SORRY, WE WERE
CHRIS BOYD apologised for a “disgustingly dreadful” performance as his Northampton team dodged a bullet to stay alive in Europe.
Head coach Boyd took aim at his sinning Saints after Treviso Benetton three times led a match the home side had to win to avoid Champions Cup elimination.
“It was a horrible game and I apologise to everyone,” said the New Zealander. “I don’t think we showed respect either to the game or to the opposition.”
Nobody would have been more disappointed than Eddie Jones, who made the journey to scout on Six Nations candidates George Furbank and David Ribbans.
England’s head coach saw Furbank pull his groin in the warm-up, forcing him out of the contest, then Ribbans suffer potentially serious ankle damage after just 23 minutes.
Worse still, World Cup star Courtney Lawes started the
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game feeling ill, having not eaten for more than 24 hours, and did not make it past half-time.
Somehow the Premiership high-flyers pulled themselves together to score five tries and get the win which leaves them with it all to play for in their final Pool 1 game at Lyon on Saturday.
But their failure to run up the sort of cricket score they clearly had in mind beforehand means they trail Gloucester on points difference for what could well be the final qualifying spot.
“Anybody who had any respect for the game would be horrified by that performance,” said Boyd. “It was disgustingly dreadful. I didn’t need to tell the players, they were apologising to each other.
“I hate to think how many times during the week we said things need to be built on a solid foundation of basic performance. There’s certainly going to be some discussion when we come back in.”
The one highlight was provided by Harry Mallinder, who marked his return from 15 months out with a serious knee injury by claiming the opening try in the sixth minute.
Mallinder, 23, had refused to cut his hair during his lay-off, but reached for the scissors on Saturday after being shown the green light by Boyd.
There was one more surprise for him as Furbank’s late withdrawal meant he switched to full-back from wing. But his smile confirmed he was just happy to be back playing, whatever the position.
Tries by Tommaso Benvenuti and Hame Faiva put have-a-go Treviso 17-12 up after an hour. But Cobus Reinach came off the bench to get Saints back on the front foot and late tries by Francois van Wyk, Fraser Dingwall and Andy Symons saw them escape to victory.
SAINTS – Tries: Mallinder, Taylor, Van Wyk, Dingwall, Symons. Cons: Grayson 4.
TREVISO – Tries: Benvenuti, Faiva. Cons: Allan 2. Pens: Allan