EDF Energy Cup - : EDF Energy National Trophy Final Preview

Northampton Saints skipper Bruce Reihana

EDF Energy National Trophy Final Preview

9 April 2008, 10:00 am

By Jonathan McConnell

We look ahead to Northampton Saints meeting with Exeter Chiefs on Saturday at Twickenham

Exeter Chiefs will be hoping for 4th time lucky at Twickenham as the Chiefs have visited HQ on three previous occasions for national finals and lost them all: in the 2002 and 2003 Challenge Cup losing out to Rotherham and Orrell respectively, and in last season’s EDF Energy National Trophy where they were beaten by Cornish Pirates.

The Chiefs are in 2nd spot in the National One league table 27 points adrift today’s opponents the runaway leaders.
Northampton Saints have already clinched promotion back to the Premiership and are still in search of a perfect season, having won 28 out of 28 so far in the league this campaign, and also won four out of four in this season’s EDF Energy National Trophy. The Saints’ last defeat in a competitive match was 13-30 to London Wasps in the European Cup semi-final last April. Northampton’s only previous victory on five prior visits to Twickenham for major finals was 9-8 over Munster to take the European Cup in May 2000.

The two teams have met twice in the league this season, Saints winning 25-11 at Sandy Lane in November, and 18-8 at Franklin’s Gardens on 22 March.

EDF Energy Path: How Chiefs got to Twickenham
4th Rd: 12/1/2008 – Wharfedale (5) 24, Exeter Chiefs (29) 39
Team: Gary Kingdom; Stephen Ward(1T), Alifatu Junior Fatialofa, Wade Kelly(1T), Josh Drauninui; Tony Yapp(3C, 1PG), Clive Stuart-Smith; Shane Kingsland(1T), Simon Jenkins, Joe Horn-Smith; Chris Bentley, Lewis Stevenson; Tony Walker(1T), Gary Willis, Chad Slade(1T).
Bench: Sam Blythe, Brett Sturgess, James Hanks, Andy Miller, Kevin Barrett, Danny Gray(1T), Mark Fatialofa.
Replacements used: M.Fatialofa for J.Fatialofa 11, Barrett for M.Fatialofa 52, Sturgess for Horn-Smith 59, An.Miller for Walker 59, Hanks for Bentley 71, Blythe for Jenkins 71, Gray for Stuart-Smith 74.

5th Rd: 2/2/2008 - Exeter Chiefs (24) 24, Coventry (0) 0
Team: Sean Marsden; Jason Luff, Alifatu Junior Fatialofa, Wade Kelly, Gary Kingdom; Tony Yapp(1T, 3C, 1PG), Kevin Barrett(1T); Shane Kingsland, Sam Blythe(1T), Craig Dunlea; Chris Bentley, James Hanks; Chad Slade, Tom Johnson, Richard Baxter (capt).
Bench: Simon Jenkins, John Andress, Tom Skelding, Tony Walker, Clive Stuart-Smith, Mark Fatialofa, Stephen Ward.
Replacements used: Skelding for Hanks 66, M.Fatialofa for Yapp 66, Jenkins for Blythe 74, Walker for Slade 74, Ward for Luff 74, Andress for Johnson 79.

QF: 23/2/2008 - Exeter Chiefs (18) 42, Esher (0) 7
Team: Gary Kingdom(1T, 3C, 2PG); Jason Luff(1T), Alifatu Junior Fatialofa(1T), Wade Kelly, Stephen Ward; Danny Gray, Kevin Barrett(1T); Dan Parkes, Sam Blythe(1T), Craig Dunlea; James Hanks, Lewis Stevenson; Chad Slade(1T), Andy Miller, Richard Baxter (capt).
Bench: Alan Miller, Shane Kingsland, Saul Nelson, Tom Johnson, Clive Stuart-Smith, Tony Yapp, Mark Fatialofa.
Replacements used: Kingsland for Parkes 56, Johnson for Slade 56, Nelson for Blythe 56, Al.Miller for An.Miller 64, M.Fatialofa for Gray 64.

