Category News

The Prem.

Northampton Saints (33) 33

Coles, Pearson, Todaro 2, Litchfield Cons: Belleau 4, and Coles, Pearson,

Chiefs of Exeter (7) 33

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s Chiefs of Exeter won their second game tries against Northampton Saints, which was a remarkable comeback draw.

The England winger’s shoulder issue prevented him from playing competitive rugby since December and gave up a score just four minutes into the Prem season opener against Franklin’s Gardens.

In a devastating spell of attacking rugby, Saints appeared to have won the match by half-time thanks to debutants Alex Coles, Tom Pearson, and Tom Litchfield, who both scored two tries.

In the second half, Ross Vintcent added two to Paul Brown-Bampoe’s and Feyi-Waboso’s scores as he hobbled over the line and four unanswered tries for Exeter. After the game, Chiefs boss Rob Baxter confirmed that the cramp was not a muscle injury.

With home fervor roiling for a successful new campaign following their success last year, Franklin’s Gardens was packed with fans of the Saints, who included three exciting debutants, Anthony Belleau, and giant South African lock JJ Van Der Mescht.

However, France international Belleau started poorly, and Saints were caught napping as Feyi-Waboso raced over the line after being caught in a ruck, ducked under a tackle, and made it to the bottom of the standings.

With five tries in 22 minutes, which Coles slammed over from close range, Northampton were not far behind.

Before Todaro, 19, made his dream debut by scoring Saints’ third goal thanks to an outrageous reverse pass from James Ramm, Pearson completed another flowing move by moving wide on the left.

After Saints threatened to run away from the reeling Chiefs, Litchfield received a delicious Fraser Dingwall short pass before Todaro scored his second try.

As Northampton eased off on the accelerator, Exeter somehow drew some faith into the second half, and they were soon able to reclaim the lead.

Brown-Bampoe, who scored 21 tries last season, did so with his first of the campaign, but it still seemed like a couple of consolations even after Feyi-Waboso’s excellent aerial work teed up Vintcent’s first try.

However, Saints’ sleepiness was made clear when Vintcent was sent over for another after Jack Yeandle’s low, sharp throw from a line-out abruptly made them both vulnerable.

Exeter produced some thrilling rugby of their own, and when Stephen Varney looped a reverse pass that could be deemed either inspired or wild, Chiefs worked the ball wide right and Feyi-Waboso slipped over the line.

Saints were riled by the low points, but Chiefs held on even after Josh Hodge was sent off for a 20-minute red card for making head-to-head contact with Sam Graham as the back rower was set to score.

Phil Dowson, Northampton’s rugby director, stated to BBC Radio Northampton: “

“We gave up a 33-7 half-time lead to draw a game that should have been out of sight,” said one player.

We continued giving them field position and possession in the second half because we didn’t value the ball, we didn’t look after it for any length of time, and we were consistently punished.

We initially appeared to be unable to regain our momentum once we lost it.

We basically didn’t get past three phases in the second half despite some really good attacking and some fairly average defense from both teams.

Rob Baxter, Exeter’s rugby director, stated to BBC Radio Devon:

You can’t escape that Northampton team because there were many really talented players who weren’t there, they were in fact.

Literally, the first few things that went our way in the first half caused a slog that required us to go through. I have a responsibility to continue working with the players, giving them the confidence to carry it out, and sticking to it, with the hope that today’s outcome will contribute to that.

At half-time, we had nowhere to go. Fair play to the young men, they both stood up and fought, and we either had to roll over and die or fight.

Walker, Fischetti, Miller Mills, Van Der Mescht, Graham, Weimann, Hutchinson as replacements

Hodge, Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hammersley, Brown-Bampoe, Brown-Bampoe, Skinner, Varney, Goodrick-Clarke, Dweba, Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Pearson, Tshiunza, Fisilau, Vintcent, and others.

Yeandle, Blose, Tchumbadze, Jenkins, Zambonin, Chapman, Lilley, James as replacements.

Not since the summer of 2005 have Glamorgan had one of their own represent England.

When Simon Jones tore through Australia’s middle-order during the third Ashes Test, those captivated by the summer’s cricket would have quickly dismissed the idea of it being one of his final outings in England whites.

The Swansea-born fast-bowler was an integral part of England’s Ashes victory, taking 18 wickets at an average of 21, but it wasn’t to last.

Twenty years later and no Glamorgan player has played on the biggest stage. The past year has, however, brought hope with a group of players who have propelled the county to the First Division.

