LV Final squads

[Bullitt]

The Saints go into Sunday's game against Gloucester knowing that there is the season's first silverware up for grabs, as well as a Heineken Cup spot for 2010/11. So the Saints boss says that the players have been concentrating fully all week.

"We've won all our games so far in the LV= Cup and we want to go one step further in Sunday," Mallinder said. "We want to do our best and win every game, regardless of the competition and we don't pick and choose. We've entered this competition and we want to lift the silverware.

"We've got to a final and have been putting all our emphasis and focus on a Gloucester team that will be very dangerous. They are playing a good style of rugby and have plenty of players who have come back into form over the past few weeks. They also performed well against Cardiff last week in the semi-final and I'm expecting a tough game in Worcester."

Tickets are still available for the match between the Saints and Gloucester. Prices cost £20 or £25 for adults and just £10 for juniors throughout the stadium. Supporters can order online from the Worcester Warriors website on Friday and Saturday for collection on Sunday, and on the match day itself in person at the Sixways ticket office.

If you cannot make the match there are several ways you can follow all the action from Sixways. Matchday Live! will have live text tracking and match commentary while score updates will be posted every 10 minutes on www.twitter.com/SaintsRugby. The match is also being broadcast live on Sky Sports 3/HD3 although it is not being shown live at Franklin's Gardens.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY GLOUCESTER
LV= Cup final
Sixways
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Kick off 3:30pm
15 Shane Geraghty
14 Bruce Reihana
13 Jon Clarke
12 James Downey
11 Paul Diggin
10 Stephen Myler
9 Lee Dickson
1 Soane Tonga'uiha
2 Brett Sharman
3 Brian Mujati
4 Courtney Lawes
5 Juandre Kruger
6 Phil Dowson (capt)
7 Neil Best
8 Roger Wilson

Replacements
16 Andy Long
17 Regardt Dreyer
18 Jon Vickers
19 Mark Hopley
20 Mark Easter
21 Alan Dickens
22 Barry Everitt
23 Joe Ansbro

Gloucester stalwart Peter Buxton will skipper the Cherry and Whites on Sunday. He leads a side which shows four changes to the starting line up from the Cardiff semi final last weekend. Tim Molenaar resumes his partnership in the centre with Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu while Rory Lawson comes in at scrum-half. In the pack, Pierre Capdevielle comes in for Paul Doran-Jones who picked up a knee injury in Cardiff and Adam Eustace replaces Jake Boer.

Head coach Bryan Redpath says that Sunday's game is massive for the Gloucester club.

"We set ourselves some targets to achieve and the first of those comes up with this final on Sunday," he said. "Your next game is your biggest challenge and last week is gone and we've learned from that. You move on and this is a big game for us.

"It's going to be a tough challenge. The boys that are here are still good enough to go out and compete at this level. I'm looking forward to it massively."

GLOUCESTER TEAM TO PLAY NORTHAMPTON
15 Freddie Burns
14 James Simpson-Daniel
13 Tim Molenaar
12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu
11 Lesley Vainikolo
10 Nicky Robinson
9 Rory Lawson
1 Nick Wood
2 Olivier Azam
3 Pierre Capdevielle
4 Will James
5 Alex Brown
6 Peter Buxton (capt)
7 Akapusi Qera
8 Adam Eustace

Replacements
16 Darren Dawidiuk
17 Yann Thomas
18 Rupert Harden
19 Apo Satala
20 Andy Hazell
21 Dave Lewis
22 Tom Voyce
23 Charlie Sharples

 

[dullonien]

Oh I see, now that Northampton has reached the final, it's suddenly worth commenting on

 

[Bullitt]

Gosh, that was predictable...

I wouldn't be treated like this if I was Irish. Wankers.

 

[dullonien]

Haha, it was just too obvious to resist. I of course don't blame you for being interested with your team in the final. Best of luck.

 

[Olyy]

Geraghty at fullback?

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Olyy @ Mar 19 2010, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Geraghty at fullback?[/b]

I thought that n'all.

 

[Olyy]

He's a good runner, and a decent kicker from hand, so in theory it could work.
Has he played there before?

 

[Bullitt]

Not with Northampton, although I've got no idea if he ever did with Irish. Logic states though that Myler would slot in with Geraghty at 10 - being as Myler has played regularly as a 15 in the past - or even better and put Reihana at fullback with Ansbro or Mayor on the wing.

It's a gamble IMO.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ashton gets an awful time to be given his International debut :lol:

Helps Saint go to Final and then can't play

Still I expect Saints should emerge winners but is Barry Everitt got chance of a game, he's been around forever.

 

[Bullitt]

I'd say unlikely unless both Geraghty and Myler get crocked... Should Myler hobble off, Geraghty will move to 10, Reihana to 15 and Ansbro will fill in the hole. If it's Geraghty injured, same thing without Myler being removed. If the **** really hits the fan, I've seen Easter play centre before.

 

[Olyy]

I wish this game was played next weekend, when i'm back for Easter. I didn't realise it's being played at Worcesters ground, it's only 20minutes or so away


Has anyone ever won the LV (or whatever it was in the past) and Heineken Cups in the same year?

 

[Bullitt]

Saints nearly did in 2000, apart from the small matter of getting mullered by Wasps in the final. The closest is Wasps winning it in '06 then the HEC in '07.

 

[munstermuffin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullitt @ Mar 19 2010, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Saints nearly did in 2000, apart from the small matter of getting mullered by Wasps in the final. The closest is Wasps winning it in '06 then the HEC in '07.[/b]

If Saints win H'Cup it'll be the greatest triumph of Competition.
Like to win in Thomond Park, Away to Biarritz or Ospreys then a final away to a french team OR Leinster in Paris.
Now that'll be a great and well deserved triumph.

 

[Bullitt]

I still say Toulouse will win it this year.

OT: Cracking game though - Better then anything in the internationals all weekend. Pity nobody watched it.

 

[munstermuffin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullitt @ Mar 22 2010, 10:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I still say Toulouse will win it this year.

OT: Cracking game though - Better then anything in the internationals all weekend. Pity nobody watched it.[/b]

Well done Bulitt and must say I agree it was best game of weekend.
I thought Gloucester would be hammered but really they played excellent.

Now my views on it are:
Why isn't Downey given shot at Irish 12 jersey as it is 1 up for grabs and he a pwerful 12.
Vanikolo still has someting to offer and J.S-D is such a gifted player.
Dowson should be on English team.
Alan Lewis :bravo: for letting attacking team have benefit and both teams for just going out and constantly having a cut off eachother.

Myler looks like such a laid-back player he's run in reverse soon
Again well done Saints.

 

[bug]

yeh cracking game espesially the tong'huia run