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Players were 'apologising to each other' after 'disgustingly dreadful' display

By Online Editors
Eddie Jones was on hand to witness the 'disgusting display'

Northampton boss Chris Boyd apologised for a “disgustingly dreadful” performance as Benetton Rugby were edged 33-20 at Franklin’s Gardens.

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Saints kept alive their ambition of qualifying for the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals by registering a bonus-point victory, but Boyd was appalled by the quality of the display.

It took until the 72nd minute for a muddled and error-prone Northampton to score the fourth of their five tries but up until that point they were far from assured of dispatching one of the weakest sides in the competition.

“That was a disgustingly dreadful performance. I apologise to everyone for that performance. It was a horrible game. I thought we were terrible,” Boyd said.

“Anyone with any respect for the game would be horrified by that performance from both sides.

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“I don’t need to say anything to the players, they’ve been apologising to each other. I don’t think we showed respect to the game or the opposition.

“Clearly the plan was to get five points to keep us alive in Europe, but the danger then is that every time the players get the ball they think they have to score a try. All the fundamentals and basics go out of the game.

“I hate to think of the number of times during the week that we said it had to be built on a solid foundation of performance.

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“The only positive for me is that we’re going through a period of rest, rotation and regeneration.

“Dan Biggar, Alex Waller and Tom Wood were rotated out and those guys tend to be key around driving the ship and keep the standards high. With all those guys away at one time, it became a perfect storm.”

Apart from having to endure the ghastly spectacle of Saints’ penultimate group game, England head coach Eddie Jones’ scouting mission to the east midlands was rendered pointless by a succession of events.

Jones wanted to see George Furbank, Courtney Lawes and David Ribbans in action but by half-time none of them were on the field of play.

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“George Furbank had a little bit of a groin niggle at the start of the week. He felt it during the warm-up so we withdrew him because he wasn’t comfortable,” Boyd said.

“Courtney became ill on Saturday and spent a fair bit of time in an uncomfortable situation. He felt better this morning (Sunday) and said to me that he’s played games when he’s felt worse.

“But it was apparent to me after five minutes watching him that he wouldn’t go far into the game. He hadn’t eaten for over 24 hours. He’ll be fine for next weekend.

“Dave Ribbans took a pretty nasty blow to the ankle/foot area and he’s being diagnosed. We hope that’s not too serious.”

One bright spot for Saints was Harry Mallinder’s try-scoring return after 15 months out with a serious knee injury.

“It was great for Harry. It’s been a bloody long haul for him. He would describe his performance as rusty but he’s been out a long, long time. He’s a quality player and will slowly ease his way back,” Boyd said.

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Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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