When asked the last time he missed a kick at goal, Freddie Burns gave it some thought. “I missed one against Sarries at home [four weeks ago],” he said. Then he thought some more. “I must have missed one since then.”
Apparently not. The stats say he has kicked 29 of his last 30 kicks at goal. As the missed conversion of Vereniki Goneva’s try against Saracens was 13 kicks ago, he will have to go some way further back if he is to remember the missed kick before that. Burns slotted six from six at Franklin’s Gardens, as Leicester held off a feisty assault from a desperate Northampton. His accuracy summed up that of the Tigers, whose conversion of their chances was much the more clinical.
Worse still, it is a Northampton legend who has helped Burns to discover his range. Paul Grayson, one of the deadliest marksmen the east Midlands, – or indeed anywhere – has known, spent time this season and last working with Leicester’s fly-half, whose accuracy from the tee has tended not to be a distinguishing feature. Burns opted for Grayson’s more laid back approach over the famously rigorous scientific method of Dave Alred.
“I thought Grays fitted my personality better. I am not the type of player who wants to get bogged down in the science of goal-kicking. I like to see it as putting the ball through the posts.”
Burns is quietly rebuilding a reputation for himself. The fact he is doing it quietly says much about the transformation going on. The swagger of his early days as a dazzling runner from Gloucester’s Ryan Lamb school has given way to a greater maturity.
“I am 25 now and as much as that is not old, it is that transition from being the young guy who can make mistakes because you are young to being the guy people look to to drive the team.”
Not that he has lost the try-scoring touch. He scored Leicester’s third and final try, their only one of the second half. It was scored amid an onslaught from Northampton, whose last hopes of a playoff spot are all but erased with this defeat.
This is the first east Midlands derby not to feature a card since 2009, but Northampton were livid with the referee, Tim Wigglesworth, for not producing one. Leicester’s penalty count was more than double that of Northampton. They sailed particularly close to the wind midway through the second half, when they were spared a likely card because Northampton scored a try from the advantage.
It was not enough for the Saints. “We have to get over this pretty quickly,” said Tom Wood, who emerged with credit, “because there is a real danger of the wheels falling off. Not to make the top six [and thus Europe] would be an absolute tragedy for this club and a huge underachievement.”
Their bitter rivals, meanwhile, are all but certain to make the Premiership play-offs now. Before that, though, they take on Racing 92 in the semi-final of the Champions Cup this weekend. And Burns will get to line up for the first time against Dan Carter (Burns was brought on for his England debut in 2012 just as Carter left the pitch), the man he describes quite rightly as the greatest there has ever been.
Northampton Tuala (Mallinder 14); K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, Elliott (Collins 68); Myler (Hanrahan 71), Kessell; A Waller (Ma’afu 65), Haywood, Brookes (Hill 59), Craig, Day (Matfield 59), Lawes, Wood (capt), T Harrison (Nutley 65).
Tries Harrision, G Pisi. Cons Myler. Pens Myler 2, Hanrahan.
Leicester Tait (capt); Veainu, Betham, Tuilagi, Goneva (Thompstone 71); Burns (Williams 65), B Youngs (S Harrison 70); Ayerza (Mulipola 59), Thacker (Bateman 63), Cole, Barrow, Kitchener (Slater 58), Fitzgerald, McCaffrey, Fonua (Croft 48).
Tries Thacker, Goneva, Burns. Cons Burns 3. Pens Burns 3.
Referee Tim Wigglesworth
Att 15,249.
