Blessed are the Saints

FIVE NATIONS Alex Spink investigates the centre of international excellence situated in Northampton Ian McGeechan has nurtured the skill and spirit of four players who will be crucial to the Calcutta Cup

WHATEVER the outcome at Murrayfield on Saturday next, Northampton will be the proudest town in the land. And the proudest man in Northampton will be Ian McGeechan, Scotland's coach the last time England were put to the claymore in Edinburgh.

Geech has an obvious leaning towards the men of the thistle as they pitch for their first Grand Slam in six years, but his pride is not restricted by the boundaries of Scotland. He has groomed four young men for greatness - two on either side - and, in all likelihood, one will hog the headlines a week today.

Gregor Townsend's vision and Michael Dods' running have meant so much to Scotland this season. And if the opposing half-back effort of Matthew Dawson and Paul Grayson has been slightly less influential it is only because the force is not yet with England.

All four are graduates of the McGeechan school of excellence at Franklins Gardens, an academy that is not so much the talk of the town as of the entire country: second division rugby players travelling first class back to the summit.

"I feel that tactically we are as advanced as any side in the country," McGeechan said. "We are playing a fast flowing style which is designed to take us to the top half of the first division. Our four players in action at Murrayfield are integral to that."

McGeechan has long been held in the highest regard, for Scotland and the British Lions before Northampton. It would be disrespectful to say his work with the Scots was akin to turning a sow's ear into a silk purse but their transformation under his guidance was remarkable none the less.

"I would like to think I get players in a certain frame of mind and then help produce the skills and the attitude required for them to better themselves," he said. "It gives me a tremendous feeling of satisfaction to see what the boys have done for their countries this season. Yes, I am very proud of them."

The feeling is entirely mutual. Grayson, one of two Saints wearing No10 jerseys in Scotland next weekend, marvels at the way in which McGeechan has turned things around at Northampton. "His reputation in the game was such that I thought he was the best coach in the world even before I had met him," he said. "But my respect for him and his work has multiplied since then. He has sped up my learning process incredibly and turned me into a much more rounded player. The brand of 15-man game he has installed at the club requires me to be so much more than merely a running fly-half or a kicking fly-half. My brief is far more wide-ranging."

"Geech constantly wants us to ask questions of ourselves and the opposition and to my mind we are now a world-class back line," Grayson explained. What McGeechan has achieved already at Northampton has been extraordinary, even given the division in which they reside. Before yesterday's trip to Moseley, 11 league games played, 11 won; 561 points scored, 129 conceded. Quite apart from the Murrayfield Four, Tim Rodber, Martin Bayfield and the Irish internationals Johnny Bell and Allen Clarke pull the strings.

"When Geech first joined us, a few of the players were cruising," Grayson admitted. "Changes needed to be made, but unfortunately we were already well on the slide. The damage had been done but while he did not have enough time to work his spell before relegation got us, there were signs of hope.

"As soon as we were down, Geech set to work rebuilding. He demanded that pre-season training should begin in July and by kick-off he had taken us to international fitness levels so that we hit the ground running. We stuck 65 points on London Irish in our first league game and have not looked back since.

"Our style is all Geech's design. Quick rucking, good support lines and lots of work. When we do it right it looks so easy but we didn't take to it overnight. At first we were managing 40 minutes then throwing games away."

Encouragement there, perhaps, for England as they battle to adapt to their new pattern of play and stop the Scots from achieving their dream. Whether they succeed or fail, one Scot in Edinburgh will certainly be able to indulge himself in a little celebration.

Culture club: Ian McGeechan weighs up his backs at the forefront

England stand-off; age 24; 3 caps

'An outstanding sportsman, Paul came relatively late into rugby but adapted quickly. He is a good natural footballer and, crucially, has a sportsman's brain. I have been delighted with his progress over the last 10 months. He allows us to make the most of the other backs because he is sufficiently confident in himself to leave his decisions very late and to work off cues from other players. He draws players in well, he has very good hands and is especially effective over the first 5 to 10 metres.'

England scrum-half; age 23; 3 caps

'I have a huge regard for Matthew. He is the quickest of all England scrum-halves around the base and his hands are undoubtedly the fastest. He gives England a different dimension. I would say he is of the same ilk as Scotland's Bryan Redpath and if Bryan is getting all the plaudits it is because the quality of ball he is receiving is far superior. His understanding with Paul Grayson is excellent. They are fast becoming instinctive and I believe that will become a great asset for England.'

Scotland stand-off; age 22; 16 caps

'I believe Gregor is a world-class attacker. People have often highlighted what he cannot do but the things he can do are magical. We do not play him at stand-off at Northampton but our style of rugby means he gets more ball through his hands than most stand-offs. Being in midfield he offers us an additional channel of attack. I encourage him to run at defenders and support players to work off him. That way, when he is called upon to do things for Scotland, none of the concepts are alien.'

Scotland wing; age 27; 7 caps

'Mike has been outstanding since arriving from Gala. He plays mostly at full-back because his timing into the line is so good. He has the capacity to change angles very late which makes him very difficult to pick up. I like to think his confidence on the ball comes from playing the Northampton way. I was surprised Scotland did not employ him at full- back, but Rowen Shepherd, to his credit has done exceptionally well, and Mike has done none too badly on the wing.