Feb 05
Juandre Kruger imperious in the lineout, Northampton vs Munster, January 2010

Juandre Kruger imperious in the lineout, Northampton vs Munster, January 2010

Thomond Park is a very impressive stadium and the Munster crowd are a passionate bunch. I nearly didn’t make it as the traffic around Limerick is dreadful on a Friday night. No wonder the team coaches are escorted in by the police. I arrived with half an hour to go to be greeted by a really helpful security guard and Fiona in the Press Room. My cameras had been carefully looked after and I was able to get up and running and ready to go within a few minutes.
The atmosphere before the game was so tense – the beating drums, the Singing of Stand Up and Fight and the constant roar of the Munster supporters made the hairs on the back of my head stand up. The lighting at Thomond Park is excellent but with the fog and smoke, it was one of the toughest shoots I have ever done.

Saints could and should have won – a number of the younger players will have learned some important lessons. The set piece was assured and in the scrum Saints were totally dominant save the one against the head when it mattered most. I had a reasonable crop of photos. But a losing bonus point was secured and we all waited for the London Irish vs Leinster match to be played. All Saints needed was a Leinster win or London Irish to win without scoring a try.

I was in a bar in Killaloe and I could barely watch as Leinster did their very best to hand the game to London Irish.  After a Jonny Sexton drop goal with two minutes to go it was 8-8. The last play was agonising as Rob Carney failed to clear the ball, gave it back to Chris Malone who narrowly missed a second attempt at a drop goal. Saints were through and of course, we go back to Limerick in April. Next time DrT is coming with me! When I go back on the Sunday, he looked like a kid who had had his nose pressed up against the sweet shop window all weekend!

Tomorrow it’s the LV= Cup, a Saints win will mean a semi-final berth and probably at home too. The experiment of the double header match of the semi-finals has rightly been abandoned. It’s a mixture of young and old in the line-up as the big boys are off at the Six Nations – Bruce Reihana makes his 200th appearance in the GB&G.
I am looking forward to being back at the Gardens – bring on the sunshine!

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Jan 17
Chris Ashton scoring in the last minute of the match against London Irish, January 2010

Chris Ashton scoring in the last minute of the match against London Irish, January 2010

It’s been far too long since the men in GB&G have played a match – last weekend’s match against Bath was postponed when the west country was hit by the wintry weather and a significant amount of snow made the Rec unplayable and the stadium dangerous. The last moments of the previous match have kept me going though.  Nothing interesting normally happens on January 2 – my birthday. This year was a glorious exception. London Irish came to the Gardens, one place ahead of the Saints in the Guinness Premiership and clearly looking for a dust up.  The match was a feisty affair which both sides played with gusto.  It wasn’t the free flowing rugby the press all wanted but it was compelling, gritty stuff. The match came to light in the second half when Saints scored a try early on – Phil Dowson worming his way over with a little help from his forward chums.  Then Saints hits the self destruct button – a poorly floated pass into Peter Hewat’s hands for a breakaway try and a silly penalty and the game had swung Irish’s way.  But then, as has been the pattern this season, Saints came back at the opposition. First securing a penalty and then Flash has his usual impact on things.

From a reset scrum (cue howls of protest from Irish) in the last minute of the game, Dickson passed to Geraghty who passed quickly to Ashton who jiggled the ball, controlled it, turned out of the tackles from Hewat and Mapusua and crashed over for the try just to the right of the posts. And more importantly, just in front of me – it was the best birthday present a girl could have. Franklin’s Gardens went yip yip crazy and I took as many photos as I could of the celebrations.

Since then Dickson, Foden and Ashton have re-signed for the club and I am chuffed to see how the squad has developed. I hope we concentrate on this season as much as worry about next – I’ll leave things to those who know far more about it than me i.e. Jim, Dorian and Paul.

Today it’s back to the Heineken Cup and the visitors to Franklin’s Gardens are Perpignan. Saints need to win and conserve as much energy as possible as on Friday they go to Thomond Park. It’s a huge ask on the part of the organisers and one that doesn’t seem fair given Saints have to travel as well. But I am confident Saints will go well. The forecast today is for sun – I can’t quite believe that for once I’ll have some light! Next Friday, it’s back to the dark and gloom – and I can’t wait. Bring it on!

"We all dream of a team of Kenny Clarkes", Kenny Clarke scoring, January 2010

"We all dream of a team of Kenny Clarkes", Kenny Clarke scoring, January 2010

And finally, a word about my other team that I have been working at – Thurrock FC play in the Blue Square South league. They are doing really well this season and look good for at least a play-off spot. It’s been a long time since I have been to a live football match and I can honestly say DrT and I had a great time yesterday shooting the match against Bath City. C Block could learn a thing or two from the Thurrock supporters – they sang from beginning to end. The two sets of supporters sang to each other and we even had a conga. Yes football is different and sometimes goes OTT but can I pass on my thanks to everybody at the club for making me so welcome and such great atmosphere. And Thurrock won 3-1. Not a bad collection of photos either!

