When the pain subsides – and it won’t for a while yet – Northampton will take heart from having blazed a trail for English clubs and shown that it is high time to ditch the inferiority complex and defeatism.
The Saints may have lost narrowly and heroically against Bordeaux, but they once again provided a useful service, for the greater good of their league.
Never again should Premiership teams send reserves to surrender against superpower sides from France and Dublin. The message has come through loud and clear – go for broke and believe that the bigger they are (in terms of squad sizes and bank balances), the harder they can fall.
Phil Dowson’s players didn’t arrive in Cardiff half-beaten already, in the face of a rival line-up awash with Test talent, just as they had been convinced of their ability to storm Leinster’s fortress late last month, when everyone else had that semi-final down as a home banker. What a great example to set their compatriot clubs.
Enough of the lost-cause years.
As they were still coming to terms with crushing dejection, Northampton’s England half-backs spoke about the pride in carrying the flag with honour and lighting a beacon for future seasons. Asked if he and his fellow Saints had demonstrated that Premiership teams can compete with the Champions Cup hierarchy, Alex Mitchell said: ‘Yeah, I think a lot of (Premiership) clubs can take a lot of confidence from it.
Brave Northampton Saints proved English clubs can go toe-to-toe with superpower sides
They may have lost narrowly and heroically against Bordeaux, but they once again provided a useful service. Never again should Premiership teams send reserves to surrender
Northampton will take heart from having shown that it is time to ditch the inferiority complex
‘This competition has been tough for English clubs in the last few years, in terms of budgets. It has been a struggle. But we’ve shown that, regardless of that, if you front up, playing against these best teams, you can do a job. We got to the final and we nearly won.’
So, is it about the right mind-set, when there is such a financial disparity? ‘Yeah, 100 per cent. We’ve always felt like that. We have a decent side and a lot of confidence in ourselves. Against Leinster; we genuinely backed ourselves and had the confidence that we could get a result, which we did.
‘Regardless of all that (budget, squad size etc), you need good coaching, which we’ve got. And the boys fronted up. If we (English sides) do that and we’re competitive about wanting to win, we can do good things.’
Fin Smith echoed his partner’s sentiments, adding: ‘We’re a little team from a small town in England, with a bunch of mates playing together. Bordeaux are a giant of European rugby with some absolute rock stars and some unbelievable firepower.
‘So, to have gone toe-to-toe with them for 80 minutes, or a large part of that – particularly with some of the adversity we had to face, with injuries and yellow cards – is something we can look back on with pride when this has all sunk in.’
What is required now is the collective flicking of a mental switch. It happened with England early in the Eddie Jones era, before their tour of Australia in 2016. The new head coach made it abundantly clear that he would not tolerate the sort of defeatist attitude which usually undermined missions to the far south at the end of long, gruelling seasons. A no-excuses culture was adopted. A mood of bullish intent was embraced and openly spoken about. England won the series 3-0.
Now the clubs need to replicate such a profound shift in thinking, having seen fresh evidence about what is achievable. Northampton are eighth in the 10-club Premiership but came agonisingly close to a second European conquest. They showed that odds can be overcome with good coaching, cunning plans, fitness, spirit and a cast-iron conviction that any team, anywhere, is beatable.
What is required is a reversal of the usual oval-ball order which has the English as the ‘haves’ and others as the ‘have-nots’, driven to ambush and shock them. Those with less money and resources aren’t just beaten before they start and the Premiership contingent have to adopt that same sense of backs-to-the-wall defiance.
Alex Mitchell believes the Saints demonstrated that Premiership teams can compete with the Champions Cup hierarchy – and says clubs can take confidence from their display
Northampton are eighth in the 10-club Premiership but came agonisingly close to a second European conquest. They also showed that any team, anywhere, is beatable
The real pity is that Bath – so imperious in the league – couldn’t make it out of the pool stage
For further encouragement, Leicester ran Bordeaux close in France last December and Sale took a major shot at Toulouse before subsiding in the last 16. On the flip-side, the Tigers were mauled 80-12 by Toulouse, away, and Harlequins didn’t manage a point while conceding 62 against Leinster.
From an English perspective, the real pity is that Bath – so imperious in the league – couldn’t make it out of the pool stage. Having won the Challenge Cup as part two of their Treble quest, the West Country club should prioritise the Champions Cup next season, as they have the credentials to hold their own among the great and the good.
Meanwhile, Exeter’s dire results served as miserable proof that having eight out of 10 Premiership sides in a supposedly marquee event is absolute over-kill.
Galthie’s selection dilemma
Watching the likes of Matthieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud illuminate another showpiece fixture on Saturday deepened frustrations about the fact that France won’t be travelling to New Zealand this summer armed with their full-strength squad.
