A feature written for InTouch magazine (May 2007), which I produced by myself during my time at university. The full magazine included a variety of features, interviews and information. This can be produced should you require to view it.
As the end of the season looms, there is one debate that arises again and again amongst the Guinness Premiership clubs- relegation.
For the clubs at the top of National League One, there is a shining beacon of success, television revenue, sponsorship deals and star signings to hope for and look ahead to. For the clubs languishing at the bottom of the Guinness Premiership, there is the dread of bumpy pitches, scrappy rugby, an exodus of big name players, team rebuilding and lost revenue.
Whether relegation should be included is a long-running issue. The Southern Hemisphere has long adopted a closed top tier, with the Super 14 franchises enjoying being included in an exclusive group. It is the same for the Magner’s League.
But does it improve the standard of rugby? Ex-England international and BBC Rugby Commentator Brian Moore thinks so. He fervently stated: “The fact is that the non-development of English-qualified talent is a serious impediment to international success. Without overseas quotas, enforceable only to non-EC nationals, or without relegation being removed, the imperative success is simply too strong for clubs to sign, coach and play promising young talent when experienced foreign players are available.”
There is some disagreement over whether this is down to the set-up of the English league. Phil Western, who is Head of Media at National League One side Cornish Pirates, has a different view to Moore:
“If we couldn’t get promoted, what would be the point in playing in the league? We are not here just for fun, it’s a business and we want to be successful. We want to be able to get promoted.”
He added: “We work hard to bring up our own players because we don’t have the money or pulling power to get the big players in.”
If there was to be an introduction of a closed Premiership, it could mean the demise of the lower leagues in the country. Having said that, in New Zealand the National Provincial Cup is still thriving, and the players from the Super 14 often return to their clubs for cup games. Southern Hemisphere players such as Justin Marshall are critical of the English league system.
Commenting last year whilst in a Leeds side on the brink of relegation, he said: “It’s a real shame that a team of our calibre- or the calibre of Saracens or Bath or Bristol- have to suffer relegation, because I don’t believe it makes a competition any stronger.”
Another problem with the introduction of a closed league is that there will always be sides that miss out on the lucrative top tier. Friction in Wales and Scotland over which clubs would join the sealed Celtic league was, for the most part, solved by the introduction of regions. The National Irish team has prospered since the introduction of their four regions, and the beginning of the exclusive Celtic competition.
Richard Deane, Financial Director of current Premiership strugglers Northampton Saints, doesn’t think such a system could work in England. He said: “I can’t see that happening. The clubs in England are too proud and have too much prestige and history. Plus, can you see Saints fans going to watch a Midland’s region play at Welford Road (home of arch-rivals Leicester Tigers)? I know I definitely can’t! It just won’t work here.”
Sky Sports Rugby Commentator Stuart Barnes is a keen advocate of relegation. He said: “In an unpleasant way relegation keeps the season alive for fans of the struggling teams. If you are 20 points adrift of a Heineken qualifying place, the scrap for survival becomes the defining element of the season as many teams and supporters will admit.
“This Premiership would be making a terrible long term mistake for selfish short term gain were it to succeed in the long cherished dream of a closed premier league.”
As ever, money is a big factor in the whole sordid business. Teams such as Rotherham (now Earth Titans), Bedford and Orrell are now shadows of their former glories in the top league, while Richmond had to reinvent themselves as Harlequins to compete once again. Worcester’s Financial Controller Jamie Evans is under no illusions what relegation would do to the club’s balance sheets. He said: “Getting relegated would be a big blow for us. It means less money, the team we are building will be split up, we’ll lose a lot of big name players and basically we will have to build up from the bottom again.
“Financially it means cutting wages, gaining less revenue from ticket sales and less sponsorship from television etcetera.”
It seems that along with the club versus country row that the relegation debate is one of those issues that will never be fully resolved. As ever, it will take seasons to sort out if anything is ever done about it. Whatever decision is made will affect some teams for the better and some for the worse.
