Shane Geraghty has patience of a Saint
AFTER his England snub, Shane Geraghty’s pleasure in playing for Northampton and how they approach their rugby amounts to a timely rebuke to Martin Johnson.
Shane Geraghty returns to fly-half against Perpignan in another huge Heineken Cup tie at Franklin’s Gardens to rank alongside Saints defeat of Munster at the outset.
Stephen Myler has been Saints preferred No10 since Geraghty’s abortive England appearances in November, but Geraghty said: “It’s great playing in a team under coaches who trust you to make your own decisions out on the pitch and I’m thoroughly enjoying the way Saints want to play, as we proved in such an important match as the opening pool game.”
There may be no innuendo but it is hard not to read into those remarks an echo of his Northampton captain Dylan Hartley’s description of feeling restricted and over-anxious on Test duty.
Johnson had Geraghty at inside-centre in an All Black-style five-eighth partnership with fly-half Jonny Wilkinson against Australia and Argentina, then dropped him from the New Zealand game. This week Johnson, having argued that Geraghty tried too much against the Wallabies, only to see him try next to nothing against the Pumas, admitted he now considered the player exclusively a fly-half.
Small wonder if Geraghty, a brilliant attacker but of slighter build than England’s New Zealand interloper Shontayne Hape, is baffled. His replacement says he is a proud Englishman.
If ever Geraghty had a chance to make his case to Johnson, tomorrow’s clash with the French champions is it, though Perpignan’s double defeat by Munster after beating Northampton 29-13 in Catalonia means they have only the slimmest prospect of qualifying.
“In a situation like this it will be interesting to see which Perpignan team turn up, but we can only focus on results and what we want to do on our own ground,” said Geraghty.
“We’re really proud of our home record and, as a spectacle, the match could rate up there with the Munster game, which was incredible. We are desperate for a win that would keep us involved.”
Northampton would then have to go to Limerick and beat Munster, just five days after facing Perpignan, but they have begun to improve their away form, winning nine in a row since the loss at Leicester in October.
At the Gardens they are unbeaten since last February, a record just as formidable as Perpignan’s at Stade Aime Giral. They trounced Racing Metro Paris 31-12 there eight days ago and Saints coach Jim Mallinder said: “Perpignan showed they are a champion team. Whatever side they put out, we know they will be physical, skilful and challenging.”
Saracens’ Springbok loose-forward Wikus van Heerden will return to South Africa at the end of the season for family reasons.