SF: 15/3/2008 - Exeter Chiefs (6) 16, Nottingham Rugby (8) 8
Team: Gary Kingdom(1C, 2PG); Jason Luff(1T), Mark Fatialofa, Alifatu Junior Fatialofa, Josh Drauninui; Wade Kelly, Clive Stuart-Smith; Craig Dunlea, Sam Blythe, Brett Sturgess; Lewis Stevenson, James Hanks; Chad Slade, Andy Miller, Richard Baxter (capt).
Bench: Simon Jenkins, Dan Parkes, Shane Kingsland, Alan Miller, Kevin Barrett, Tony Yapp(1PG), Chris Bentley.
Replacements used: Yapp for Kingdom 39, Kingdom for Yapp 41, Yapp for Kelly 45, Parkes for Dunlea 50, Jenkins for Blythe 61, Al.Miller for An.Miller 67, Bentley for Stevenson 73.

EDF Energy Path: How Saints got to Twickenham
4th Rd: 12/1/2008 – Cornish Pirates (3) 3, Northampton Saints (15) 15
Team: Stephen Myler(1C, 1PG); Chris Ashton, Jon Clarke, James Downey(1T), Bruce Reihana (capt); Carlos Spencer, Johnny Howard; Tom Smith, Dylan Hartley, Euan Murray; Matt Lord, Alex Rae; Paul Tupai, Ben Lewitt, Mark Hopley(1T).
Bench: Joe Gray, Soane Tonga'uiha, Barry Stewart (sin bin 80), Phil Hoy, Mark Easter, Mark Robinson, Paul Diggin.
Replacements used: Stewart for Murray 32, Tonga'uiha for Smith 59, Easter for Hopley 67, Robinson for Howard 67, Gray for Hartley 79, Hoy for Rae 79, Diggin for Ashton 79.

5th Rd: 2/2/2008 - Doncaster Knights (3) 3, Northampton Saints (12) 17
Team: Bruce Reihana (capt)(4PG); Neil Starling, Jon Clarke(1T), James Downey, Paul Diggin; Carlos Spencer, Mark Robinson; Tom Smith, Paul Shields, Barry Stewart; Matt Lord, Alex Rae; Mark Easter, Darren Fox, Mark Hopley.
Bench: Dylan Hartley, Soane Tonga'uiha, Phil Hoy, Paul Tupai, Johnny Howard, Stephen Myler, Joe Ansbro.
Replacements used: Hartley for Shields 51, Tonga'uiha for Smith 64, Howard for Robinson 64, Tupai for Hopley 73, Myler for Spencer 78, Hoy for Lord 78, Ansbro for Clarke 80.

QF: 23/2/2008 - Bedford Blues (5) 8, Northampton Saints (12) 32
Team: Bruce Reihana (capt)(1T, 2C, 1PG); Chris Ashton(2T), Jon Clarke, James Downey, Neil Starling; Carlos Spencer, Johnny Howard; Tom Smith, Dylan Hartley (sin bin 45-56), Barry Stewart; Matt Lord, Alex Rae; Mark Easter(1T), Darren Fox(1T), Mark Hopley.
Bench: Paul Shields, Soane Tonga'uiha, Damien Browne, Paul Tupai, Mark Robinson, Stephen Myler, Joe Ansbro.
Replacements used: Tupai for Hopley 40, Shields for Tupai 48, Tupai for Shields 56, Ansbro for Clarke 60, Tonga'uiha for Smith 63, Robinson for Howard 63, Myler for Ashton 76, Shields for Stewart 76.

SF: 15/3/2008 - Plymouth Albion (5) 8, Northampton Saints (8) 22
Team: Bruce Reihana (capt)(4PG); Joe Ansbro, Jon Clarke, James Downey, Neil Starling(2T); Carlos Spencer, Johnny Howard (sin bin 39-44); Tom Smith, Dylan Hartley, Barry Stewart; Matt Lord, Alex Rae; Darren Fox, Ben Lewitt, Mark Easter.
Bench: Paul Shields, Soane Tonga'uiha, Phil Hoy, Paul Tupai, Mark Robinson, Stephen Myler, Paul Diggin.
Replacements used: Shields for Hartley 40, Tonga'uiha for Smith 57, Tupai for Fox 57, Robinson for Howard 57, Hoy for Lord 64, Myler for Spencer 70, Diggin for Reihana 77.