Showing posts with label InTouch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label InTouch. Show all posts
Monday, 7 April 2008
Writing for InTouch Magazine #2- Sean Lamont
Interview with professional rugby player Sean Lamont for InTouch magazine (May 2007):
Northampton Saints are on the verge of two unthinkables; Heineken Cup glory - which after toppling Biarritz in an error strewn match is peering through the gap of possibility at the men in green; and relegation from the Guinness Premiership - an occurrence that would shake the roots of this old and respected club.
One man whose job it is to make sure that the former happens and the latter doesn’t is Scotland star Sean Lamont. The big, bleached winger has still managed to shine in a stuttering Saints team that is languishing at the bottom of the league table, claiming five tries in thirteen starts.
He also shone for another bottom placed team as Scotland were handed the wooden spoon in the 2007 RBS Six Nations. Lamont, with an air of calm around him that doesn’t betray the pressure that must be upon him, is methodical in his assessment of the two teams’ failures this season.
“With Saints, I think we really just haven’t clicked in the second half of the season. There has been so much pressure on the team and, as the end of the season approaches, the pressure keeps building up. Most of the players are just trying so hard - maybe too hard - and it means we are always playing on edge.
And with Scotland?
“I have to say that overall it was a good fun Six Nations, although obviously we’re disappointed about where we came in the championship table.
“But it all hinged on small and silly things. We made a lot of silly mistakes against England, and ended up on the wrong side of a nasty drubbing.
“With Italy, three tries in the first seven minutes was a total fluke, and again it was down to our mistakes. Against Ireland we just lacked a bit of composure towards the end. We only lost by one point, and on another day, we might have won by one point. Against France we put up a decent battle but they were simply too good. In the second half we seemed to fall apart and that game was disappointing for us.
“We got the wooden spoon which isn’t a proud achievement, but if we had had a bit more composure against Italy and Ireland then one win (against Wales) could have been three. So we can take a lot of positives from this Six Nations tournament.”
The winger is confident that he hasn’t let either side down. He earned himself the Famous Grouse Scottish Player of the Year Award in March for his international performances over the past year, including classy tries against Australia in the autumn and France in the Six Nations.
He became the first winger to win the award, streaking past other strong contenders such as Simon Taylor, Kelly Brown and Chris Paterson.
Again, a coy Lamont doesn’t let any excitement or pride show as he discusses his achievement: “It was a nice little surprise. I got a phone call from Famous Grouse in the middle of the week, telling me I had won it. I had to go up to Edinburgh to receive it, and it was a good experience.
“I don’t know if I deserved the award. For me, Chris Paterson was probably the player of the year. He really drove the team forward and his kicking quality was there for all to see.”
Personal praise isn’t something that is needed for the Scot. With the pressures surrounding Northampton and Scotland, he is understandably modest on recognition for his playing performances:
“It wasn’t that I did anything particularly special during the Six Nations, I just didn’t make many mistakes. I just stuck to our game plan and it seemed to work for me. It is good to receive an award for my effort, but it was for the team, and it is a team game. I would rather the team won something than just me.”
Without the formalities of a Scottish award, Lamont has plenty to look forward to and worry about. On April 22nd Saints will run out at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena to face Wasps in the Heineken Cup semi-final, a week after facing them in the Guinness Premiership.
“We just need to concentrate on each match as it comes. We need to beat Wasps twice, once to make sure we are in contention to stay up in the Premiership, and again to get ourselves into the Heineken Cup final. It is a big ask, but we need to look at each match one by one.”
If Northampton were relegated yet won the Heineken Cup, it would be one of the most unexpected events in the history of the game, as Biarritz was already the biggest upset in European competition. If results go the right way, they could end up against their biggest rivals - Leicester Tigers.
“I would absolutely love to beat them in the final, we already beat them this season, so why not?”
And if that wasn’t enough, then there is a small competition coming up in November that is on any professional rugby player’s mind - the World Cup.
Lamont, when fit, is one of the first in Scotland’s team, but can’t afford to be complacent as Scottish compatriots such as Simon Webster are knocking on the door of a starting place.
He said: “At the moment, the World Cup is definitely in mind because it isn’t far away at all. For myself, I need to consolidate my starting place. There are a lot of talented guys contesting my place in the team, and that is a good pressure to have. So if I can put in some good performances for the rest of the season, I can help Saints as well as my international hopes. Of course, I need to hope that I don’t take too many bad knocks.
