I need to start off with an apology for the lack of posts for the past couple of weeks. I've been away on holiday where, annoyingly, internet is a premium and I was unable to get any posts out. In my absence, I've been reading about some truly troubling and some interesting news stories about our game. The most troubling seem to come from France. Specifically the Toulon way.
Mourad Boudjellal is no stranger to making strange and controversial statements. This week though, he has issued two very troubling statements, regarding players in his squad. His most recent speech was regarding Lions Man of the Series Leigh Halfpenny. His groin injury is now being investigated as it "may have occurred before he joined Toulon." I don't buy this at all. Firstly, it flies in the face of everything I know of rugby players. Why would Halfpenny risk himself on an injury that wasn't fully healed just for some extra cash? Ok, that sounded better in my head. But he's a goal kicker with a pinpoint accuracy. If he'd been carrying a groin strain, it probably would've been noticed well before now, particularly as he has been in the combined hands of the Cardiff, Toulon and Wales physio teams for the past six months whilst continuing rehab for his shoulder surgery. The fact is, Halfpenny had his shoulder injury on Wales duty, and hasn't played since it happened. He has yet to return to the pitch because of this and a groin strain that has been apparently picked up in preseason or during his physio.Calls of terminating his contract are completely premature. Even if this groin issue was before he joined Toulon, how the hell did it get past the Toulon medical staff? Groin injuries are very hard to hide, especially for a kicker. The good news for him though, if he does end up losing his Toulon contract, Cardiff Blues will welcome him back with open arms. And with the new agreement in place for the Welsh regions, we may see our first dually contracted player.
The other statement was aimed at Boudjellal's South African and Argentinian players who are currently on a rest week between legs of the Rugby Championship. Understandably, they've been rested as the return journey from New Zealand to South Africa is a bloody long way. But Boudjellal has said he wants them back in the rouge et noir of Toulon. And he is prepared to go to court over it.
It's hard to know where to start with this. On the one hand, he has the point that he pays their very significant wages and should be entitled to call his men back. On the other, they're playing for their country and keeping the continuity with their country squads will surely be better for the national teams when they face the All Blacks and the Australians. Also, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a huge uproar by the England camp about not being allowed to play players who'd been selected in the Premiership Final in the first test against the All Blacks because of an IRB guideline regarding jetlag? Aside from the necessity of Lee Dickson having to play because Danny Care injured himself, none of the Northampton or Saracens players were allowed to play that match. So why would the players Boudjellal is planning to call home be any different? From a coaching point of view, it's insane. Aside from the safety issue, there's bound to be annoyance within his squad for dropping players for those who've not been training for the past five weeks. Chucking out those who've worked hard to keep the shirt is a fine reward, just ask the former London Welsh players. I can see both sides of the story here, and I can empathise, but for God's sake, let's leave this out of the court rooms, shall we? It's reading about stories like this that make me think "We have it right in England." As long as tests are within the IRB times, we let our players go if they're selected. I also think this adds to the point of not selecting Steffon Armitage. If he's a risk of being called back to his club side, then we shouldn't select him. It's disruptive to the squad, and I imagine very annoying for coaches and players to be called back from international duty to play a club fixture.
That little rant brings me neatly onto the new Premiership salary cap. The last couple of seasons have seen it gradually increase to its new total of £5.1 million, with an increase also added to the Home Grown Player credits to £400,000 (from £240,000) to encourage players to stick with their club from the academy days. The biggest change now though, is that teams are allowed to have a second player who is outside the balance sheet. This could be brilliant in tempting players like Armitage back from overseas, or calling over Australians and Kiwi's who want to experience the Premiership as part of a sabbatical. This is how it works. The first player can be nominated from the current squad, and his wages are left out of the calculations for the salary cap. Think George North, Piri Weepu and Joe Launchbury. The second player has to have met the following conditions: they must be new to the Premiership and/or have not played in the competition for at least 12 months. This time, think Dan Carter, Israel Folau and Will Genia, the later of whom has been long linked with Bath, post World Cup. Interestingly, Richard Cockerill is against the whole concept of a second exempt player. Unusually, I agree with him. Unless these signings are for more than a single year, what's the point? Teams and director's of rugby will be looking to build a squad for the future, and so will want to sign contracts for three years as a minimum. Cockers was quick to point out that, although Brad Thorne is only on a one year deal, he is 39 and probably only has that left in him. The rise of the overall salary cap will suit the bigger clubs who are just on the edge of overspending, and the smaller ones might be able to tempt in some big names to bolster their squads in the seasons to come. The best benefit though? Clubs will be able to compete with offers from France to keep their England players in home nations after the World Cup.
