It’s fair to say that, as a club, Northampton Saints didn’t really enjoy the 2015-16 domestic season. They felt the disruption caused by the Rugby World Cup, missed key players due to injuries and had to scrap to ensure that they cemented Champions Cup rugby. This time around they’re determined that it will be a much more enjoyable experience.
At the recent Premiership Launch both Jim Mallinder and Tom Wood articulated a steely determination that they will return back into the top four, where they believe that the club belongs. As well as using pre-season to refine their output on the field Saints have focused on bringing the club back together. With the relentless season last time out, the staggered arrival of their players due to the RWC and numerous injuries to key personalities Tom Wood admitted that the environment 'lacked the cohesion and togetherness' that it should have had. This summer, in his words, they've 'spent a lot of time together to get the buzz and feel good factor back and have talked about earning each other's respect in training'. They have invested in the club, in their relationships as team mates and it's designed to ensure that they're as tight as possible leading into the 2016-17 season.
There are some that berate focusing on culture, but a rugby club is like any working environment, it needs the environment around the work place to be optimal in order to flourish. With these comments their new club captain wasn’t hammering his side or being disloyal in any way instead he was simply being honest about what was a challenging season. Now, after a productive pre-season with the whole club together and some real investment in the Saints he believes that they are in a stronger place.
 |
| (C) Paler Images |
If we look towards Saints’ output on the field then personally I’m intrigued to see how they develop. Last season they struggled in attack and as we all expected acutely missed the presence of Samu Manoa. Now that Louis Picamoles has entered the ranks that ball carrying void should be filled as well as the highly experienced Frenchman providing his side with a big dollop of confidence. Saints need that ball carrying platform and physicality to thrive off, it’s what they did so well during the 2014-15 season, and once that's in place then the likes of the Pisi brothers and George North (when fit) can use their talent to exploit the gaps.
As mentioned Tom Wood was open and honest about his expectations for the 2016-17 season saying that ‘anything less than the Top 4 would be considered a failure really and an underachievement’. With the competition building year on year he knows that, that statement is a bold one but that's their goal. Last season there were key players at Northampton Saints that we hardly saw in the Aviva Premiership; Calum Clark and Dylan Hartley being two of them. But, with Calum Clark back in full training, Dylan Hartley back at the top of his game and others in their ranks with plenty to prove domestically to push themselves Internationally (Kieran Brookes, Teimana Harrison and Luther Burrell for example) that should drive their output.
In my opinion if Saints want to make their Top 4 goal a reality then we need to see a marked improvement in their attacking output, constant physicality and across the board squad members stepping up and delivering.
Opening Six Matches: Bath (H), Bristol (A), Saracens (A), Wasps (H), Chiefs (H), Harlequins (A)
Key Focus: Ensuring that they make the most of their strong forward pack's physicality and then find sharpness and creativity in attack.
In: Matt Beesley (prop, Wharfedale), Charlie Clare (hooker, Bedford Blues), Nic Groom (scrum-half, Western Province), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Juan Pablo Estelles (Atletico del Rosario)
Out: Alex Corbisiero (prop, sabbatical), Jon Fisher (back row, Bristol), Kahn Fotuali’I (scrum-half, Bath), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (prop, London Irish), Pat Howard (centre, Newport Gwent Dragons), Victor Matfield (lock, retired), Matti Williams (hooker, Worcester), Alex Woolford (lock, released).
Opening Six Matches: Bath (H), Bristol (A), Saracens (A), Wasps (H), Chiefs (H), Harlequins (A)
Key Focus: Ensuring that they make the most of their strong forward pack's physicality and then find sharpness and creativity in attack.
In: Matt Beesley (prop, Wharfedale), Charlie Clare (hooker, Bedford Blues), Nic Groom (scrum-half, Western Province), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Juan Pablo Estelles (Atletico del Rosario)
Out: Alex Corbisiero (prop, sabbatical), Jon Fisher (back row, Bristol), Kahn Fotuali’I (scrum-half, Bath), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (prop, London Irish), Pat Howard (centre, Newport Gwent Dragons), Victor Matfield (lock, retired), Matti Williams (hooker, Worcester), Alex Woolford (lock, released).