“I know all too well what rugby can do to your body. Recently both Steve Thompson and David Quinlan (both at Saints) have had to retire prematurely from the game because of injury. It’s terrible for them, and I also hope the same thing doesn’t happen to me.”
There is a massive test for Scotland as they tackle tournament favourites New Zealand in their group, and then face a rematch with Six Nations rivals Italy, two games they will probably have to win to make it out of Pool C.
“For the team, I think it is a must that we get out of the group stage. If we don’t, then it will be a great disappointment, especially in my first World Cup. After that we can try and go as far as we can.
“We have come across the teams in the group a few times before. There are the All Blacks, and everyone can see the brilliant rugby they are playing at the moment. I played against them in the 2005 Autumn internationals and they were brilliant, but we gave them a few problems too. Hopefully we can cause the same problems in the World Cup and turn it into a win and points.
“I think we feel we can beat Italy. They are a good team, but we made our own problems in the Six Nations. We are confident we will put together a more assured performance in November, and have a good go at beating them.
“Our team is settled, we just need to make that we are gelling well and come the World Cup we can take Scotland as far in the cup as possible.”
And so, with a wry smile and a firm handshake, Sean Lamont goes on his way. It is as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, and with the performances he has been putting in for club and country, why should he?
If he performs to the best of his ability you will see him charging down that wing at the World Cup and scoring plenty of tries, whether his scores can take Scotland into the latter stages of the cup remains to be seen, the Scots can only hope.
Northampton Saints are on the verge of two unthinkables; Heineken Cup glory - which after toppling Biarritz in an error strewn match is peering through the gap of possibility at the men in green; and relegation from the Guinness Premiership - an occurrence that would shake the roots of this old and respected club.
One man whose job it is to make sure that the former happens and the latter doesn’t is Scotland star Sean Lamont. The big, bleached winger has still managed to shine in a stuttering Saints team that is languishing at the bottom of the league table, claiming five tries in thirteen starts.
He also shone for another bottom placed team as Scotland were handed the wooden spoon in the 2007 RBS Six Nations. Lamont, with an air of calm around him that doesn’t betray the pressure that must be upon him, is methodical in his assessment of the two teams’ failures this season.
“With Saints, I think we really just haven’t clicked in the second half of the season. There has been so much pressure on the team and, as the end of the season approaches, the pressure keeps building up. Most of the players are just trying so hard - maybe too hard - and it means we are always playing on edge.
And with Scotland?
“I have to say that overall it was a good fun Six Nations, although obviously we’re disappointed about where we came in the championship table.
“But it all hinged on small and silly things. We made a lot of silly mistakes against England, and ended up on the wrong side of a nasty drubbing.
“With Italy, three tries in the first seven minutes was a total fluke, and again it was down to our mistakes. Against Ireland we just lacked a bit of composure towards the end. We only lost by one point, and on another day, we might have won by one point. Against France we put up a decent battle but they were simply too good. In the second half we seemed to fall apart and that game was disappointing for us.
“We got the wooden spoon which isn’t a proud achievement, but if we had had a bit more composure against Italy and Ireland then one win (against Wales) could have been three. So we can take a lot of positives from this Six Nations tournament.”
The winger is confident that he hasn’t let either side down. He earned himself the Famous Grouse Scottish Player of the Year Award in March for his international performances over the past year, including classy tries against Australia in the autumn and France in the Six Nations.
He became the first winger to win the award, streaking past other strong contenders such as Simon Taylor, Kelly Brown and Chris Paterson.
Again, a coy Lamont doesn’t let any excitement or pride show as he discusses his achievement: “It was a nice little surprise. I got a phone call from Famous Grouse in the middle of the week, telling me I had won it. I had to go up to Edinburgh to receive it, and it was a good experience.
“I don’t know if I deserved the award. For me, Chris Paterson was probably the player of the year. He really drove the team forward and his kicking quality was there for all to see.”
Personal praise isn’t something that is needed for the Scot. With the pressures surrounding Northampton and Scotland, he is understandably modest on recognition for his playing performances:
“It wasn’t that I did anything particularly special during the Six Nations, I just didn’t make many mistakes. I just stuck to our game plan and it seemed to work for me. It is good to receive an award for my effort, but it was for the team, and it is a team game. I would rather the team won something than just me.”