If he could pick his best players, Fabien Galthie would have a shot at orchestrating a series victory over the All Blacks in their backyard, to emulate the immortals of 1994 – who are still the last visiting team to beat the Kiwis at Eden Park in Auckland.
Romain Ntamack’s father, Emile, was part of that revered squad and recently the Toulouse fly-half spoke out about a desire among many current players to go to New Zealand, not least because it will be the last traditional tour before the Nations Championship begins next year.
Latest indications are that Galthie will take a handful of his key men and a raft of rookies, but final selection decisions will be delayed until the make-up of the Top 14 play-offs becomes clear.
The league final is on June 28, just seven days before France’s series opener in Dunedin. It would be ideal for Galthie if Toulouse and Bordeaux didn’t reach the final, so he could call upon one or both of his most powerful club contingents.
Failing that, he should summon those who are willing and able to fly south after the final, sit out the first Test, then reinforce France to go for broke in Wellington and Hamilton. Allez!
If he could pick his best players, Fabien Galthie would have a shot at orchestrating a series victory over the All Blacks in their backyard, to emulate the immortals of 1994
Watching the likes of Matthieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud (pictured) illuminate another showpiece fixture deepened frustrations France won’t travel with a full-strength squad
Defeated Leinster bring the party
One of the entertaining sub-plots on Champions Cup Final day is observing the turn-out of fans who have confidently bought tickets for the showpiece, only for their team to fall short of reaching it.
In this regard, the market leaders in Cardiff – by a distance – were Leinster. Their supporters were there in numbers and deserve credit for making the journey even after the upset of seeing their team suffer last-four elimination at the hands of Northampton.
The Irish contingent even managed a fleeting chant in support of their absent side during the second half, having been stung by booing around the Principality Stadium when Leinster’s past title successes were displayed on the big screen.
Even louder boos were reserved for Saracens – also previous winners who evidently divide opinion – whereas Toulouse were universally applauded.
Meanwhile, footage emerged of wild, euphoric scenes in Bordeaux as a crowd of 20,000 partied after tickets for a big-screen event in the city sold out in 30 minutes. The Gallic rugby boom continues and what was striking was that there were so many young and female supporters among the hordes partying in the sunshine. What other countries would give for such a broad demographic and vibrant oval-ball culture…
Leinster supporters were spotted on Champions Cup Final day in numbers
Loud boos were reserved for Saracens – previous winners who evidently divide opinion
Farrell may take Feyi-Waboso punt
Steve Borthwick didn’t waste any time recalling Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to the England squad ahead of the summer tour of Argentina and the USA – and it may not be the last rapid promotion for Exeter’s wing sensation in the coming weeks.
The 22-year-old hasn’t played since dislocating his shoulder just before Christmas, but Borthwick hailed him as ‘world-class’ after revealing that he had to calm the rookie down in training, as he impatiently strives to regain full fitness.
If Feyi-Waboso is already as fit and sharp as the national coach suggested, the Wallabies better watch out, because he could be heading their way soon.
The medical student has already proved that he has Test pedigree and X-factor, so all it should take is a comeback against a France XV at Twickenham followed by a full-throttle showdown with Argentina in Buenos Aires on July 5, to convince Andy Farrell he is worth taking a punt on.
The Lions aren’t over-stocked with express pace out wide, but Feyi-Waboso would bring that and a whole host of other attributes with him from South America.
Steve Borthwick didn’t waste any time recalling Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to the England squad
Andy Farrell may also be tempted to take a punt on Feyi-Waboso if he is fit and sharp
Last Word
Henry Pollock is going to have to get used to being a target for opponents, so it is no bad thing that the process has begun so soon, before he is on duty with the Lions and finds himself in Australian cross-hairs.
He has soared to prominence this season with a strut and a swagger, which was always destined to attract attention for better and worse.
Bordeaux went after him in Cardiff – firstly in a legitimate sense and then with overt, excessive aggression at the final whistle. They even kept up the Pollock-baiting routine in their changing-room, by mocking his pulse-taking, fingers-on-neck celebration from Dublin.
The assured youngster is resilient enough to cope with the nonsense after the Champions Cup Final, but he will have to prove he can also adapt to scrutiny and pressure during games. He has the talent and instincts to evolve and thrive, but it is an early-career challenge to be confronted and conquered.
Bordeaux had appeared to conclude – according to Jalibert – that Pollock had denounced them as mercenaries, which is a wilful exaggeration.
Then again, they aren’t the first team to nurture an inflated sense of outrage, to light fires within, and they won’t be the last.
