Sleightholme grabs four in Timisoara slaughter

ALEX Waller quickly turned his sights on another hot and spicy East Midlands clash following the stunning 17-try torture of Timisoara and claimed: “We are ready to rumble”.

The captain admitted the record club European thrashing of the Romanians rivals was “a weird one” and claimed he had never experienced anything like it.

Saints’ record European victory booked Chris Boyd’s men a place in the last eight as runners-up in Pool 1. And Waller insists it sets the team up nicely for next Saturday’s home Premiership Cup clash with Leicester.

The prop insisted: “Now that we are in the quarters in Europe we want to do the same in the domestic cup competition. It may be the Premiership Cup but it is still a massive local clash with Tigers. No matter what the competition is, games with them are always a bit lively.

“If we can pick up another five points in that one it should mean we are still going in all three trophies towards the end of January, and that’s where we want to be.”

“It’s been slowly coming together. Things were always going to take time to click and we’re still improving but the confidence is growing all the time and a win like this will not do any harm at all.

“It was a weird one. I think I did well not to score, because everyone else seemed to!

“I’ve played a long time but never experienced anything like that before. I was glad we didn’t get too loose and end up playing Sevens rugby. We kept in control and composed.”

The try damage was done through new hot shot flyer Ollie Sleightholme (4), Alex Mitchell (3), Reece Marshall (2), Mitch Eadie

(2), Rory Hutchinson, Andrew Kellaway, Alex Coles, Lewis Ludlam , Nafi Tuitavakie and Tom Collins, while James Grayson and Hutchinson kicked the extras. Timisoara fly-half Luke Samoa kicked a penalty.

Saints will face a far stiffer test when Tigers hit town next Saturday but they will not get an easier one than the lack of competition offered up by a Timisoara side lacking in all mental and physical departments.

It was over as a contest by half-time by which time seven tries and having to continuously defend had the Romanians players on their knees and crawling off for their half-time drink.

Saints had been awarded a 28-0 win after their earlier pool clash with Timisoara was postponed due to snow – the Romanians probably wished this one could have been called off too.