Without the formalities of a Scottish award, Lamont has plenty to look forward to and worry about. On April 22nd Saints will run out at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena to face Wasps in the Heineken Cup semi-final, a week after facing them in the Guinness Premiership.
“We just need to concentrate on each match as it comes. We need to beat Wasps twice, once to make sure we are in contention to stay up in the Premiership, and again to get ourselves into the Heineken Cup final. It is a big ask, but we need to look at each match one by one.”
If Northampton were relegated yet won the Heineken Cup, it would be one of the most unexpected events in the history of the game, as Biarritz was already the biggest upset in European competition. If results go the right way, they could end up against their biggest rivals - Leicester Tigers.
“I would absolutely love to beat them in the final, we already beat them this season, so why not?”
And if that wasn’t enough, then there is a small competition coming up in November that is on any professional rugby player’s mind - the World Cup.
Lamont, when fit, is one of the first in Scotland’s team, but can’t afford to be complacent as Scottish compatriots such as Simon Webster are knocking on the door of a starting place.
He said: “At the moment, the World Cup is definitely in mind because it isn’t far away at all. For myself, I need to consolidate my starting place. There are a lot of talented guys contesting my place in the team, and that is a good pressure to have. So if I can put in some good performances for the rest of the season, I can help Saints as well as my international hopes. Of course, I need to hope that I don’t take too many bad knocks.
“I know all too well what rugby can do to your body. Recently both Steve Thompson and David Quinlan (both at Saints) have had to retire prematurely from the game because of injury. It’s terrible for them, and I also hope the same thing doesn’t happen to me.”
There is a massive test for Scotland as they tackle tournament favourites New Zealand in their group, and then face a rematch with Six Nations rivals Italy, two games they will probably have to win to make it out of Pool C.
“For the team, I think it is a must that we get out of the group stage. If we don’t, then it will be a great disappointment, especially in my first World Cup. After that we can try and go as far as we can.
“We have come across the teams in the group a few times before. There are the All Blacks, and everyone can see the brilliant rugby they are playing at the moment. I played against them in the 2005 Autumn internationals and they were brilliant, but we gave them a few problems too. Hopefully we can cause the same problems in the World Cup and turn it into a win and points.
“I think we feel we can beat Italy. They are a good team, but we made our own problems in the Six Nations. We are confident we will put together a more assured performance in November, and have a good go at beating them.
“Our team is settled, we just need to make that we are gelling well and come the World Cup we can take Scotland as far in the cup as possible.”
And so, with a wry smile and a firm handshake, Sean Lamont goes on his way. It is as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, and with the performances he has been putting in for club and country, why should he?
If he performs to the best of his ability you will see him charging down that wing at the World Cup and scoring plenty of tries, whether his scores can take Scotland into the latter stages of the cup remains to be seen, the Scots can only hope.
Writing for InTouch Magazine #4- Ben Cohen
An interview with rugby player Ben Cohen, written for a magazine produced by myself during my time at university (May 2007):
A lot has happened in ten years. Tony Blair took over as boss of Britain, Manchester United won a football treble, fears about the Millennium Bug came and went, Cardiff built itself a new, world class stadium and disasters aplenty occurred in the shape of 9/11, New Orleans and the Tsunami. There have been ups and downs, peaks and troughs, good days and bad days.
As Ben Cohen celebrates his testimonial season with Northampton Saints he can look back on a decade in which he has visited the extremes of elation and the boundaries of utter despair.
A born-and-bred Northampton boy; the massive, shaven-haired winger makes a surprisingly unimposing figure as we sip tea surrounded by Saints’ fabulous, new, state-of-the-art stadium.
In his heights, Cohen was in a world beating England side, winning a Heineken Cup and starring for a Northampton Saints side knocking on the door of domestic triumph in the league and cup.
Cohen has also seen dark depths in the last decade too. None more so than the death of his father in November 2000, just nine months after his fiery international debut against Ireland, where he scored a brace of tries.