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Dec 29
Ben Foden scores, Northampton Saints vs Benetton Treviso, 12 December 2009

Ben Foden scores, Northampton Saints vs Benetton Treviso, 12 December 2009

As we move into the new year, Saints are looking good in all competitions. I enjoyed shooting the Heineken Cup match against Benetton Treviso – Saints didn’t play particularly well yet still gathered the five points. Foden and Ashton are playing so well together and seeing them both score so many tries is great to see as a supporter and as a photographer. The light wasn’t great but I still managed to bag some good shots particularly the one above. Synchronised try scoring is a new one on me!

I decided to take a couple of weeks off as Saints went on their travels to Treviso and Worcester. I was very sad to miss the Worcester match in particular as I love shooting at Sixways. The match in Italy was an amazing feat of determination – I received a text from Chris Wearmouth telling me that the pitch was covered in deep snow and the digger had been summoned. Chris joined in with both sets of coaching staff to clear the pitch and get the match away only an hour an half late. We watched from the UK – with DrT on the edge of our seats as Saints really didn’t get going but still won the match.

The Sixways match was also on TV so again we were on the edge of our seats as Worcester huffed and puffed but couldn’t get past the Saints defence. Then the Ashton and Foden show took over as Foden put Ashton in for a lovely try. A few minutes later, Foden crashed over himself and in the dying minutes, Phil Dowson made sure of the match. One thing I do like about watching the game on TV is I can shout, I can’t do that as a photographer and I do miss it sometimes.

Next up it’s London Irish and 2nd plays 3rd in the Guinness Premiership – how far we have come since those cold days at Esher. Happy New Year and bring it on!

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Dec 12
Chris Ashton scores in the dying seconds, Northampton Saints vs Bath, December 2009

Chris Ashton scores in the dying seconds, Northampton Saints vs Bath, November 2009

When Chris Ashton crossed the line to score in the dying seconds of the match against Bath, I bounced on my little stool and though it didn’t break, it did meet a sad demise as its little legs buckled a bit. But I don’t care – Saints won playing fabulous rugby with a great talent beating his man and powering across the line. A pity the rest of the match wasn’t quite so exciting. The light was appalling and yet again I was sat in the bright blue trousers, glowing gently taking photos in the gloom. Still it’s 4 points and I did manage to gather a good crop of photos.

The match started with Jon Clarke running out ahead of the team to celebrate his 100th appearance for the club. I saw Jon make his try scoring debut as a right wing many moons ago – he is a fine player and a loyal club man who has suffered some horrific injuries and come back. He is playing some great rugby and scoring some excellent tries this season. So I was very proud to be asked to take the photos on the pitch as he ran out.

Jon Clarke running out for his 100th appearance, Northampton Saints vs Bath, December 2009

Jon Clarke running out for his 100th appearance, Northampton Saints vs Bath, December 2009


This week the Heineken Cup returns – Benneton Treviso return to the Gardens for the second season running. I will be sporting my European shirt and am thoroughly looking forward to the day. European rugby adds a frisson to the game and I can’t wait!

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Dec 04
Roger Wilson on the charge, Northampton Saints vs Harlequins, November 2009

Roger Wilson on the charge, Northampton Saints vs Harlequins, November 2009

And so the Saints marched on beating a Quins team that came to the Gardens to play rugby – it was a good competitive match with flowing moves from both sides. The aerial ping pong that the press has got so over-excited about was noticeable by its absence as both teams ran the ball hard at each other. I love how Saints’ forwards and backs interchange so easily – our forwards ability to keep the ball alive and moving quickly is a delight. No player illustrates this better than anybody than Soane Tonga’uiha. His bullocking charge and pass to out Kruger away was glorious. And the big man repeated it a week later at Kingston Park when Chris Ashton was beneficiary. My joy was that I captured the moment though I did fill the D3’s buffer for the first time this season. The following week, Saints made the long trip to Kingston Park to play the Newcastle Falcons – to win in the style they did was mightily impressive. Euan Murray clearly made his presence felt when he came on in the second half. I am delighted for the hat-trick scoring Chris Ashton – he is rewarding his coaches for their patience last season.

The long nights of winter are drawing in so taking action photos is becoming a real challenge. The 80-400mm lens will be in the bag for some time to come as the light is just too poor for an f5.6 lens. Still the 70-200mm is a great lens if a bit short – I am still dreaming about that 400mm lens I used at the Munster game.

