Plymouth Albion V Northampton Saints

EDF Energy Trophy Semi-Final

Brickfields – Saturday, 15^th March – 3pm

MATCH PREVIEW

 
Albion versus Saints matches are like London busses.  You wait for years for a match between your two favourite teams and then you get three in one season.  For those of you who have been to West Country matches before, you will know the warm welcome that will awaits you.  If this is the first time that you have been that way, expect a cracking day out.

This is Saints first attempt at the EDF Trophy, yet our opponents have been there before.  They were narrowly defeated by Bedford Blues in the 2006 final, 14-13 in what was then the Powergen Shield final.  And that is what is at stake on Saturday. A place in the final and a day trip to Twickenham, Rugby Unions HQ. 

Both teams come into this match with a dip in form.  Albion have been struggling in the league since the Christmas break and Saints made hard work despatching Pertemps Bees in their last league encounter at Sharman’s Cross.  However, in the cup both teams have been performing well.  There are conspiracy theories that Saints have been given a tough route thus far, with all their games being played away from home, yet this is the first home fixture for Albion in this competition as well.

Who are to be the Saintsmen to take to the field?  Will Chris Ashton be fully recovered from the knock he picked up at Bedford?  Will Jim still be using squad rotation as the next game could see Saints promoted if they beat Exeter? Questions, questions.  My personal feeling and my uneducated guess will be:

1  Tom Smith

2  Dylan Hartley

3  Barry Stewart

4  Alex Rae

5  Matt Lord

6  Paul Tupai

7  Darren Fox

8  Mark Hopley

9  Johnny Howard

10  Carlos Spencer

11 Paul Diggin

12  James Downey

13  Jon Clarke

14 Chris Ashton

15  Bruce Reihana

I won’t try to guess the Albion side as I can’t find my programme from the Albion Coventry game but local press reports say that Kyle Marriot could be the new boy in the back row and Adam Kettle will be back in action after a one match suspension by the club for a build up of yellow cards.  It will be interesting to see if Adam and Toops swap business cards at any point of Saturdays match.

The last time these two sides met at Brickfields was a joy to watch.  Albion did their best to keep Saints at bay but never looked to put too many points on the board.  After sixty minutes King Carlos gave a master class in deception and trickery only seen in places like Hogwarts.  As Albion felt the non stop pressure of the Saints squad, the points started to rack up.  So can Albion soak up all the pressure this time round?  With the current weather conditions the pitch will be heavy under foot and it will be a tough, tense up front battle.  The weather forecast for Saturday is glorious Devon liquid sunshine.  So wrap up warm, bring your welllies and waterproofs and cheer your favourite team to twickers, whoever that side may be.

Pop into the Ryearch Marquee and meet the regulars of the Albion Sportsnetwork site and visit a few of the local hostelries.  Usually after this is posted a few people will say ”What a good read”. As this has been rushed, instead, I would like you to recommend the bars and hotels that you visited last time.  For me it was; Kitties, Ryearch, The Thistle Park Tavern, the Carpenters Arms at Metherel and Hotel Mum.  This time I hope to get to the Millbridge and the Dolphin.

Albion Saint

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