Saints triumph over Pau in France
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A late George Hendy screamer earned Northampton Saints their opening win of this season’s Investec Champions Cup, with a 27-35 victory over Section Paloise kicking off their European campaign.
Scores from James Ramm and Fraser Dingwall got Saints off the mark in Pau, but with their hosts matching their efforts and converting both their tries, Phil Dowson’s men headed into the break two-points behind.
The second half ebbed and flowed, with both sides pulling ahead before the other closed the gap as Ramm grabbed a brace and Player of the Match Alex Mitchell scored on the occasion of his 150th appearance for the Club.
With the scores at 27-27 the game entered a grandstand finish, and eventually it was Hendy who broke the deadlock as he got on the end of Fin Smith’s looping pass to score the winner, before the fly-half added three more from the tee with the game’s final play.
FIRST-HALF:
Saints thought they had the chance to open the scoring at Stade Municipal de Hameau, when George Furbank looked to have set Hendy free on the left. But referee Andrea Piardi judged the final pass to be forwards and called play back.
Northampton were almost through again when Hendy cut a neat line through the home defence, but his offload to Rory Hutchinson came forwards off the Scotland centre’s chest just short of the tryline.
Furbank was next to get close, after Saints’ scrum dominance earned them a penalty to take quickly on Section’s five-metre line. Saints’ forward trucked the ball forwards before Furbank cut a deft line to the whitewash, but the captain couldn’t cleanly ground the ball and the score remained 0-0.
Eventually it was the home side who broke the deadlock after 19 minutes, turning the tide of Saints’ attack and getting close through a pair of scrum penalities before No. 8 Facundo Isa stretched over from close range.
Saints did eventually get their score after half an hour, when Mitchell cut back outside off the back of a lineout and went jinking his way around the corner before sending a looping pass out to a waiting Ramm on the right.
Smith’s conversion levelled the playing field again at 7-7 but the home side stretched ahead just moments later when Dan Robson spotted a gap in Saints’ backfield and send a box kick up. Gregoire Arfeuil was the first man to the bouncing ball and managed to ground it before the ball went dead.
Axel Desperes second conversion of the afternoon made it 14-7 but the deficit was reduced just after, when Saints put the ball deftly through the hands to get and Hendy found Dingwall in space on the left.
SECOND HALF:
Saints flew out of the blocks in the second half though to send Ramm over for a second after just three minutes. Fly-half Smith cut a neat line through Section’s defence, breaking through in the midfield before the ball made it wide to the Australian winger on the right.
Smith’s conversion went wide again, and Pau took their chance to level things when Saints were found off their feet at the breakdown – with Desperes sending the ball through off the tee to make it 17-17.
Just after Saints found themselves down to 14 men though, as Ramm was shown a 20-minute red card for making contact with Pau’s Thomas Jolmes in the air. And Section instantly made the most of their extra man, with Desperes hacking through for Arfeuil to chase and score his second on the left.
Desperes made his 24-17 with his conversion but a moment of magic put Saints right back in the fight. Alex Coles went galloping through the midfield and sprinted forwards before getting the pass away to a sprinting Mitchell on his shoulder for the scrum-half to secure Northampton the try-bonus point.
Smith’s conversion split the uprights to bring things level once again, with the scoreline locked at 24-24 until a huge scrum penalty left Smith the chance to stretch Saints three ahead from the tee, which he duly did.
Section earned a penalty of their own just after an hour, when Smith was deemed to have deliberately knocked the ball on on the halfway line. Desperes made no mistake with the long-range kick and the scores were level again.
A nervy final ten minutes ensued as Saints’ attacks were stymied by Pau’s resolute defence. Smith dropped back into the pocket, ready to take a drop goal to put Northampton ahead but the British & Irish Lion spotted space on the left and chose to run the ball instead, popping it up for Hendy to tear in in the corner.
And Northampton were not done there, with Smith landing another easy three as the clock entered the red to hand Saints the 35-27 win.
Northampton head back home to welcome Vodacom Bulls to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens next weekend, when Round 2 of the Investec Champions Cup sees Northampton play on Sunday 14 December (kick-off: 3.15pm).
LINE-UPS:
Section: 15 Luc, 14 Arfeuil, 13 Decron, 12 Decron, 11 Laporte, 10 Desperes, 9 Robson; 1 Etchebehere, 2 Montoya (c), 3 Zabala, 4 Jolmes, 5 Picquette, 6 Zegueur, 7 Credoz, 8 Isa.
Replacements: 16 Dolhommel, 17 Seneca, 18 Papidze, 19 Capelli, 20 Kpoku, 21 Hewat, 22 Souverbie, 23 Valentino.
Saints: 15 Furbank (c), 14 Ramm, 13 Hutchinson, 12 Dingwall, 11 Hendy, 10 F Smith, 9 Mitchell; 1 Fischetti, 2 Wright, 3 Davison, 4 Coles, 5 Van Der Mescht, 6 Kemeny, 7 Pearson, 8 Chick.
Replacements: 16 R Smith, 17 Iyogun, 18 Kundiona, 19 Prowse, 20 Pollock, 21 Graham , 22 James, 23 Thame.
