It takes a good coach to be able to take the reins at a newly relegated club and fire them back into the top-flight at the first attempt.
But it takes a special coach to then lead the same club to two major trophies over the next two seasons. Northampton Saints’ director of rugby, Jim Mallinder, is undoubtedly a special coach.
The Saint’s dramatic 30-24 LV= Cup win against Gloucester on Sunday afternoon was a personal triumph for everyone associated with the team at Franklin’s Gardens – but none more so than the manager. Back in the Heineken Cup with four pieces of silverware in the last three years – Mallinder’s side now set their sights on their first Guinness Premiership title.
The 44-year-old’s influence in this transformation cannot be underestimated. Under his leadership, Franklin’s Gardens has become a fortress and the side are now approaching a similar level to the famous team of 2000 – when the club managed to win the biggest and most prestigious prize in club rugby, the Heineken Cup.
Last season, in their first back in the Premiership, Mallinder consolidated Northampton’s top-flight status with 10 wins from 22 matches. An eighth place finish was encouraging, but their success in the European Challenge Cup was the standout achievement of the campaign.
A remarkable 15-3 victory over French side Bourgoin in the final at the Stoop marked an incredible turnaround in fortunes for the Saints. It was the cherry on top of the whipped cream. The jubilant Saints fans had reached the end of their nightmare after suffering relegation; and this trophy win sent out a crystal clear message that Northampton were back.
In 2008, Mallinder had made his intentions known – things simply had to change. As Sale Sharks’ head coach, he said that he would often enjoy coming to Franklin’s Gardens because of the pristine pitch, good fans and a welcoming atmosphere.
“The challenge is to change everybody’s perception of the place. We don’t want the opposition to want to come here and relish the experience,” he said. And, over the course of his tenure, he’s managed to do just that. Rival clubs now view their trips to Northampton with increasing trepidation, and that’s testament to Mallinder’s hard work and persistence.
With some of the finest young English players at his disposal including Chris Ashton, Courtney Lawes and Ben Foden Northampton are a side not only prepared for the present, but also for the future.
And as the only English representatives in the quarter-finals of this season’s Heineken Cup and just two points off the top of the Premiership – Northampton have an outside chance of sealing an historic treble.
It’s now 10 years since the Saints enjoyed the proudest moment of their long history - lifting the Heineken Cup at Twickenham in front of a crowd of nearly 70,000.The beaten finalists that day were Munster, and the two clubs will meet again in the last eight of the Heineken Cup next month.
When Martin Johnson became England head coach in April 2008, it was Mallinder who was touted to become his right-hand man. However, the Saints weren’t about to let this happen without a fight; and the club’s owner, Keith Barwell, was braced for the battle.
“I don't care what it takes - I'll double his salary, do whatever needs to be done,” the Saints owner vehemently claimed.
Fortunately for Barwell and Northampton, Mallinder remained their director of rugby and the Saints continue to reap the benefits of having one of the league’s most outstanding coaches.
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