Tomorrow it’s Bath and we’re all hoping for a better result than the draw we achieved last season – please hope the referee gets into the right position this time when a ‘try’ is scored. I’ll be in the red hat pitchside wearing the thermals as I think it’s going to be a cold one!

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Nov 20
Bruce Reihana, Juandre Kruger, Northampton Saints vs Saracens, November 2009

Bruce Reihana, Juandre Kruger, Northampton Saints vs Saracens, November 2009

That has to be the wettest I have ever been at a rugby match – it started raining as I was shooting the under 12’s matches in the Land Rover Cup and continued for several hours until the start of the second half. It was hard keeping all the gear dry but the cameras did well in the conditions and I was pleased with the LV= Cup photos and the ones of the youngsters.

Saints did enough to win with one moment of genius from Ben Foden lighting up the game. His kick through the Saracens defence for Chris Ashton to score was a brilliant piece of play. Ben is a player who can change the game in the blink of a eye. He has played so well in the past few weeks – it is bewildering how England can ignore such talent. Meanwhile, Chris Ashton goes from strength to strength – his balance and pace were always there, now he has the union knowledge to go with it. Unusually for me this season, I missed both of the tries. The first one was blocked by the substitutes warming up, the second by the pile of bodies on top of Christian Day. Oh how I wanted him to cross the whitewash again!

This week it’s Quins. The RFU has granted them until 10.30am tomorrow to name the team. Saints have named their strongest available side – it’s great to see Euan Murray back from injury. It’s amazing how fast he has got back from injury. Courtney Lawes is also back from England duty – I pity the recipient of his first tackle when he comes on – ouch! Here’s hoping for some running rugby, played at pace and without the mindless kicking of the ball.

For me, it’s an under 7’s and 8’s tournament with the Community folks in the morning and then pitchside for the Quins match. I can’t wait!

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Nov 07
Chris Ashton, Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints, October 2009

Chris Ashton, Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints, October 2009

I do like shooting at Welford Road despite the pain of the floodlights causing a yellow cast on my photos. The staff are really helpful and the local photographers very welcoming.  The media team had set up a special area in front of the club house for the photographers and even better we could stand up as there were no seats behind us. And it was the perfect place to be as Saints had clearly got a game plan to attack Tigers’ wing on that side of the pitch. It worked like a treat as Chris Ashton made one try for Christian Day and scored one himself.  But for two mistakes, Saints could have won that match despite being dominated up front. Roger Wilson rescued so much ball from the back of the scrum he deserved a medal. My MoM was Bruce Reihana – he is having a wonderful season. It doesn’t matter where the coaches put him in the back three he’s secure in defence and so creative in attack. (He has to get a new contract IMHO).

On the photography front, I managed to secure a much better selection of images than I did at last year’s match. The 70-200mm worked well though it would have been really useful to have a longer lens for the midfield clashes. The D3 is really working well this season – it tracks the plays so accurately and as a result I am getting some superb images such as the one at the top of this blog.

The LV= Anglo-Welsh Cup has started and I have no idea how it works – in fact the rules of the competition are so arcane, I can’t actually describe them! Saints got off to a winning start in Wales against Ospreys – I missed the match as Essex to Wales and back on a Thursday night just wasn’t feasible. Congratuations to James Cannon for his try – the second row club are doing rather nicely at the moment!

My invite to GoogleWave arrived this week – what fun! Real time collaborating is going to be very interesting – I like the way two people can work on the same ‘wave’ at the same time. In fact, more than two could but I don’t have that many friends at the moment!  As a photographer, I can see real opportunities if the copyright Google insists on is fair – being able to share images through multiple channels from one place would be really useful. It will be interesting to see how this tool evolves.

Next up for me is the match against Sarries in the incomprehensible LV= Cup… let’s hope it’s a blue bib and some sunshine! Meanwhile the rest of the photos from the Leicester match can be found ‘ere…

Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints, October 2009
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Oct 27

Last Saturday was an odd mixture of events both on and off the field. Before the match, it started to pour down with rain so I put on all my wet gear – that’s me and the cameras. By the time kick off came, it had stopped raining and within 20 minutes the sun had come out. Normally, I would have been delighted but sporting my yellow bib, I was shooting into the sun yet again. It was particularly annoying as Saints decided to score both their tries in the first half at the south end of the ground. As a result of all my wet gear, I was also overheating badly – it felt like I was sitting in a poorly designed sauna!

The game was a flat affair – the team seemed hell bent on kicking the ball away and Sale didn’t appear to be much more creative either. Still two tries before half time saw the match won.  In the second half, I lent Andy Taylor my D700 with the 70-200mm lens – he had been talking about hiring one so it seemed daft not to let him have a go. I haven’t seen the results beyond a couple at the end of the match but he seemed pleased.

