The saying ‘the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph’ should be daubed on the home changing room walls at Franklin’s Gardens, writes The Rugby Tipster.
At the halfway point in the Gallagher Premiership 2020/21 season, Northampton Saints have the best record in the league when it comes to playing with a man down.
Chris Boyd’s side are not exactly renowned for their defensive qualities but losing a man to the sin-bin, as has happened on four occasions this season, clearly galvanises them. Either that or they work tirelessly on 15 v 14 sessions in training.
During the 40 minutes’ worth of action, they have been short-handed, Saints have only conceded one converted try – or the equivalent of 1.75 points per sin-bin period. Considering the league average is just north of five points, that’s pretty damn impressive.
Tigers toppled
There must be something about the East Midlands as a whole in this regard, because until Matias Moroni received a yellow card in the 31st minute of the Round 11 match at Ashton Gate, and Bristol capitalised to score 14 points, Leicester had the best record.
Will Capon and Piers O’Conor dotted down when the Tigers centre was in the bin, and Ioan Lloyd added the extras from the tee, to dramatically swing the game in favour of the Bears.
Even though they failed to muster a response and score any points themselves before Moroni returned to the field of play, Tigers are still one of only two sides to score more points than they have conceded whilst numerically disadvantaged (33/29). London Irish are the only other team but they have not had to defend with a man down for anything like as long as the Tigers (132 minutes).
Bears stampede
Bristol are the most clinical team from an attacking point of view when coming up against a short-handed defence, scoring an average of 9.26 points in such periods and conceding only 0.88, for a net average gain of 8.38 points. They have scored 63 points at a rate of almost one point every minute, whilst only conceding two penalties in that time.
The 21-point blitz the Bears managed in their sparkling first-half performance against West Country rivals Bath in January is the most scored by a team in a 15 v 14 scenario. Rhys Priestland’s yellow card was a major contributory factor in Bath going into the break 34-3 down before losing 48-3.
Warriors lose their mettle
The only team not to be ‘in the positive’ on the scoreboard during such a ‘power play’ is Worcester, who scored one unconverted try and conceded one in exchange, on the only occasion they have had more men on the pitch than the opposition.
And, in defence, Worcester concede an average of exactly 10 points when they are down a man, and score only 1.3 points in reply.
Wasps, though, have shipped the most points (55 to Worcester’s 54) in the 65 minutes they’ve had 14 men v 15 and in the eight minutes when it’s been 13 v 15.