And on that note, I'm off to apply for my tickets. After all, it's only a year away today!
Thursday, 18 September 2014
Friday, 5 September 2014
Sir's Preview - Week 1 of the Premiership
Here we go again, and isn't it glorious to see the adverts and Twitter posts going mad with the upcoming season? Fans who have waited for three months for some rugby, who have watched the 7's happily but with a pang of disappointment that they couldn't see their team play, and who have settled to watch the Super 15 league as a stop gap for the most competitive season of rugby ever to begin. And what a start we have this year! Some of you may wonder why I've left it so late in the week to post a preview. Well, I like to compare the teams as they are, rather than speculate who may be playing. So let's get into it!
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS VS GLOUCESTER
I like that the season is start as the last one finished, with Northampton playing a team in red. The champions are settled and ready to go hard against the much changed Cherry and Whites. Much has been written about the changes that have gone on behind the scenes and on the pitch for Gloucester, but I'd like to start by saying a farewell. James Simpson-Daniel has sadly had to announce his retirement this week, and I think that this will be a strong motivator for Gloucester to say farewell to one of their key men. He will look back on his career fondly, but with a sadness for being robbed of a chance to claim more England caps. He has been a true servant for Gloucester, and they will miss him.
The teams this week aren't that surprising. David Humphreys and Laurie Fisher have given debuts to five players, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa, Greig Laidlaw, James Hook and Jacob Rowan, with only the later having played in the Premiership before. By contrast, the Saints have one debutant on the bench in Jon Fisher. Both teams have had relatively successful pre-seasons, though both teams lost their last game against a Welsh region last week. Pre-season form can be taken with a pinch of salt, but I would say Northampton will be further ahead in their team cohesion.
KEY BATTLES
Front rows are always an interesting topic, and with the quality both teams have in their packs, it's tough to call. On the Saints side, they have Corbisiero, Hartley and Ma'afu; a Lion, England starter and a former Wallaby. For Gloucester, Murphy, Hibbard and Afoa; a former All Black and the Lions starting hooker. It's hard to call, but Northampton should dominate here. Even if the front row class is evenly matched, the second rows of Lawes and Day will add an extra bulk to push them through.
Half Backs will see the longest running partnership in the Premiership go up against a brand new formation. Dickson and Myler may not have played together in the pre-season, but you just don't forget that bond. However, Northampton are playing it safe for the first time I've seen for a long time. Myler took a knock during the pre-season and so Will Hooley, who played for 110 minutes in the double header against Leinster and Moseley, is sat on the bench with Ben Foden, who is also recovering, though possibly for his TV appearance on Celebrity Pressure Pad. (Watch it on iPlayer, James Wilson and Jamie Elliott could make up the worst pub quiz team in the world.) The experience of Dickson and Myler, with the class of Fotuali'i on the bench, will see the Saints push past their Scottish and Welsh rivals.
So my prediction. The Cherry and Whites could shock the Saints, having finally got a pack which will be able to tangle with the best of the Premiership, and that will allow them to let the fast backs of May, Cook and Sharples loose. But the Champions will not fold against the pressure of the much revamped side, and it will take the Cherry and Whites time to get in synch with each other. The Saints will, therefore, push on to win by at least 5 points to start their campaign.
SARACENS VS WASPS
So soon after their heartbreaking defeat, Saracens return to Twickenham to seek a return to the form that had them as leading the table throughout the majority of the season. By contrast, the Wasps, under a new captain, and an old banner, will be hoping to return to the days of yore, where they were kings of England. Thinking about it, both teams are being led out by new captains on Saturday, and both will want their first game to be a win. Incredibly, the six debutants for Wasps have managed to leave out the try sniper of Tom Varndell, which shows that this backline of Wasps must be feared. Interesting that Owen Farrell is set on the bench for Saracens, but the stable hands of Charlie Hodgson means the Saracens will be just as controlled as we are used to.
