremy Staunton drop-goal and a Chris Bishay try seven minutes later. Bishay had a second chance soon after thanks to a lucky bounce, but it was centre Henry Barrett who rounded off some Wasps pressure at the end of the first quarter. Staunton converted for a 15-0 lead.
The Wanderers were struggling to build up any head of steam. Mind you, they weren't helping themselves either. Paul Tupai's knock on at a scrum base set up the pressure for Wasps' second try and play was forced that little bit too often. There were a couple of good opportunities to build pressure before the half-hour, but maul five metres out from the home line was held out and a ricochet at a ruck handed possession over.
This had followed a powerful Wasps scrum, and the home pack continued to dominate the set piece. Only a penalty at a five-metre scrum prevented a try, but when a maul was set up in a similar position in the 38th minute patience prevailed and James Buckland emerged with a try. Staunton landed the second conversion and Wasps were 22-0 up.
Barry Everitt pulled three points back two minutes into injury-time, but at 22-3 down the Wanderers still had a mountain after the break.
Nevertheless, with Rob Milligan and Joe Gray now on the field, the visitors started the second half on the front foot. Everitt kicked fully 60 metres to the corner, and then a second immediately after, but this lineout strayed off line and Wasps cleared.
The mistake proved crucial as the hosts went upfield and scored through flanker Rob Webber. This 27-3 lead continued until the hour, although the Wanderers did have a promising chance to build pressure when Will Harries made a searing break up the right wing.
Soane Tonga'uiha also made a powerful break up the middle. But although neither run amounted to anything it was clear that the JSA youngsters, by now including Ollie Storey and debutant Darryl Veenendaal, were going to take a considerable amount of good experience from the evening's experience.
Veenendaal's distribution was accurate and he was linking up well at half-back with Harries, whose chip just eluded Robbie Kydd as the Wanderers began to string together some good phases of play. Neil Starling also made a great break, spinning out of a tackle and accelerating up to Wasps' 22. It was a rare visit to home territory that came to an end with a penalty conceded for coming into the side, and with five minutes to go Wasps replacement flanker Ken Aseme crashed over for a try that Staunton converted.
This brought the scoring to a close but not the action, as Veenendaal prodded Wasps back with a pair of box kicks. But the Wanderers couldn't make a breakthrough and face a tough challenge at the Gardens next Monday.
Teams:
London Wasps -- Doherty; Bishay, Barrett, Hoadley (Honeyben 79mins), Odejobi; Staunton, Simpson (McMillan 40mins); Beech, Buckland (Doran-Jones 79mins), Holford (Rowe 79mins), Corker (Lindsay 77mins), Birkett, Leo (Williams 66mins), Webber, Hart (capt)(Aseme 68mins).
Wanderers -- Harries; Diggin (Storey 46mins), Starling, Kydd, Smith; Everitt (Veenendaal 64mins), Brake; Tonga'uiha (Vickers 79mins), Shields (Gray 40mins), Budgen (Emms 53mins), Cannon, Hoy, Fox (Giles 74mins), Ward (capt), Tupai (Milligan 40mins).
Scorers:
London Wasps -- Tries: Bishay, Barrett, Buckland, Webber, Aseme; Cons: Staunton (2); Drop-goal: Staunton.
Wanderers -- Pen: Everitt.
Match report by Chris Wearmouth
http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/3831_4776.php
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Saints Under-18s demolish England counterparts at Solihull
The Saints Academy had a goo
Saints Under-18s demolish England counterparts at Solihull
The Saints Academy had a good afternoon at Solihull RFC, running eight tries past England Under-18 in a 50-24 victory. Centre Nick Greenhalgh and wing Anders Mogensen led the way with a brace each and Jon Vickers, Ollie Storey, Owen Giles and Adam Martin all crossed the line as well. Daryl Veenendaal and Tom Jones shared the five conversions.
Despite playing into a breeze in the first half the JSA started controlling the game from the kick off by running the ball at every opportunity. The first try was scored by Nick Greenhalgh after a powerful break. The second try came after excellent ball retention and Owen Giles crashed over from close range. With 20 minutes gone Greenhalgh added a second from another strong carry to open up a 19-0 lead. The physicality shown from the JSA pack was allowing the half backs Darryl Veenendaal and Tom Jones to control the match with some excellent decision making and release the outside backs. Jon Vickers, playing his first game at hooker hit every lineout and the scrum was providing a solid platform for number eight James Ingle to make good ground.
England hit back with a couple of tries of their own to close the gap to 19-14, (despite the linesman clearly indicating a forward pass for a try). Saints went straight back on the attack and scored two more tries before the break from Vickers and Ollie Storey to take the score to 31-14. The latter came from a quick tap penalty on the half way when six players linked up for a well taken team try.
The second half was a scrappy affair with the Saints side not able to convert the chances they created. Prop Alex Waller made several charges in the match and was unlucky to have a try disallowed for an earlier infringement. The forwards worked extremely well attacking around the fringes off slow ball creating space for the backs to exploit. Three tries from were added from the Saints back three as the England side tired from the relentless attacks with Anders Mogensen grabbing a brace and Adam Martin crossing the line.
England grabbed a consolation try at the death to make the final score 50-24 to the Saints.
Northampton Saints -- 15 Adam Martin; 14 Corey Rainbow; 13 Nick Greenhalgh; 12 Ollie Storey; 11 Anders Mogensen; 10 Tom Jones; 9 Darryl Veenandaal; 8 James Ingle; 7 Liam Neale; 6 Owen Giles; 5 James Cannon (Capt); 4 Jack Sharp; 3 Alex Waller; 2 Jon Vickers; 1 Rupert Freestone
16 Kenny Jones; 17 Alex Roper; 18 Jordan Wood; 19 Sam Hodgson; 20 Harry Peck; 21 Guy Michels; 22 Josh Clark
Match report by Grant Seely
Saints Academy Coach
"We were blown out of the water in the first 20 minutes by the pace of the game," he said. "It was considerably faster than they were used to and I think it made them realise that there is a big step up from school rugby to the higher level and an even bigger step up to international level which can be very fast and frenetic. There were a few shocked faces in our side after that first 20 minutes against Northampton but it was an ideal challenge for us. It will ensure that their feet are kept firmly on the ground and they now understand that just pulling on a shirt with an English rose on it does not mean that they are guaranteed to get a result. We ended up losing by eight tries to four against Northampton so we did show character in coming back from conceding three tries in that first 20 minutes." RFU news 26 Feb 08
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A hungry cat resorts to increasingly desperate measures to gain its owner's attention.
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