Unbelievable Jeff!

From giddy euphoria to sobering reality, Northampton have travelled a long way within six days. It is the sort of journey only on offer at the highest level of European competition. And so the Saints’ invigorating march came to an abrupt halt in this raucous corner of Catalonia.

Under the cosh for long periods, particularly up front, Northampton had to live on their wits, relying on the occasional sparkle of Shane Geraghty and Chris Ashton for moments to lift their valiant band of travelling support.

Perpignan really ought to have won with more to spare, butchering at least two tries. The Saints, though, hung in there, although missing out on a bonus point may be costly. Their ill-discipline was a factor although they were not happy with the officiating.

“We didn’t get any help from the referee [Nigel Owens],“ said Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “But it’s a good lesson for us, especially for our up-and-coming players.“
Northampton were well aware that one heroic effort does not make for a campaign and much as they strove to repeat their all-consuming display against Munster, they were on the back foot, forced to scavenge and salvage. It was a chastening experience even if they did share the try count at two apiece.

Last week’s poster boy, lock Courtney Lawes, was reduced to comparative anonymity, no surprise given the pressure exerted by the abrasive Perpignan pack. Geraghty was not without flaw, but he again showed invention as well as guts. But it was a sporadic effort all round. Northampton did not run up the white flag but they took a pounding.

This was where Northampton found out much about themselves. Not many have come through the Aime Giral ordeal. Perpignan have not lost at home in Europe in 15 matches and are unbeaten on their own patch this season.

They were in feisty mood, goaded into salty action by the ineptitude of their 9-8 loss in Treviso. As centre, Maxime Mermoz, so neatly put it: “We know we gave the rest of the rugby world a good laugh.“

The bite and snap was back. Perpignan got stuck into the Northampton set-piece, disrupting the lineout and squeezing in the scrum. They ought to have had more return than they did. But for a crass fumble by flanker, Jean-Pierre Perez with the line at his mercy, Perpignan would have been out of the blocks with a real rattle.

They did not have to wait long, however. Jerome Porical had already knocked over a penalty goal before his forward pack laid siege to the Northampton line. Time and again the Saints scrum buckled, but referee Nigel Owens only issued warnings. Finally even his patience snapped, penalty try.

Northampton’s stirring victory over Munster spoke of a side with honest traits: selflessness, togetherness and humility. They grafted for that win, backing each other to perform. They are not the flashiest, although Geraghty has been in a rich vein of form.

It was Geraghty who helped Saints recover from a torrid opening. He punched up from a lineout in the 26th minute but was back in position to send Ben Foden round on an arc. The full-back did well in delaying his pass allowing wing Chris Ashton some room. He did not waste it, chipping cleverly and timing his run on to the ball to beat Perpignan scrum-half Nicolas Durand to the touchdown with inches to spare from the dead-ball line.

But that was a lone sortie. Northampton were being stretched. Nothing had been seen of the man l’Equipe dubbed “Le Demolisseur,“ the Demolition Man, Lawes.

The inevitable fissures opened, Perpignan exploiting the fault lines. Just before half-time, fly-half Nicolas Laharrague dinked a ball in behind the Northampton defence.

Mermoz raced on to it, slipped a deft pass out of the tackle for his midfield partner, David Marty to gallop to the line having skipped out of the flailing tackle of James Downey.

Perpignan’s 20-8 lead was well-deserved.

Perpignan ought to have put the game to bed within minutes of the restart. Again, Perez was the culprit, firing out a forward pass when he could have strolled over the try line himself.

Ben Foden reacted to another Perez fumble shortly after, weaving upfield, finding Bruce Reihana on an angle who, in turn, fed Ashton. When the ball was recycled prop Saone Tongauiha teed up his front-row mate, Brian Mujati for an unlikely try.

Perpignan took what was on offer thereafter, Porical’s boot landing nine points. Northampton were gutsy but soundly beaten.