KEY BATTLES
A welcome return for Christian Wade and a debut for Sailosi Tagicakibau shall see the challenge of the wings, with Wade's England challenger, Chris Ashton, and former England strikeman, David Strettle, will test the defences of both sides to the limit.
The Back Row battle shall be very interesting, with Johnson, Haskell and Hughes challenging Brown, Fraser and Vunipola. With Hughes qualifying for England in the next year, and Haskell, Vunipola and Fraser recently joining up with the England camp last month, they will all be niggling at the mind of Stuart Lancaster and his team.
PREDICTION
This will be a very close contest, with the potential for tries to be scored left, right and centre at HQ. But looking at the benches of the two sides, I predict that Saracens will push ahead early, and win by more than 3 points, if conditions allow for the free running rugby.
SALE SHARKS VS BATH
The "Most Improved" against the "Most Potential." Sale have lost some big names this year, and Bath have recruited well with their biggest name still to come. The beaten Amlin Cup finalists will be looking to improve their season from fifth, and with a plan to oust Harlequins from their seat in the semi finals. Sale have the same goal, but with so many of Sale's big names leaving for other clubs, there may be some issues when it comes to the scrum. Bath's front row consists of three international players in James, Webber and Wilson, and with all three looking to improve their standings in the eyes of their respective head coaches, I can imagine we wont be seeing the same length of reset scrums as we did last season.
KEY BATTLES
Predictably, the main focus of this match will be on the fly-halves Danny Cipriani and George Ford, both hoping to press themselves into the England shirt. Cipriani's experience and Ford's youthful exuberance, teamed with some fantastic running lines, should be an interesting contest. For me though, I'm more interested in seeing how Luke McLean and Luke Arscott get on in their debuts.
PREDICTION
Sale have home pitch advantage, but the big names missing from the pack will mean the settled pack for Stuart Hooper, and we should see Bath push through some Shark infested water. Bath by 7
LEICESTER TIGERS VS NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Anybody want to guess what's going to happen at Welford Road on Saturday afternoon? There's no disrespect to Dean Richard and his men, but Leicester have the experience of being top men in recent years, they have Lions quality oozing out from their changing rooms, and they've been severely unlucky to have so many injuries to their key men. But Tom Croft and Manu Tuilagi are back now, and fighting fit. Croft will be lethal, having spent so much time in the stands in the last two seasons, and he'll be looking to push himself back into an England shirt at the expense of Tom Wood and Chris Robshaw. The most prolific try scorer, Goneva, will be looking again to push himself over the line, along with the full force of the Leicester pack, looking to help Mr P. Try become the top try scorer. New flyhalf Freddie Burns will want to make a good show of himself, with Owen Williams now back from suspension, and now the pressure is on him to carry on the form he had in the first test against the All Blacks in the summer. A debut for Seremaia Bai also sees a new 10/12 axis. Will the unfamiliar pairings across the backs make things difficult for Leicester? The test experience of Youngs and Burns from the summer tests will hopefully help them, and with Goneva and Tuilagi around, Leicester should comfortably set the pace.
KEY BATTLES
Flankers will likely set the tone, with the sharpness of Croft coming back to the front, pilfering balls from early rucks, and forcing the Falcons to defend the counter-attacks. His opposite man, Richard Mayhew, will have to fight to keep Croft's mitts off his ball. The excitement to see Alesana Tuilagi return to the premiership will make the battle of the Back Three very interesting, but barring an injury, he wont be joining the field until the second half.
PREDICTIONS
There is a potential for Leicester to slip as the centre partnership and the half-back axis may provide some difficulties for the Tigers, but frankly, we're all expecting a Tigers win. Leicester by 8.