This week 4 Saints players were selected for the England Elite Playing Squad – it’s been some time since we could say that. It was widely expected that Foden, Geraghty and Hartley would be selected but Johnno has done something very unusual for him and gone for youth with Courtney Lawes. I remember taking photos of Courtney on his debut against Esher only two years ago – he was clearly quick and comfortable with the ball but we were yet to see the hard side of him – his now trade mark scything tackles. At 20 it’s a huge gamble but he’s shown he can play at the very top with his performances in the Heineken Cup and dare I say European Challenge Cup last season. I hope he gets a decent run in the team – Elsom vs Lawes – who would have thought it?!

Courtney Lawes, debut vs Esher, October 2007

Courtney Lawes, debut vs Esher, October 2007

This week it’s a trip to Welford Road – home of the best food for the fourth estate in the Premiership and a very large new stand that Dr T has a seat in. Last year, I really suffered as my 80-400mm lens was already playing up, this season I will have my trusty 70-200mm f2.8 with me and I hope I will see more the match than I did last season. It’s likely that both coaches will field young teams as both are depleted by the AIs. Despite the total lack of daylight, I am looking forward to shooting at one of the more traditional rugby grounds in the country.

See you all there!

Northampton Saints vs Sale Sharks, Guinness Premiership, October 2009

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Oct 18
Shane Geraghty celebrates his try with his mates, Northampton Saints vs Munster, October 2009

Shane Geraghty celebrates his try with his mates, Northampton Saints vs Munster, October 2009

I have never known such excitement before, during and after a match at Franklin’s Gardens. Heineken Cup rugby returned after a two year gap and twice winners, Munster were first up. It’s a measure of how far we have come in two years that there was a confident air to the supporters. Saints have a mixture of young and experienced players but none would have been expecting the intensity of this match. It was a pulsating game probably one of the best I have ever seen at the Gardens. Neither side would give in – 14 points down, Munster could have crumbled but they came back hard and nearly sneaked it. The roar from the crowd was amazing – I have never heard a noise like that before and pitchside the noise seem to swirl around the stadium.

Geraghty’s try and Ashton’s second try were a masterclass in half back play. Out of nothing, Geraghty conjured up space to score. His vision is extraordinary and it does mean I have to be watching all the time. I was exhausted by the end of the game and not because the 400mm lens was very heavy. I had to concentrate so hard particularly as I was swapping cameras all the time. The 400mm lens went on the D700 so it was a chance to try that camera in anger – it did well though I think I need more practice with layout of the controls. The D3 was singing – the shot at the top of this post is one of my favourite photos that I have ever taken at a rugby match. I am delighted with the results from the two cameras and the experience has really whetted my appetite for a fixed length long lens.

This week I decided I would start to print the photos I could use in an ARPS assessment – my EPSON printer is new thanks to a failed ink cartridge and a visit from an EPSON engineer who just handed over a brand new printer rather than repair the old one. It was only after I had tried calibrating my monitor with the ColurMunki and the grass in all my photos was now in a virulent green that I found out that Snow Leopard and ColorMunki’s hate each other. Furthermore, I am yet to produce a decent print from the new printer because the calibration is so awful. A lot of ink and paper later and I am no nearer solving the problem…

Since the Munster win, Saints went to France to play Perpignan and lost. Next week, it’s Sale at home… roll on Saturday!

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Oct 09
Neil Best, Northampton Saints vs Leeds Carnegie, September 2009

Neil Best, Northampton Saints vs Leeds Carnegie, September 2009

When I started taking photos two years ago I dared not think beyond being asked to shoot the next match – now two seasons in, I have the opportunity of my career. It’s Saints’ first group match in the Heineken Cup against the team they beat in 2000 – Munster. I always said I would treat myself to a ‘big’ lens and it arrived this morning – 400mm f2.8 and it looks a mighty beast. I haven’t really got time for a practice so I’ll have backup lenses with me at the match just in case.

Saints have picked a strong side – it’s a delicious back line with the ultimate playmaker in Geraghty at 10 and Reihana at 11. Chris Ashton is getting a deserved run in the side. In the pack, I can’t wait to see Neil Best take on the men in red – will Declan Kidney see him at his rampaging best? I hope it’s a free flowing game without too much whistle – I know the Gardens will be jumping and I can’t wait to sit in front of the South stand. That roar makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

So here’s to a great game, some great photography and maybe the odd beer in the Rodbar after the match.

Oh yes and the red hat will only be in my bag tomorrow – I will only be wearing my club’s colours, for one day maybe it’s GreenHatPhoto.com…

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