Jeremy Guscott: Super George North can help Northampton Saints reach another Premiership final

The bridesmaid tag is an easy one to hang on Northampton, and it’s there because although they have attracted some big-name players they have not had a huge amount of success. If you go back to the legacy left by Keith Barwell, it took a while for the stadium and facilities to catch up with some of the big-name signings at Franklin’s Gardens, going back as far as Wayne Shelford.
Now those facilities are in place, and it is the on-field achievement that needs to catch up, in terms of success, with the off- field model.
If there is one player who can help them to do that it is George North. This guy can win Northampton the Premiership and the Amlin Cup. He’s that good. There have been some murmurings that he has been a bit quiet, which are way off the mark. He has had a big impact, and, at 22, he has handled a cocktail of change, which could have been toxic, with great professionalism.
It is a big move from West Wales to the East Midlands, especially after a Lions tour, and every player has to be given time to bed-in and adapt. North has adjusted better than most would. He hasn’t had a post-Lions dip, he has played centre as well as wing, and he has scored six tries where some Premiership wings have none. And he’s done it despite a key link in the Saints back three like Ben Foden being injured for most of the season.
What all teams in the pro era are trying to do is to build a sense of identity, and that is hard to do with players and coaches constantly coming and going. Clubs like Saracens and Harlequins have further to go than clubs like Bath and Northampton that represent cities or towns – but the one club that has always retained a strong sense of identity in its DNA is Leicester.
In the past Saints have struggled, I believe, to get the team not only playing well, but also to build the camaraderie and respect within a squad that dictates that
no-one wants to leave. However, last year Northampton finished fourth in the league at the end of the regular season and then surprised everyone by beating Saracens in an away play-off. Then, in the final against Leicester, but for the sending off of Dylan Hartley, they could have won it.
They will play Leicester again this season, but this time with a home play-off against the team with the very DNA that they want for themselves. I know from my Bath days how important that sense of togetherness and a common cause is at the business end of the season. We lost very few semi-finals, or finals, because of it.
Leicester will be looking at the semi-final at Franklin’s Gardens and thinking, “It’s Tiger time”. For Northampton, staying focused on the club, and not what’s coming up with England, is crucial. If they succeed in doing that, it will be very difficult to call.
I like the balance in this Saints team, and in full flow they are are an enjoyable side to watch. We’ve seen the good and bad of them in their games against Leinster in the Heineken Cup, when they were demolished at home and then produced a great away win.
In the recent past fly-half has been Northampton’s big problem, but now that Stephen Myler is secure in selection he has become a very complete, confident No. 10. Myler has benefited hugely from settled selection and has developed into an accomplished goalkicker – his success rate is 83 per cent compared to George Ford 70 per cent and Danny Cipriani 69 per cent – although he has much more to his game than that.
His handling skill has not always been recognised, but this season in Premiership try-assists Myler has 8 to Ford’s 9, with Cipriani on 10. Every player deserves to be picked on performance for England, and Myler, individually, has had a tremendous season. For me the England fly-half pecking order is Farrell, Ford, Myler and then Cipriani.
Foden’s return at 15 is good for them, because you cannot beat having a game-changer like him available. He is good under the high ball and he takes great lines. Elsewhere in the backline Jamie Elliott and the Pisi brothers, George and Ken, have been effective in attack. Then there’s Luther Burrell, who has been one of the outstanding performers of the season. His Six Nations form was right up there with Mike Brown.
It’s very important to keep your half-back pairing consistent because they control the tempo of your game. For me, a settled 10 is essential, whereas you can change your scrum-half a bit more easily. At the moment Kahn Fotuali’i and Lee Dickson are battling it out for the shirt, although Fotuali’i has not been as dominant at the Saints as he was for the Ospreys, when, at times, he looked like the best scrum-half in the world.
The Northampton pack is a match for anybody. Samu Manoa and Courtney Lawes are serious enforcers, Ethan Waller is a real find at loosehead, Tom Wood is a high work-rate, high performing blindside, and Sam Dickinson has had a strong impact at No.8. Then there’s the Dylan Hartley factor. Hartley has come up in my estimation. We don’t always see what individual players bring to a club, but Jim Mallinder has backed him right from the outset. This season I began to see why Mallinder stuck with him despite the red card he was given a year ago in the Premiership final. In the past although he was in the face of everybody he was on the fringe – he didn’t make the difference. This season for Saints and for England he has been influential, especially as a carrier and at the lineout.
Hopefully, the sending off was a turning point. Hartley is well regarded around the Northampton community, and from what I’ve seen with England he is well liked, and a good team-man.
As for the play-offs, as it’s a Northampton v Leicester semi-final, you can make an argument for either club winning. However, I tend to stick with home advantage – and with North’s sensational ability and Myler’s accuracy with the boot, don’t be surprised to see Saints in the final again.