Saints might need a miracle on their march for the Premiership top four
When Northampton Saints’s late and potentially game-winning final attack in Saturday’s 35-30 loss to Gloucester ended in a knock-on, it continued a theme fans of the East Midlands club have had to get used to this season.
In their last three games, Northampton have lost by a combined total of just eight points after some costly late errors. Against Sale Sharks it was George Furkbank missing an 81st-minute kick which would have won them the game; against Exeter Chiefs they conceded a penalty in the dying minutes which lost them the match.
At Gloucester at the weekend though, they gave up 21 points inside the final quarter in a total capitulation which could end their top-four hopes.
Saints aren’t a bad team; far from it. They boast a duo of international captains in Dan Biggar and Courtney Lawes – granted, the latter was unavailable for selection – as well as a host of other internationals and a solid pool of English talent.
But in what is an extremely tight season, with less than 10 points currently separating five teams chasing the play-off places, those small moments matter. And Saints are falling on the wrong side of those far too often – and being left behind.
Now eighth, level with ninth-placed Wasps on 43 points, the gap to the top six has stretched to nine points and remaining matches are dwindling away.
“It can be luck sometimes, it can be experience,” outgoing director of rugby Chris Boyd said on the run of tight losses. “It can be the rub of the green, it can be a number of things.”
Is that, then, the answer? It could simply be lots of different things? Those who follow Saints say they haven’t had confidence in the team for some time now.
The club have swung between wildly different recruitment strategies in recent seasons, though the rumoured coup of a Doncaster back-row could be just the signature they need.
They’re also in another transition, with Boyd being replaced by former England No8 Phil Dowson while current attack coach Sam Vesty will become head coach.
Saints therefore have a boss and two successors all working together, knowing their roles will change next year. It raises the question: at what point would Boyd consider stepping away in order to give the next bunch a running start?
There almost seems to be an atmosphere of doubt around the club. Their loss on Saturday was the first time in over a month that they had led by such a big margin so late in the game, yet they failed to capitalise on it.
This week Northampton are up against Wasps in the Premiership and, after a cup week, head to London Irish a fortnight later.
There’s nothing to say the Saints cannot go marching on to the top four with a six-match unbeaten run, but from what we have seen from the side in the last three weeks it would seemingly take a miracle.