Latest
Overview
Season so far
Tournament record
Northampton Saints captain Tom Wood is aiming to tackle Montpellier en-route to European Rugby Champions Cup glory. - 12/10/2016 15:34
Northampton Saints captain Tom Wood is aiming to tackle Montpellier en-route to European Rugby Champions Cup glory.
The Saints kickoff their Pool 4 campaign by welcoming the European Rugby Challenge Cup holders to Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday. Jim Mallinder’s men have failed to record back-to-back victories in the Aviva Premiership this season, but Wood reckons a change of focus can inspire them to European glory.
He said: “I think the Champions Cup is a fantastic opportunity to test yourself against the best. We’ve enjoyed some great occasions in Europe and there’s seems to be that little bit extra about it; the atmosphere, the buzz. European rugby can be a chance to springboard your season and it’s certainly worked that way for us in the past.”
“Our expectation is to go out and win it. Our only ever expectation is to go out there full on and commit wholeheartedly to the effort. We recognise that we’ve got some damn good teams in our way, but we want to be competing, we want to qualify from our group and we want to go as far as we possibly can.”
Montpellier have continued their Challenge Cup winning form in the TOP14 this season. Jake White’s men currently sit third in the table after big wins over Bordeaux-Begles, Pau and Pool 4 rivals Castres.
But they will be without influential hooker Bismarck du Plessis who is out with a torn pectoral muscle, with Shalva Maukashvili taking his place. And head coach Jake White reckons Champions Cup rugby is on the same level as Test match rugby.
He said: “I've realised how strong rugby is in Europe look at the squads, and the teams playing every Saturday – you can't hide here. This competition is like Test rugby every Saturday. If I look back at the last year and a half – saving relegation, winning a trophy, now being in the top four – it's a good base for the club to develop.”
Match Facts
- This will be the first meeting between the clubs in the Champions Cup, however, they met in the Challenge Cup in 2008/09 with Northampton winning home and away in the pool stage.
- Saints are winless in their last five games against TOP 14 opposition in the Champions Cup (D1, L4), scoring fewer than 12 points in each of those games.
- Montpellier have lost their last five away games in the tournament, and have lost three of their four away games against Premiership opposition in the competition.
- Northampton were unbeaten in their three home games last season with just 78 points scored in total across those three matches.
- Montpellier lifted the Challenge Cup last season and no club kicked more penalties than the winners, averaging 3.1 successful penalty goals per game.
Stephen Myler struck an injury time penalty to seal a dramatic 16-14 European Rugby Champions Cup triumph over Montpellier. - 15/10/2016 19:37
Stephen Myler struck an injury time penalty to seal a dramatic 16-14 European Rugby Champions Cup triumph over Montpellier.
Jim Mallinder’s men had led from the fourth minute after Calum Clark crashed over, only to see their lead wiped out by Frans Steyn, who scored a try and kicked two penalties to send the French side into a 14-13 lead after 66 minutes.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man, and it was Myler who had the last laugh as he showed nerves of steel to convert a penalty from 35 metres at the death. The victory leaves Northampton second behind Leinster in Pool 4 ahead of their trip to Castres next Sunday.
Jim Mallinder’s men sent a statement of intent after just four minutes at Franklin’s Gardens. George North cleared up a loose lineout and powered into the heart of the Montpellier defence. Harry Mallinder then made a half break to release former Montpellier star Louis Picamoles, who disguised a deft pass back to Clark for him to crash over.
Myler converted at the second time of asking before he slotted a long-range penalty to put Northampton 10 points ahead. But the Montpellier juggernaut gathered speed and they got their first points thanks to a Ben Botica penalty after some heavy pressure.
And Jake White’s men got right back into it four minutes before half-time. Frans Steyn slung a long pass out-wide to Nemani Nadolo, who slipped a deft offload out the back of his hand to Joffrey Michel. The replacement full-back charged down the wing and fed Steyn – and the Springbok did enough to reach over the line to cut the gap to 10-8 at half-time.
The contest descended into an arm wrestle after the break. Myler landed a penalty but that was cancelled out by Steyn as the clock ticked past the hour mark. But the French side finally hit the front with 13 minutes remaining after Northampton failed to roll away at a ruck.
North had a late chance to win it for Mallinder’s men, but he was beaten by the bounce after chipping over the French defence. But Myler stepped up to clinch it at the death after Montpellier left their hands in a ruck.
LIVE - TEST - Commentary