LONDON IRISH VS HARLEQUINS
With so few signings, the second stage of the Twickenham double header sees a virtually unchanged Harlequins side to that which lost to Saracens in May. With the exception of Tim Molenaar departing and Marland Yarde coming in, the Quins have set up their stall with their trusted combinations. New skipper Marler will be looking to make sure his team do not have as shaky a start as they had last year, with the last minute penalty hitting the bar. Their opening weeks see them playing all three London based clubs, with
Saracens at the Stoop next week. With Saracens the favourites for earlier on, the Harlequins will want to gather the momentum from the roars of the national stadium. By contrast, Irish are starting off with 5 new summer signings and the return from long injuries of two.
KEY BATTLES
Fullback will be an interesting contest. The return from injury for Tom Homer and the slipped form of Mike Brown during the test series will highlight how the two sides will challenge from deep, using the speed of the wings to break through the defences.
PREDICTION
Harlequins know they have to be sharp. They had a scare this time last year, then lost out to Northampton a week later. If they want to keep Bath and Gloucester out of their top 4 spot, they have to beat the Exiles comprehensively to get enough momentum to bypass Saracens next week. If they don't turn up, they will be pushed around. Harlequins by 5.
LONDON WELSH VS EXETER CHIEFS
Well where to start? Firstly, welcome back London Welsh, we missed you. This contest is between the two sides to gain "Underdog" status when they first joined the Premiership. With the huge turnover from the Exiles, they will be looking to emulate their rivals and stay in the Premiership as they did. 9 debuts for the Exiles sees Piri Weepu, Olly Barkley and Tim Molenaar, amongst others, starting their life at the Kassam. The first time these two met at the Kassam, the Exiles beat the Chiefs by a single point to set their campaign off. The LV= cup champions will be cautious, despite their unbeaten pre-season run. They've lost some big names through either injury or to other clubs, and with some impressive signings, the Chiefs will hope to set their stall out early.
KEY BATTLES
Centres will be a key contest here. The youth of Sam Hill and Henry Slade against the experience of Tim Molenaar and Tom May. Henry Slade is playing somewhat out of position, probably out of necessity, but the two young Saxons will want to make an impression. Meanwhile, the two gentlemen of the Premiership will quietly go about their business, and will have forgotten more strategies than their opposite men will have ever thought of.
Half backs again are vital in this contest and the top level experience of Barkley and Weepu may see the pairing of Haydn Thomas and Gareth Steenson throughly confused.
PREDICTIONS
This is the toughest one to call, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say I think the Exiles will need a couple more weeks to gel properly. They may join up fantastically, and if they do, then Welsh will bully the Chiefs in later weeks. This week though, I'll say that Exeter will win by a very very narrow margin. Exeter by 1.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS VS GLOUCESTER
I like that the season is start as the last one finished, with Northampton playing a team in red. The champions are settled and ready to go hard against the much changed Cherry and Whites. Much has been written about the changes that have gone on behind the scenes and on the pitch for Gloucester, but I'd like to start by saying a farewell. James Simpson-Daniel has sadly had to announce his retirement this week, and I think that this will be a strong motivator for Gloucester to say farewell to one of their key men. He will look back on his career fondly, but with a sadness for being robbed of a chance to claim more England caps. He has been a true servant for Gloucester, and they will miss him.
The teams this week aren't that surprising. David Humphreys and Laurie Fisher have given debuts to five players, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa, Greig Laidlaw, James Hook and Jacob Rowan, with only the later having played in the Premiership before. By contrast, the Saints have one debutant on the bench in Jon Fisher. Both teams have had relatively successful pre-seasons, though both teams lost their last game against a Welsh region last week. Pre-season form can be taken with a pinch of salt, but I would say Northampton will be further ahead in their team cohesion.
KEY BATTLES
Front rows are always an interesting topic, and with the quality both teams have in their packs, it's tough to call. On the Saints side, they have Corbisiero, Hartley and Ma'afu; a Lion, England starter and a former Wallaby. For Gloucester, Murphy, Hibbard and Afoa; a former All Black and the Lions starting hooker. It's hard to call, but Northampton should dominate here. Even if the front row class is evenly matched, the second rows of Lawes and Day will add an extra bulk to push them through.
