Frustrated Mallinder hits back at the critics
Pressure manifests itself in many different ways. For Jim Mallinder, the Northampton director of rugby, one of the consequences of his side’s humiliating loss to Saracens last week was being unable to go for dinner in the town.
“The problem is everybody I see reminds me about the game,” said Mallinder. “It can be nice when you are on a winning streak, but when you are losing, particularly in a place like Northampton, everybody knows the results and everybody knows me.”
If Mallinder retains the full support of the board, the criticism from some sections of supporters has irked, even though he admits the manner of the defeat at Twickenham, which included losing seven tries in the first half, was “worrying” and “terrible”.
“People criticise coaches for eating fish and chips before the game, or going on the phone at half-time, and they are the things that frustrate me because I know how hard the coaches work and I know how hard the players work. Professional rugby is all about winning and if you are not winning, pressure comes on you. We are aware of that, but that is why we are all involved. We like that challenge. If I didn’t I would have stayed being a teacher.”
The frustration from the supporters stems from Northampton’s slide since Mallinder guided the club to the Premiership title in 2014. Fifth place the following season was followed by seventh last time. Their pre-season form following a restructure of the coaching team suggested an upturn, but with arch-rivals Leicester arriving at Franklin’s Gardens today, the need for a convincing performance is striking even this early in the campaign.
Mallinder insists his side have improved since 2014, but the strength of the competition has also intensified. “You do look back and think why were we successful, and why are we not doing quite as well at the moment? We have improved as a team by the way we train, the way we play, and I am convinced if we put a team out that way we played five or six years ago this team would win, but the game has changed so much. The competition has improved and you have got to be even better.
Tom Wood, the Northampton flanker, described the review of the Saracens defeat as “brutal” and, like Mallinder, is expecting a big reaction against Leicester, themselves coming off a defeat by Bath on Sunday.
“There does have to be some blood and guts about it,” said Wood, who has been ruled out of the game with a shoulder injury. “There always is with Leicester derbies, but you’ve got to control it as well. Everybody can’t just go crazy and start beating their chests. It’s how we make Leicester uncomfortable, get into our own game and give the crowd something to cheer about.”