“I nearly gave up rugby that year,” Cohen remembers, “It was so hard to deal with the death of my dad, and it made nothing else seem important. It put rugby into perspective. But what it also did was made me come back stronger. I could enjoy my rugby more and it took a bit of the pressure off that I was always putting on myself.”
Cohen’s dad, Peter, had been involved in a nightclub incident and suffered fatal head injuries. For Cohen to pick himself up from that was going to be a challenge. He withdrew from the subsequent England squad to face Australia that autumn, before returning for England’s latest Six Nations blunder in 2001. The shining head of Keith Wood was enough to halt Cohen and his team-mates a Grand Slam in a competition halted by foot-and-mouth disease.
The millennium was definitely a professional success for ‘Big Ben’, a Powergen Cup final loss to Wasps being erased by a nerve-jangling 9-8 win over Munster in the Heineken Cup.
“That is definitely the high in my club playing career. Being at Saints has never been dull. We have been in finals in many of the seasons, and then when we haven’t been challenging for titles we have been battling relegation. It definitely isn’t quiet around here!”
In the last five or so years, Cohen has gone from being disputably the premier winger in the world to merely on the fringes of the national set-up. One of the first on the England team-sheet, he was a stalwart in the victorious England team of 2003. Along the way he has fought off competition from a menagerie of brilliant speedsters, including the likes of Dan Luger, James Simpson-Daniel and Austin Healey. So where did it all turn sour for the Northampton lad?
Cohen pulls no punches in his self-appraisal: “I just haven’t performed to the standard I want to be playing at. I have been really disappointed in my own performances this season just gone.
“I have been hit by some setbacks, such as an injury near the start of the season, and being dropped by England did affect me, I admit that. But it is up to me to get noticed again and get picked by Brian Ashton again.
“I need to concentrate on my own game for the rest of the season, and put all my effort into Northampton staying up, then in theory the international calls will follow.
“I know my game has been lacking, but I do think that I am good enough to be in the team. It is now my mission to get Brian (Ashton) to pick me- and time is running out for the World Cup.”
It will be tough to get back into the national side following encouraging displays from the likes of David Strettle, Mark Cueto at Sale and the returning Jason Robinson.
Nevertheless, in an indifferent season for the towering England winger, one great point is he claimed his 100th try for his club against Bristol.
“That game was brilliant. I had gone a couple of games on 99 tries, and the pressure was on to get the ton. That made it all the more nerve-wracking for me and then when I got it, it was absolutely fantastic.
“It was at home too and I remember the whole crowd cheering. I’ll never score that try again. It means I’ll have to get 200, hopefully that won’t take too long!”
If Cohen is damning about his own game during the 2006/07 campaign, he is just as so when talking about the way Saints have performed this term.
He agrees with many of his team-mates that the side hasn’t clicked this season, but defends comments from pal Matt Dawson that Franklin’s Gardens has become merely retirement home for Southern Hemisphere players.
“Look at the players we have brought in over the past few years from the Southern Hemisphere,” Cohen begins defiantly, “Bruce Reihana and Carlos Spencer have been electric in the backline, and the likes of Andrew Blowers and Corne Krige were superb for us during their stay.
“We have had a lot of fantastic players leave us also, though. They have been hard for us to replace. It is a bit like England when all those players retired after the World Cup, you have to rebuild from the bottom again. Since our Heineken Cup win in 2000, we have lost Tim Rodber, Paul Grayson, Budge Pountney, Nick Beal, Matt Dawson…and the list goes on.
“We need to find some continuity, which has been hard with injuries to key players like Bruce (Reihana), Carlos Spencer and Jon Clarke. If we can get some belief back into the side, then we will be a lot stronger.”
It is noticeable that the teams that are prospering at club and international level have had a core squad for years. Ireland has had the same lot of players for as long as seven years, with a backbone of Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell, Brian O’Driscoll, John Hayes and Malcolm O’Kelly.
It hasn’t just been players, but also coaches for Northampton that haven’t kept the same. Since the Heineken Cup win, they have employed John Steele, Wayne Smith, Alan Solomons, Budge Pountney and now Paul Grayson is at the helm. Almost one coach a season can’t be good for any club, let alone a struggling one.
“Having so many coaches over the past few years has been unsettling for the team. Each one brings with him a personal touch and style of play, which means we are constantly being set new goals for the way the team will be shaped.”