Half Backs will see the longest running partnership in the Premiership go up against a brand new formation. Dickson and Myler may not have played together in the pre-season, but you just don't forget that bond. However, Northampton are playing it safe for the first time I've seen for a long time. Myler took a knock during the pre-season and so Will Hooley, who played for 110 minutes in the double header against Leinster and Moseley, is sat on the bench with Ben Foden, who is also recovering, though possibly for his TV appearance on Celebrity Pressure Pad. (Watch it on iPlayer, James Wilson and Jamie Elliott could make up the worst pub quiz team in the world.) The experience of Dickson and Myler, with the class of Fotuali'i on the bench, will see the Saints push past their Scottish and Welsh rivals.
So my prediction. The Cherry and Whites could shock the Saints, having finally got a pack which will be able to tangle with the best of the Premiership, and that will allow them to let the fast backs of May, Cook and Sharples loose. But the Champions will not fold against the pressure of the much revamped side, and it will take the Cherry and Whites time to get in synch with each other. The Saints will, therefore, push on to win by at least 5 points to start their campaign.
SARACENS VS WASPS
So soon after their heartbreaking defeat, Saracens return to Twickenham to seek a return to the form that had them as leading the table throughout the majority of the season. By contrast, the Wasps, under a new captain, and an old banner, will be hoping to return to the days of yore, where they were kings of England. Thinking about it, both teams are being led out by new captains on Saturday, and both will want their first game to be a win. Incredibly, the six debutants for Wasps have managed to leave out the try sniper of Tom Varndell, which shows that this backline of Wasps must be feared. Interesting that Owen Farrell is set on the bench for Saracens, but the stable hands of Charlie Hodgson means the Saracens will be just as controlled as we are used to.
KEY BATTLES
A welcome return for Christian Wade and a debut for Sailosi Tagicakibau shall see the challenge of the wings, with Wade's England challenger, Chris Ashton, and former England strikeman, David Strettle, will test the defences of both sides to the limit.
The Back Row battle shall be very interesting, with Johnson, Haskell and Hughes challenging Brown, Fraser and Vunipola. With Hughes qualifying for England in the next year, and Haskell, Vunipola and Fraser recently joining up with the England camp last month, they will all be niggling at the mind of Stuart Lancaster and his team.
PREDICTION
This will be a very close contest, with the potential for tries to be scored left, right and centre at HQ. But looking at the benches of the two sides, I predict that Saracens will push ahead early, and win by more than 3 points, if conditions allow for the free running rugby.
SALE SHARKS VS BATH
The "Most Improved" against the "Most Potential." Sale have lost some big names this year, and Bath have recruited well with their biggest name still to come. The beaten Amlin Cup finalists will be looking to improve their season from fifth, and with a plan to oust Harlequins from their seat in the semi finals. Sale have the same goal, but with so many of Sale's big names leaving for other clubs, there may be some issues when it comes to the scrum. Bath's front row consists of three international players in James, Webber and Wilson, and with all three looking to improve their standings in the eyes of their respective head coaches, I can imagine we wont be seeing the same length of reset scrums as we did last season.
KEY BATTLES
Predictably, the main focus of this match will be on the fly-halves Danny Cipriani and George Ford, both hoping to press themselves into the England shirt. Cipriani's experience and Ford's youthful exuberance, teamed with some fantastic running lines, should be an interesting contest. For me though, I'm more interested in seeing how Luke McLean and Luke Arscott get on in their debuts.
PREDICTION
Sale have home pitch advantage, but the big names missing from the pack will mean the settled pack for Stuart Hooper, and we should see Bath push through some Shark infested water. Bath by 7
LEICESTER TIGERS VS NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Anybody want to guess what's going to happen at Welford Road on Saturday afternoon? There's no disrespect to Dean Richard and his men, but Leicester have the experience of being top men in recent years, they have Lions quality oozing out from their changing rooms, and they've been severely unlucky to have so many injuries to their key men. But Tom Croft and Manu Tuilagi are back now, and fighting fit. Croft will be lethal, having spent so much time in the stands in the last two seasons, and he'll be looking to push himself back into an England shirt at the expense of Tom Wood and Chris Robshaw. The most prolific try scorer, Goneva, will be looking again to push himself over the line, along with the full force of the Leicester pack, looking to help Mr P. Try become the top try scorer. New flyhalf Freddie Burns will want to make a good show of himself, with Owen Williams now back from suspension, and now the pressure is on him to carry on the form he had in the first test against the All Blacks in the summer. A debut for Seremaia Bai also sees a new 10/12 axis. Will the unfamiliar pairings across the backs make things difficult for Leicester? The test experience of Youngs and Burns from the summer tests will hopefully help them, and with Goneva and Tuilagi around, Leicester should comfortably set the pace.
