The Cobblers made Justin Edinburgh the first managerial casualty of the season and achieved lift-off of sorts under his replacement, Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said before his first game in charge of Northampton he wanted his team to “do things with joy”. Scoring after 21 seconds was more like ecstasy. But shortly after his side had sewn up a 1-0 home win over Doncaster to lift themselves off the foot of League One mere joy could be measured in his voice. “It’s a while since I’ve been screaming,” he croaked.Hasselbaink is used to flying starts. In his first managerial appointment in England he carried on Gary Rowett’s good work at Burton, keeping them top of League Two and leaving...
Exeter still on the up, Wasps feel the noise, Scarlets in nod to Super Rugby and Leigh Halfpenny provides good news for Lions and Richard CockerillThe Premiership semi-final victory over Saracens was another coaching triumph for Rob Baxter and his management team at Sandy Park. It was not so much revenge for last year’s defeat in the final at Twickenham as confirmation that the Chiefs have improved since then, learning from each new experience in their remarkable rise this decade. Saracens have become the most proficient team in Europe at attacking from set pieces, able to create space out wide and score tries, a quality that helped them defeat Munster and Clermont Auvergne in the latter stages of the European...
Alex Lozowski stakes further England claim, Ben Te’o gives reminder to Lions and Eddie Jones is busy casting his eye over options for tour of Argentina Related: Alex Lozowski sparks Saracens revival to defeat dominant Northampton • Match report: Northampton 25-27 Saracens• Match report: Bristol 21-36 Wasps• Match report: Worcester 25-19 Bath Related: Bristol go down fighting after spirited battle against Wasps • Two-tone approach may throw Warburton and Hartley a Lions lifeline• Match report: Harlequins 26-39 Exeter Continue reading...
The decision not to sanction Northampton for the botched handling of North’s injury is further evidence that while there is an increasing crackdown on the slightest on-field indiscretions, no one is ever at fault behind the scenesThis is supposed to be the season of wise men but rugby union, just at the moment, has lost its marbles. How else to explain the decision not to issue any sanction against anyone connected with George North’s recent botched head‑injury saga? At a time when player welfare is meant to be twinkling at the top of everyone’s tree, the game is in danger of sliding back into the self-policing dark ages.The only good news is that North himself is apparently OK and cleared...
With the George North saga, Dylan Hartley’s suspension and a poor run of results, there is not a lot of jaunty, jazzy marching in at Franklin’s GardensFor a grand old club with an enviable, newly enlarged stadium, the modern history of Northampton Saints RFC is strangely fraught. Every team has its highs and lows but the Saints are currently besieged on all sides, trapped by unhappy accidents and assorted misjudgments of their own making. The George North saga, Dylan Hartley’s suspension, looming European oblivion: there is not a lot of jaunty, jazzy marching in at Franklin’s Gardens right now.These have been particularly testing days since their 37-10 home drubbing to Leinster last Friday. Their England captain Hartley has been banned...