Eddie ButlerIt was set up to be a mini-version of the final day of last season’s Six Nations, an invitation to throw the ball around. It is in the Scarlets’ nature to play so and it was definitely in Northampton’s interests to score four tries. Win handsomely and they had a chance to progress into the last eight as a best runner-up. Today’s games will settle the issue.
If the build-up carried a tingle, the reality was altogether more mundane. The visitors won easily and the European form of the Scarlets took yet another plunge. Courtney Lawes had an excellent game and Dylan Hartley was sprightly on his return. The most eye-catching performance was given by Harry Mallinder, son of Northampton coach Jim and a centre with speed and excellent distribution.
The quest for the bonus point was made easier with a gift. Morgan Allen, trying to find a four-man overlap, instead passed straight to Mallinder. The centre has brought a new sense of direction and purpose to a misfiring three-quarter line but this was all about straight-line running and he showed leggy pace to stay ahead of the chasers.
The Scarlets were also struggling at the scrum and although they showed elsewhere a willingness to pass before and after contact, with Regan King and Michael Collins looking dangerous, they also slung a couple of final passes into touch. The skidding surface compounded their inaccuracy.
It was ugly for the home team and was about to grow even worse when Courtney Lawes showed better judgment with the bouncing ball. The second-row found himself near the end of an overlap when a long pass came his way – along the floor. Instead of bending he watched it and left it for George Pisi who skidded over the line for the second try. The second quarter had barely started and Northampton were halfway to their bonus.
The Scarlets were awarded a penalty at a scrum – it was as if Northampton were a little too eager to pound them at the set-piece – and Aled Thomas kicked the points. But penalties were not going to offer them any comfort at the dog-end of a poor campaign. The Scarlets needed to shed themselves of their self-loathing – their captain Ken Owen had said their recent performance in Paris had been “embarrassing and disrespectful”.
This was no better. At the start of the second half Collins sliced a clearance to touch and made no more than a yard. Lineout possession was secured, the maul driven and the try was scored simply by Sam Dickinson. From the restart Northampton made even more easy yards with another maul. The move ended only when the noble Owens was penalised for diving off his feet. Much worse was the entry by Maselino Paulino, a swinging arm taking out Lawes. The second row was fortunate to be shown yellow, not red.
Another penalty put Northampton back in the corner. Dickinson had control of the ball and he steered the maul safely to the line, only to be held up over it. They had a scrum, won a penalty and opted for more of the same. Dylan Hartley, who had said in the week that he was “walking on eggshells” with regard to the England position, was playing here with considerably less caution. He popped out of the maul and nearly put Tom Kessell over.
The wait for a fourth try was not long. Pisi slipped a neat pass out of the tackle to Mallinder, who produced an even better pass – and adjudged not forward – to North who touched down with a smile, not necessarily because it was a try against his former team but because George has not exactly been crossing for fun this season.
There was still most of the final quarter to go. The game was won and Hartley gave way for Mike Haywood amid the usual flurry of replacements. The scrappiness increased and the Scarlets simply could not hold on to the ball. What did make solid contact was the shoulder of Lawes into the back of Paulino, an armless tackle of revenge. The referee, Pascal Gaüzère, obviously saw mitigating passion in the crime and kept his yellow card in his pocket, awarding only a penalty.
A card was shown to Lee Dickson who sacrificed himself for 10 minutes to prevent a try during the final minutes of Scarlets’ pressure. They went close on several occasions and ended up trying some power-scrummaging, a clear indication of how the game had been turned upside down. Again, they nearly scored as Aled Davies – named in the Wales Six Nations squad – broke clear. He was stopped but at the ruck that followed he dipped his hand into the pile-up and pressed down on the ball carried forward by Rhodri Jones. The try was awarded, the only bit of good news for the home team. It was so much better for Northampton, but they are stuck in the waiting room.