KEY BATTLES
Flankers will likely set the tone, with the sharpness of Croft coming back to the front, pilfering balls from early rucks, and forcing the Falcons to defend the counter-attacks. His opposite man, Richard Mayhew, will have to fight to keep Croft's mitts off his ball. The excitement to see Alesana Tuilagi return to the premiership will make the battle of the Back Three very interesting, but barring an injury, he wont be joining the field until the second half.
PREDICTIONS
There is a potential for Leicester to slip as the centre partnership and the half-back axis may provide some difficulties for the Tigers, but frankly, we're all expecting a Tigers win. Leicester by 8.
LONDON IRISH VS HARLEQUINS
With so few signings, the second stage of the Twickenham double header sees a virtually unchanged Harlequins side to that which lost to Saracens in May. With the exception of Tim Molenaar departing and Marland Yarde coming in, the Quins have set up their stall with their trusted combinations. New skipper Marler will be looking to make sure his team do not have as shaky a start as they had last year, with the last minute penalty hitting the bar. Their opening weeks see them playing all three London based clubs, with
Saracens at the Stoop next week. With Saracens the favourites for earlier on, the Harlequins will want to gather the momentum from the roars of the national stadium. By contrast, Irish are starting off with 5 new summer signings and the return from long injuries of two.
KEY BATTLES
Fullback will be an interesting contest. The return from injury for Tom Homer and the slipped form of Mike Brown during the test series will highlight how the two sides will challenge from deep, using the speed of the wings to break through the defences.
PREDICTION
Harlequins know they have to be sharp. They had a scare this time last year, then lost out to Northampton a week later. If they want to keep Bath and Gloucester out of their top 4 spot, they have to beat the Exiles comprehensively to get enough momentum to bypass Saracens next week. If they don't turn up, they will be pushed around. Harlequins by 5.
LONDON WELSH VS EXETER CHIEFS
Well where to start? Firstly, welcome back London Welsh, we missed you. This contest is between the two sides to gain "Underdog" status when they first joined the Premiership. With the huge turnover from the Exiles, they will be looking to emulate their rivals and stay in the Premiership as they did. 9 debuts for the Exiles sees Piri Weepu, Olly Barkley and Tim Molenaar, amongst others, starting their life at the Kassam. The first time these two met at the Kassam, the Exiles beat the Chiefs by a single point to set their campaign off. The LV= cup champions will be cautious, despite their unbeaten pre-season run. They've lost some big names through either injury or to other clubs, and with some impressive signings, the Chiefs will hope to set their stall out early.
KEY BATTLES
Centres will be a key contest here. The youth of Sam Hill and Henry Slade against the experience of Tim Molenaar and Tom May. Henry Slade is playing somewhat out of position, probably out of necessity, but the two young Saxons will want to make an impression. Meanwhile, the two gentlemen of the Premiership will quietly go about their business, and will have forgotten more strategies than their opposite men will have ever thought of.
Half backs again are vital in this contest and the top level experience of Barkley and Weepu may see the pairing of Haydn Thomas and Gareth Steenson throughly confused.
PREDICTIONS
This is the toughest one to call, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say I think the Exiles will need a couple more weeks to gel properly. They may join up fantastically, and if they do, then Welsh will bully the Chiefs in later weeks. This week though, I'll say that Exeter will win by a very very narrow margin. Exeter by 1.
