'We need to win whether we're playing here or in Timbuktu'
Chris Boyd fears his stuttering Northampton will fall short of reaching the Gallagher Premiership play-offs – even if they win the remaining five matches of their 2019/20 campaign, starting on Friday night versus runaway leaders Exeter.
In sixth place with 40 points, Saints are currently seven points off fourth-placed Wasps following an unconvincing restart where they have won just one game in four. They are also without a league win at Franklin’s Gardens in 2020, having lose their last five games there, included post-lockdown clashes with Wasps and Bath.
Those frustrating results have left Boyd fully aware of the size of that task Northampton are facing, especially with Exeter, their Champions Cup quarter-final opponents at Sandy Park on September 20, the first hurdle they much clear to revive their league campaign.
“Obviously one out of four is unacceptable and we’re not happy with that,” he said on Wednesday over a Zoom call media conference. “We’ve had a poor return since Covid.
“The players are not stupid, they know we have wedged ourselves into a hole. Even if we win five games out of five, taking 20 points, then 60 points is probably not going to be enough to get into the top four. I reckon it might be 62 that is required, but obviously that depends on the results in the other games.
Oh my goodness what a try from @Harlequins ?
Mike Brown breaks from his own 22 and Chris Ashton finishes it off with a splash!
A @premrugby try of the season contender ? pic.twitter.com/6Hi8Vq1wmY
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) August 30, 2020
“If you look at what is left to play: Bath versus Wasps is a pivotal game, Bath go to Harlequins, that’s a pivotal game. We play Exeter, that’s pivotal, and that goes on and on. I’m not sure where it’s going to end up, but I would be very surprised if Exeter, Sale and Bristol don’t make the top four.
“With the points they have got now and the capability of winning, I’d be surprised if it’s not those three. And then obviously you’ve got probably four or five teams scrapping out that last position.”
A Champions Cup shellacking last December by Leinster was the pre-cursor to Northampton’s poor home league form during a disrupted 2020. Boyd, though, doesn’t want to get too hung up on the Franklin’s Gardens issue, claiming Saints need to start winning regardless of where they are playing.
“The home bit is emotionally important, but we need to win. Whether we’re playing here or in Timbuktu we need to win at the weekend and need to find a way to produce a performance that gives us that victory. The home part is emotionally disappointing, that we haven’t done well at home.
The break with Covid and the no crowds has probably softened that a little bit, in respect that the only people that seem to be worried about the five games tend to be the journalists.
“It’s bloody disappointing because we back ourselves that if we have a good performance we should give ourselves an opportunity to be there and thereabouts from an outcome point of view.
“Obviously there’s a couple of teams that are going really well, particularly Exeter, and you can play really well against them and still come out on the wrong side of an outcome from them.
“But we, like most teams, would say if you bring your A game and get a little bit of luck then you have got a chance of winning.”
An eye-opening observation from the ex-England skipper ?https://t.co/nLE36UooNP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 1, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments