The new year does not always guarantee a fresh start but Northampton may at least feel that their luck is turning. A match they rarely looked like winning was gifted to them when Gloucester’s David Halaifonua was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and the Saints awarded a penalty try seven minutes from time.
Stephen Myler could not miss the conversion on his 300th Northampton appearance but for Gloucester, who were leading by six points at the time, it was a bitter pill. Luther Burrell’s pass was heading to the replacement Harry Mallinder who had George North – back from his latest break following a head injury, outside him – but a try was not a certainty as Halaifonua attempted to intercept.
Northampton’s director of rugby, Jim Mallinder, felt that the referee, Matt Carley, made the right decision: “We were going to score that. It was a clear overlap so it was the only decision the referee could make.”
His opposite number, David Humphreys, however, felt Ben Morgan’s disallowed try, when Gloucester were 9-3 ahead, was more costly. “We’re devastated. It’s frustration, disappointment. We felt like we’ve been on the wrong end of decisions these last couple of weeks. Rather than focusing on the penalty try, Ben Morgan believes he was over the line but unfortunately there were not enough camera-angles to prove it.”
Until that point, it had been a match typical of both sides’ seasons. Northampton were at least spirited in defence – Courtney Lawes excelled at second-row – but they were helped by Gloucester’s inability to take advantage of their territory and possession. It was, truth be told, a poor match, not helped by the dreadful conditions which considering the plight of these two sides in recent years, rather aptly left them stuck in the mud.
Northampton, though, are up to sixth after back-to-back wins, can enjoy some good fortune after their latest travails with Dylan Hartley and the situation over their handling of North’s head injury, and may move up to fifth if they beat Bristol on Saturday. “I’m very pleased, I think it was a little bit of a dogfight,” added Mallinder. “We want to come down here and scrap for a win so it’s a very positive start, a very happy new year.”
North was conspicuous in the first half, only in so far as his white jersey was pristine throughout whereas his team-mates were covered in mud.
It was not a day suited to wings but for club and country North is far too often on the periphery. His first touch came after 13 minutes, successfully claiming a high ball, but it was not until the stroke of half-time that he received a pass. Whether it is an inability to get him the ball, or an effect of his series of head injuries, it is a terrible shame. It was during this fixture a little more than three years ago when North produced a devastating burst of power and speed to leave defenders strewn all over the field and set up the Premiership’s try of the season, but he looks a shadow of that player at present, even if the coach was pleased with his contribution.
“[He is] really pleased to be back playing. He’s been training well and it’s good to see him out there,” Mallinder said. “Not [a day for wings] in terms of ball in hand and superb attacking rugby. But an important part to play and I thought he was safe in front of the high ball.”
Some of the handling on show was dreadful and not all of it can be blamed on the slippery ball, but Matt Kvesic shone for Gloucester in the first half and one thundering tackle on Kieran Brookes just before the half hour stopped Saints a metre short of the line. By that stage Gloucester had converted territorial dominance into only three points with a Billy Burns penalty from the left, but the fly-half added two more before the interval.
Eight minutes into the second half Northampton were off the mark with a penalty for Myler in front of the posts. Gloucester responded and after their forwards had laid siege to the Northampton line the home side thought they had scored through Morgan in the left-hand corner only for replays to prove inconclusive.
Myler then exchanged penalties with Burns but more handling errors let Gloucester down as they sought the try to put the match to bed. They could not find it and after a brief period of pressure from Northampton, Halaifonua digressed, and the match was snatched from Gloucester’s grasp.
Gloucester Hook; Halaifonua, Symons, Twelvetrees, May; Burns, Heinz (capt; Laidlaw, 64); Hohneck (McAllister, 59), Hibbard (Matu’u, 59), Ma’afu (Afoa, h-t), Savage, Thrush, Ludlow, Kvesic, Morgan (Moriarty, 61).
Pens Burns 4. Sin-bin Halaifonua 73.
Northampton Foden; K Pisi (Mallinder, h-t), Burrell, Hanrahan, North; Myler, Groom; A Waller (E Waller, 61), Haywood, Brookes (Hill, 61), Lawes, Day (Ratuniyarawa, 79) Wood (capt), Harrison (Gibson, 63), Picamoles.
Try Penalty. Con Myler. Pens Myler 2.
Referee M Carley. Attendance 16,115.