Monday, 1 September 2014
Testimonials - A Farewell to Diggin
Today, I went along to the testimonial match at Franklin's Gardens for Paul Diggin, at the end of what has been known as Digger's Decade. Celebrating 10 years of Paul playing for the Saints. It doesn't happen often, both testimonials and a player playing for the same club for his whole career. But something about Diggin screams "Northampton." He's lived here all his life, played rugby here his whole life, excluding the loan to Cambridge. He even goes back to coaching and playing for his boyhood club, BBOB's.
A quick history lesson for those who aren't part of the Northampton collective. Diggin started playing for the Saints in 2003, aged just 19, and has soared to success for England U21's and his club. He currently has in his trophy cabinet a European Challenge Cup winners medal from 2008/9, the year he also was named Player of the Year by the club, and an LV= Cup winners medal from the following season. Add to that this years double of Aviva Premiership and Amlin Challenge Cup medals, and someone's bound to feel pretty happy! 148 appearances, 310 points, and 62 tries after his debut, and you'd struggle to find anyone who's more deserving of club recognition. He still holds the record of being the only player who has ever scored four tries in a Heineken Cup match. Now you mention it, he will forever be the only one. He is rated highly by players, coaches and friends, and as he goes into his new career as a coach for the Academy, he takes with him the kind words, shortly followed by abuse, of his friends. Dylan Hartley included in his testimony the lyrics to the popular victory song "We Hate Digger."
As part of the year long celebrations, Digger chose a charity that was local and connected with the Saints. Lee Dickson and Ben Foden are also patrons, and through out the year, Digger has been raising awareness for Niamh's Next Step. This charity was set up in memory of a young girl, Niamh Curry, who sadly lost her battle with a rare form of cancer, neuroblastoma. It reminds you of how these players do want to give back to their communities, and I can imagine that, as Paul is a father, he felt strongly about supporting the family. If you wish to read more about Niamh's Next Step, I'll leave the link here.
During the first half, Bernie, the Saints mascot, barged his way onto the pitch, and, to the crowd's delight, packed down for the All Stars in the second row. As soon as the ball was clear, his flankers pulled him to the ground and started beating him mercilessly. Hilarious to watch, and it distracted from the play. He was subsequently substituted, to the tannoy announcement of "Mark Hopley returns to the field, replacing Bernie!"
It wouldn't be a true testimonial if the player in question didn't get on the score sheet. A few years back, Soane Tonga'uiha ran a fifty metre match winning try in past Tongan and Samoan internationals diving left and right, much to the approval of the crowds. And so Diggin eventually dotted down after a 1-2 and a forty metre run, though he did get up massaging his leg. The game carried on, until the score board read "All Stars 39 - Legends 47" and Newman said, just after a try had been scored, "next score wins!" Minor chaos ensued but ultimately, the All Stars scored the final try.
And so ends the decade of Digger. A selfless workhorse who learnt the hard way not to tackle with his face into someone's knee, the target of abuse that holds the team together, and a man who has decided to fold up his shirt one last time. It's sad to think that he won't be around as much on match days, but we know he's going to do wonders for his young charges. So thank you, Paul Diggin. The Garden's won't forget you.
That got a bit gloomy, didn't it? He's not dead, after all! On a more positive note, who at your club do you think deserves a testimonial year? Leicester recently announced that this coming season is Marcos Ayerza's testimonial year. The Argentinian joined in 2006, and has remained a fan favourite. For my money, I've listed a few players who probably should get a testimonial in the coming years for their hard work and dedication to their clubs.
Phil Dowson - Northampton
James Haskell - Wasps
Matt Banahan - Bath
Mike Brown - Harlequins
Nick Easter - Harlequins
Tom May - London Welsh
Now, up until that last one, you were probably nodding along quite happily. Tom May is, I think, one of the most deserving players of a testimonial. He's the one of last of the Wilkinson generation of players to still be going, and despite some nomadic lifestyle which has seen him hopping clubs, he is one of the true gentlemen of the game. And I'd like to see him rewarded for that.
Who in your club do you think is worthy of a testimonial? Tweet or comment. I'd be interested to see what you think.
P.S. After a little googling, I've found out that Nick Easter is getting a testimonial year this season. Hurray!
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