Following a 45-35 victory for Stade Francais over Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup, here’s our five takeaways from the game at Stade Jean Bouin.
The top line
For everyone disappointed by the Sharks v Toulouse game, watching the epic encounter that was the Stade Francais v Northampton Saints fixture gave you rugby theatre of the highest quality.
Stade have flattered to deceive this season but came back from a 21-0 deficit to smash the Saints 45-35 as their bench impact and some indiscipline from the visitors, who saw two yellow cards, turned the match in thrilling style, showing the heart and passion that tends to characterise teams that are coached by former England man Paul Gustard.
The Stade tries came from Peniasi Dakuwaqa, JJ van der Mescht, Yoan Tanga (2), player of the match Paul Gabrillagues and Samuel Ezeala, with a penalty try coming courtesy of a thundering driving maul. Northampton’s early moments were dominated by a free running display from number eight Henry Pollock, who grabbed a brace in quick succession, with Tom Lockett, Henry Walker and Curtis Langdon also getting on the scoresheet to grab maximum bonus points.
Whilst they may have lost, Saints progress through to the Champions Cup Round of 16 with a game to play to decide the venue of their fixture, a worthy outcome for a gifted team who were short on first choice players in this match. For Stade, it’s still mathematically possible to qualify but their key takeout from this game will be confidence, something that’s been in very short supply at the Parisian club this season.
Bench impact
Sekou Macalou and Brad Weber conspired to turn the course of this match shortly after half-time as they gave Stade maximum replacement power. Macalou, a man who’s made the headlines for his indiscipline recently, delivered impact by the bucketload, making 11 carries for 120 metres in a brilliant display off the bench.
Alongside him, Weber brought so much brio to the game, attacking both sides of the Saints defence and probing into the backs to turn primary defence into scramble, which allowed the big forwards to thrive with ball in hand.
With Alex Mitchell and Josh Kemeny both getting cards at key moments, defending 14 on 15 on an artificial surface which exposes width is always a tough task and Weber really exploited the gaps Mitchell left, sniping around the base and putting immense pressure on Rory Hutchinson, a man who started out of position at 10 and then moved further out to nine when Mitchell went off.
Julien Delbouis, Dakuwaqa and Gabrillagues all made massive contributions both sides of the ball with Delbouis grabbing three turnovers in defence to keep his side in the match under pressure, but it was those impact players, Macalou and Weber, that really turned this match on its head.
Stade physicality
Stade Francais have in a bit of a pickle. Indiscipline has rocked their season and for a Top 14 side without the big budgets of other clubs, they’re very much making the best of their assets, with coach Gustard doing his best to inspire a Parisian wolfpack in the shape of his successful Saracens defence of years gone by.
Initially outgunned at scrum time and given a lesson at the breakdown by Pollock and his cohorts early doors, it says something about the spirit and resilience of the French outfit that they managed to stay in the game and close it out with their bench impact. They managed to strike before half-time as their driving maul came into the game as a platform as Tanga awoke from his earlier slumbers to scoot over as the clock was in the red. They repeated the feat in the second half when Mitchell collapsed another rumble to the line and referee Eoghan Cross, who had an exceptionally impressive outing, had no choice other than to wave a yellow and award a penalty try.
With Van der Mescht, a man who claims to be the lovechild of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, doing his very best impression of Emmanuel Meafou, the big lock demonstrated a fine turn of pace as he charged down Hutchinson’s attempted spiral bomb and collected himself to scoot under the posts for a well-celebrated try.
True to Gustard’s word, Stade stayed in the game and fought like a pack to grab a magnificent result and they will be delighted in their resilience and belief in getting a result from that early deficit.
Henry Pollock
The first 25 minutes of this match saw Pollock at his free running best.
He scored his first through contact, showing physicality to get to the line, and the second try, two minutes later as he grabbed a loose ball and ran 60 metres to go under the post, showed immense pace to get over the line.
Couple in two turnovers and 22 tackles, and it’s clear the 19 year old is something very special and it’s sure that the press wires will be chattering with the quality of his performance, with the casual watcher calling for his immediate Test selection.
However, for all of the impressive showing of that opening burst, Pollock struggled in the latter stages as the game got more muscular and direct. He’s a lad on a learning curve and at times he simply couldn’t compete with the sheer direct muscle of some seasoned test players running straight lines down the middle of the pitch.
There’s little doubt that Pollock will be in the England squad come Tuesday but fans and followers must be patient; England have great depth in the back-row and Pollock still has work to do before he becomes the finished Test match article, despite some brilliant moments in this match.
England watch
Two Saints shone like beacons in the Parisian cold. Whilst Pollock caught the eye and will surely grab the headlines too, at nine Mitchell ran the Saints show like a French scrum-half, despite his costly yellow card and that’s the highest praise possible.
The Saints half-back gets so much width on the ball and is able to get his team going coast to coast with such ambition. It’s his variety of kick, snipe and pass that spreads opposition defences so wide that inevitably holes appear in the middle for the big traffic to pour through, and other than his yellow card, the England man had a fine outing.
The other man who enjoyed his visit to the French capital was Northampton tighthead Trevor Davison, a man touted for big things in England squad when it’s named on Tuesday. Steve Borthwick is desperate to renew his tighthead stocks and Davison’s form is something that cannot be ignored as once again the former Falcon turned Saint had a thunderingly good game in the tight.
With Langdon adding a lot of power and intellect off the bench he’s another that’s asking the right questions of the England selectors and it would be no surprise to see him named either.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/stade-francais-v-northampton-saints-five-takeaways-as-former-all-black-turns-match-on-its-head-while-very-special-england-hopeful-shines-in-defeat
