i-team.cc Mark Brookes Memorial Ride

By shendyNo Comments
Two postings in a day - you lucky people. Well, I say "you lucky people", but does anyone actually read this blog? Today was the i-team.cc (my cycling club) Century Day - the aim is to get as many of the club as possible riding 100 miles on the same day. It also ties in with a ride and meet at Gloucester Docks in memory of i-team member Mark Brookes who died too young a few years ago. Not having ridden my bike since November, I wasn't riding, but fulfilled my role as unofficial club photographer. This is the full bunch of reprobates who met in Gloucester. Most of them are from the Portsmouth branch of the club, who drove to Hungerford and rode from there. Special credit to Jon Skidmore and Phil Freeman who rode solo from Bristol and Shrewbury respectively. The Portsmouth branch then headed back via Birdlip Hill, which is a bit of a beast - particularly near the top with a...
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Saints v Saracens, 25/04/2010

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Last home game of the season, Saints v Saracens in the 4th meeting of the season - and with potentially another one to come in the playoff semi-finals!A glorious sunny day, and a cracking game of rugby - the only problem being the final result - 28-27 to Saracens. Saints had a chance to win it, missing a conversion with only 2 minutes left. To be fair, Saracens played really well, and looked massively dangerous with the ball in hand - which is a major change compared to how they played at the start of the season.Lots of good photos this week, with the good light really helping.Some nice acrobatic stuff, as Jon Clarke doesn't quite get it right under a high ballBen Foden and Bruce ReihanaDylan Hartley flattens Neil de Kock just as he gets the ball awayLee Dickson gets hit pretty damn hardEuan Murray and Dylan Hartley prepare for the forthcoming collision.Bruce ReihanaAnd finally, a couple that I...
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Bath v Saints

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See, I said I'd try and post more - and here I am back again in less than a week! Another Saints game, this time a midweek trip to Bath for a catch-up from a January postponement. Not good to have 3 games in a week at such a crucial stage of the season. Saints made 12 changes from Saturday's match, while Bath only made about 3. Saints had a number of top players on the bench, and they made a significant difference in the second half. Unfortunately Bath held out 21-20, but it was a very good performance from a bit of an ad-hoc Saints side. The light wasn't good at the Rec, so no particularly startling photos - I'll just post up the best one. The full set are on my website...
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Saints v Gloucester

By shendyNo Comments
Is it really 3 months since I've posted on here? Oops. I've not really taken much other than rugby since then - and there's been nothing hugely exciting in those either. Anyway, a lovely sunny day on the terrace at Franklin's Gardens in Northampton as the Saints took on Gloucester in the Premiership. The two teams met recently in the LV= final - that was a cracking game, and so was this. And we won both of them! The pick pick of the pics: Stephen Myler gets an uncomfortable boot This one is more out of historical interest than because it's a particularly good photo - Phil Dowson is a back-row forward, not a hooker, so why is he throwing into the lineout? Dylan Hartley was in the sin bin, and there hadn't been a scrum so we hadn't brought on a front row replacement. Up steps Dowson, he throws to Juandre Kruger in the lineout and promptly joins the maul to get back on...
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Northampton Saints v Perpignan

By shendyNo Comments
A Sunday afternoon match in the Heineken European Cup, and a must-win match for the Saints if they are to qualify for the knockout stages. Fortunately, Perpignan can't qualify and therefore sent a weakened team.It has to be said that the first half wasn't the greatest I've ever seen, ending a mere 6-0 to the Saints. I managed to get a couple of decent photos in the good light - one of the better lineout shots I've taken (Juandre Kruger), and one of the rare situations where one of the better best shots of the day is of the opposition!The second half was much better, with the Saints scoring 3 tries in the first 15 minutes. The first came from another dazzling break by Ben Foden, who shipped it on to the try scoring machine that is Chris Ashton. I managed to keep track of this one, leading to quite a good scoring shot.After the third try (which took place...
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