Mallinder expects final battle

Saints boss expects tough final test against Gloucester

Last updated: 14th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Mallinder expects final battle

Mallinder: Happy boss

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Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder expects to see a hard-fought LV= Cup final next week after his side won through to face Gloucester.

Saints beat Saracens 31-20 in their semi-final at Franklin's Gardens to book a date with Gloucester next Sunday.

Northampton are second in the Guinness Premiership, five places and 20 points ahead of their opponents next weekend, but Mallinder insists a cup success for his club is no gimme.

"It's going to be a hard game," he said. "They have improved massively since the start of the season and they will go in fancying themselves to beat us.

"And we don't know who will be available because I noticed England picked up some injuries yesterday, both up front and out wide which could affect players we have available.

"We'll have to wait and see."

Treble

Saints' dreams of the treble remain intact - they are the only English team in quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup - and Mallinder hopes his squad can hold up as the fixtures come thick and fast.

"Only time will tell how we manage in the three competitions," he said. "But I've told my players we want to have our holidays in the summer, not in the middle of the season, as a number of clubs are having at this moment."

Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter felt the sin-binning of Richard Skuse on the stroke of half-time, when his side were 12-11 up, was the turning point.

"That was hugely significant," the South African said, who branded Skuse's yellow - for lying on the wrong side of the ruck - as "stupid".

"We were leading by a point and 10 minutes later, they have scored 13 points. It killed the game for us."

Northampton prop Soane Tonga'uiha tormented Sarries both in the scrum and in the loose.

The giant Tongan, who has been one of the best performers in the Premiership this season, put in another superb shift at the coalface against the team he will play for next season.

Venter added: "The most positive thing was that the best player on the pitch will be playing for us next season."

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