Within this squad are two cricketers from very different backgrounds who have emerged as serious candidates to end Glamorgan’s long wait for an England star or two.

Asa Tribe and Ben Kellaway share as many similarities as they do differences. They are both 21-year-olds who have just finished a year of balancing professional cricket with graduating from universities in Cardiff.

One is born and raised in Wales, developing through Glamorgan’s pathway system whilst the other spent the first 18 years of his life on the island of Jersey.

Both have had breakthrough years, producing match-winning performances across all formats and going from student loans to lucrative franchise deals.

After starting the season outside Glamorgan’s first team, Tribe seized an opportunity to open the batting and has not looked back, scoring 731 County Championship runs at an average of 45.68.

“I thought there would be some growth after a hard winter, but I didn’t think the numbers would be as good as they’ve been,” Tribe told BBC Sport Wales.

In the One-Day Cup it was 401 runs at an average of 80.20, not bad for someone who hadn’t played cricket outside of Jersey until the age of 18.

The 21-year-old speaks fondly about his early years growing up in Jersey but says he “was ready to flee the nest”. Tribe credits the move to Cardiff for allowing him to turn childhood dreams into reality.

“I always felt that if I was going to take my cricket forward, I couldn’t do that on the Island.

As a result of his impressive form across all formats, Tribe has earnt himself multiple franchise deals this winter.

His calendar reads like a series of Race Across the World. He’s signed deals to play in the National Cricket League in Texas, a stint in Adelaide playing Grade cricket, then onto a Nepalese T20 competition, before signing a “surreal” deal with the Paarl Royals in the SA20.

He found out about his draft selection whilst on the field during a County Championship match against Northants and thought his team-mates were joking around when they told him that he’d be going to South Africa to play in one of the richest franchise leagues in the world.

It was in the same game Tribe scored a career-best 206, the biggest score in a freak run of form that included four centuries in six games for Glamorgan and Jersey.

What started as murmurs of an England Lions call-up have now grown into serious conversations and it’s something he aspires to achieve.

Simon Jones’ performances in the summer of 05′ brought pride to a nation, one that Ben Kellaway is “proud” to be from.

The all-rounder hopes to become the first Welshman since Jones to play Test cricket for England and his performances this season are doing him no harm.

The 21-year-old has scored 813 County Championship runs at an average of 54.20 whilst taking 25 wickets at 32.12.

Glamorgan have relied on his runs, wickets, and ambidextrous bowling to balance the squad.

He went viral last year, after taking wickets with each arm in the same over, but his ability to bowl right-arm and left-arm off spin is no gimmick, instead, a carefully thought-out strategy to set him apart from the rest.

“How can I make myself stand-out within the game? An off-spinner batter is one of the most common skills out there.

Something that all teams look for is X-factor and it’s a term often used to describe Kellaway’s batting, bowling, and fielding.

It’s also the reason his roller-coaster ride took another loop midway through the summer when he was selected as a wildcard pick for Welsh Fire in the Hundred.

Kellaway has earned the rewards for his match-winning contributions across T20s and four-day cricket which included becoming the youngest Glamorgan player to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same match against Gloucestershire.

Despite “coming from a family with no cricketing background” Kellaway sees no ceiling for himself.

“It’d be an absolutely unbelievable opportunity (England Lions tour) if it came around. That’s definitely a main goal of mine, to go up a level and experience that stuff and show people what I can do,” he said.

The Chepstow native’s identity plays a massive part in his motivation to succeed, and he is aware of Wales’s poor record of producing England cricketers, something he wants to change.

Tribe and Kellaway share a desire for more. There has arguably never been a better England set-up to be fast tracked into.

With the current squad rotating through off-spinning all-rounders and a crucial Ashes series ahead for the batters, what seemed a once distant dream for an island boy and a Welshman with no cricketing background has every chance of becoming a reality.

A good place to start would be selection for this winter’s Lion’s tour, but regardless of the outcome, they are providing hope for a nation and county that has been starved of it for so long.

Glamorgan coach Richard Dawson says it would mean a lot to the club if either or both become the first England Lions player from Glamorgan since James Harris, early in his career.

“They’ve worked hard, the club wants to have people recognised for good performances so it’s good to have two lads at 21 years old who’ve performed this year and contributed to winning games as they’ve finished university,” he said.

“They’ve influenced wins and that’s the biggest thing for players.”