Hooker Thompson wins ballot for Saints' captaincy
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Your support makes all the difference.Steve Thompson, the England hooker, is the new captain at Northampton. In a close-run secret ballot involving the first-team squad and the academy players at Franklin's Gardens, Thompson and the former captain, Corne Krige, were neck and neck.
Steve Thompson, the England hooker, is the new captain at Northampton. In a close-run secret ballot involving the first-team squad and the academy players at Franklin's Gardens, Thompson and the former captain, Corne Krige, were neck and neck.
It was Krige who sparked the election by stepping down from the captaincy following the sacking of the head coach, Alan Solomons, last week. When it was apparent there was a little between the two candidates, rather than call for a recount the former Springbok insisted that Thompson took the job.
Thompson, a product of the club's academy, local club Old Scouts and Northampton School for Boys, accepted the leading role and Krige volunteered to support him as vice-captain. The latter had already expressed his wish to relinquish the captaincy and to concentrate fully on enjoying his game.
Thompson's reign begins with a Heineken Cup match at home to French side Toulouse on Saturday, and he is joined in the team for his first club match in three weeks by fellow England international wing Ben Cohen.
But Saints lost yet another member of their coaching team yesterday when the forwards specialist, Adrian Kennedy, a Solomons recruit, decided to leave the club, despite having been asked to stay on.
Gloucester, who have a hooking crisis with long term injuries to Olivier Azam (shoulder, out until February) and Chris Fortey (broken leg, out for four to eight weeks), are reported to have had talks with the Wales hooker Mefin Davies about a possible short-term contract at Kingsholm.
Davies has been unable to force himself into the Ospreys regional side and so plays for semi-professional side Neath, a factor which Wales coach Mike Ruddock says could have an influence whether the hooker adds to his present 24 caps. Premiership rugby would be the ideal way to stay in contention for the Wales spot.
But if Davies joined Gloucester he would be ineligible for the Heineken Cup. Summer signing James Parkes therefore starts in the European tie against Cardiff Blues on Saturday.
The Bath hooker Jonathan Humphreys is expected to miss the trip to Italian side Treviso on Saturday because of a bruised heel, so Lee Mears starts and the 'A' team hooker Dave Ward is likely to be on the bench.
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