{"id":407695,"date":"2011-04-29T13:24:51","date_gmt":"2011-04-29T13:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/29\/saints-without-wood-for-cup-semi\/"},"modified":"2011-04-29T13:24:51","modified_gmt":"2011-04-29T13:24:51","slug":"saints-without-wood-for-cup-semi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/29\/saints-without-wood-for-cup-semi\/","title":{"rendered":"Saints without Wood for Cup semi"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL<\/strong>
Venue:<\/strong> Stadium MK Date:<\/strong> Sunday 1 May Kick-off:<\/strong> 1500 BST
Coverage:<\/strong> Live on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio Northampton & the BBC Sport website; text commentary on BBC Sport website; live on Sky Sports 2<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"Northampton<\/p>\n

Hartley said was not worried by his team’s lack of experience<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Northampton will be without Tom Wood for Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Perpignan after the inspirational flanker fractured his right leg.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wood, who could be out for the rest of the season, is replaced by England Under-20 captain Calum Clark.<\/p>\n

Saints are England’s last representatives in Europe’s premier club competition this season.<\/p>\n

“If we play to the top of our game we’ve got a very good chance,” said Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder.<\/p>\n

“Perpignan haven’t been doing quite so well in the league, but they’ve made Europe a massive priority.<\/p>\n

“They rested some key payers last week against Toulon in the league so they can come here and have a very good chance.<\/p>\n

“It’s unfortunate we won’t have Tom Wood this weekend but we’ve certainly not counted him out for the season, hopefully there’s a chance he could return before the end.<\/p>\n

“But Calum Clark has been doing really well for us and I’m sure he’ll be a really able replacement.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got to win the battle up front, have a good, solid scrum, drive well and our forwards have got to get round the field and be good in the contact areas.<\/p>\n

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“But Perpignan will be thinking exactly the same thing. They’ve got a big pack and some very powerful men.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, hooker Dylan Hartley said Northampton’s double disappointment last season had taught them a lesson.<\/p>\n

Last year they lost in the Premiership semi-finals and the last eight of the Heineken Cup in quick succession.<\/p>\n

“We had a Premiership semi-final and Cup quarter-final then within a week it was over – see you next year,” he reflected.<\/p>\n

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Please turn on JavaScript.<\/strong> Media requires JavaScript to play.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

“Luckily we’re in the same position this year and we have refocused. Every week is like a cup final for us now.<\/p>\n

“We have everything to play for. The motivation is there. If you don’t win these matches, you are off on holiday next week really.”<\/p>\n

Saints are perceived as inexperienced underdogs against the French side, who were beaten finalists in 2003, but Hartley is not concerned.<\/p>\n

“It does not worry me,” he said. “I think we learned enough last year. I spoke to the lads earlier in the week and kind of went around the room.<\/p>\n

“Very few had even got to a quarter-final so this is a big thing for this group of players and it is exciting. In knockout rugby this is the sort of team that can turn up and win any game.”<\/p>\n

Perpignan joint-captain Nicolas Mas admitted Saints presented a formidable challenge.<\/p>\n

“Their team has done brilliantly in the tournament this season, winning all seven of their matches,” said the French international prop.<\/p>\n

“It will be a big challenge for us to go and play there but we will go there armed with a huge appetite and strong ambitions because we want to do well and you don’t get involved in matches like this every day.<\/p>\n

“Just like ourselves, Northampton are a very physical outfit, especially up front with their captain Dylan Hartley and other internationals in their powerful pack.<\/p>\n

“Then they have other English aces in the backs like Ben Foden and Chris Ashton, so we are in for a really tough contest.”<\/p>\n\n

Northampton:<\/strong> B Foden; C Ashton, J Clarke, J Downey, P Diggin; S Myler, L Dickson; S Tonga’uiha, D Hartley (capt), B Mujati, C Lawes, C Day, C Clark, P Dowson, R Wilson.<\/p>\n

Replacements:<\/strong> B Sharman, A Waller, T Mercey, M Sorenson, M Easter, S Commins, S Geraghty, J Ansbro.<\/p>\n

Perpignan:<\/strong> J Porical; A Plante, D Marty, G Hume, J Candelon; N Laharrague, D Mele; P Freshwater, G Guirado, N Mas, R Alvarez Kairelis, R Tchale Watchou, G Le Corvec, B Guiry, D Chouly.<\/p>\n

Replacements:<\/strong> C Geli, K Pulu, J Schuster, H Tuilagi, K Boulogne, M Edmonds, J Michel, G Vilaceca.<\/p>\n

Referee:<\/strong> George Clancy (Ireland).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

More:
\nSaints without Wood for Cup semi<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL Venue: Stadium MK Date: Sunday 1 May Kick-off: 1500 BST Coverage: Live on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio Northampton & the BBC Sport website; text commentary on BBC Sport website; live on Sky Sports 2 Hartley said was not worried by his team’s lack of experience Northampton will be without Tom Wood for Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Perpignan after the inspirational flanker fractured his right leg. Wood, who could be out for the rest of the season, is replaced by England Under-20 captain Calum Clark. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-407695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nSaints without Wood for Cup semi - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/29\/saints-without-wood-for-cup-semi\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Saints without Wood for Cup semi - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL Venue: Stadium MK Date: Sunday 1 May Kick-off: 1500 BST Coverage: Live on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio Northampton & the BBC Sport website; text commentary on BBC Sport website; live on Sky Sports 2 Hartley said was not worried by his team's lack of experience Northampton will be without Tom Wood for Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final with Perpignan after the inspirational flanker fractured his right leg. 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