Cohen is supportive of his ex - team-mate and now the new man in charge: “Grays (Paul Grayson) has been left to pick up the pieces from all the other coaches, and it must be hard for a relatively new and inexperienced coach.
“Personally I like the way he does things, and I think what we need to do now is persevere with him, whether we are relegated or not. We need to help him with our playing performances.
“If we go down it is not down to him. He has done a great job under the circumstances.”
With the end of the season looming, surprisingly for Saints, relegation is not the only thing on their minds. European glory is in the offing with a semi-final coming up against Wasps in Coventry, and after Cohen played a vital part in thwarting Biarritz Olympique’s dazzling attack in San Sebastian, he is rightly proud.
“It is a great achievement for us,” he says, “With all that is going on in the league most people expected us to get battered in France. They were the favourites for the whole competition and we beat them. It gives us a lot of belief back in the league. It’s the confidence boost we needed and hopefully it can drive us off the bottom of the league table.”
With all the furore of possible European trophies and relegation on the lips of every green, black and gold supporter at the moment, it is testament to Ben Cohen’s stature at the club that his decade at the club hasn’t been overshadowed in any way.
Ticket sales for his testimonial dinner have gone through the roof, with hundreds of fans wanting to see their local hero yet again in the limelight.
The support isn’t unnoticed: “I have grown up supporting this club. It’s a fantastic place, with fantastic supporters and staff. I’m from around here so it feels great to have been at my club for ten years.
“I really appreciate everything that has been done for me here, the way the club have looked after me and the fans helped me, through the hard times like with my dad. I’ll always be thankful for that.”
From club to country, Cohen must now look forward to the next ten years, and what ups and downs might await him. His future, as always, is down to him.
A lot has happened in ten years. Tony Blair took over as boss of Britain, Manchester United won a football treble, fears about the Millennium Bug came and went, Cardiff built itself a new, world class stadium and disasters aplenty occurred in the shape of 9/11, New Orleans and the Tsunami. There have been ups and downs, peaks and troughs, good days and bad days.
As Ben Cohen celebrates his testimonial season with Northampton Saints he can look back on a decade in which he has visited the extremes of elation and the boundaries of utter despair.
A born-and-bred Northampton boy; the massive, shaven-haired winger makes a surprisingly unimposing figure as we sip tea surrounded by Saints’ fabulous, new, state-of-the-art stadium.
In his heights, Cohen was in a world beating England side, winning a Heineken Cup and starring for a Northampton Saints side knocking on the door of domestic triumph in the league and cup.
Cohen has also seen dark depths in the last decade too. None more so than the death of his father in November 2000, just nine months after his fiery international debut against Ireland, where he scored a brace of tries.
“I nearly gave up rugby that year,” Cohen remembers, “It was so hard to deal with the death of my dad, and it made nothing else seem important. It put rugby into perspective. But what it also did was made me come back stronger. I could enjoy my rugby more and it took a bit of the pressure off that I was always putting on myself.”
Cohen’s dad, Peter, had been involved in a nightclub incident and suffered fatal head injuries. For Cohen to pick himself up from that was going to be a challenge. He withdrew from the subsequent England squad to face Australia that autumn, before returning for England’s latest Six Nations blunder in 2001. The shining head of Keith Wood was enough to halt Cohen and his team-mates a Grand Slam in a competition halted by foot-and-mouth disease.
The millennium was definitely a professional success for ‘Big Ben’, a Powergen Cup final loss to Wasps being erased by a nerve-jangling 9-8 win over Munster in the Heineken Cup.
“That is definitely the high in my club playing career. Being at Saints has never been dull. We have been in finals in many of the seasons, and then when we haven’t been challenging for titles we have been battling relegation. It definitely isn’t quiet around here!”
In the last five or so years, Cohen has gone from being disputably the premier winger in the world to merely on the fringes of the national set-up. One of the first on the England team-sheet, he was a stalwart in the victorious England team of 2003. Along the way he has fought off competition from a menagerie of brilliant speedsters, including the likes of Dan Luger, James Simpson-Daniel and Austin Healey. So where did it all turn sour for the Northampton lad?
Cohen pulls no punches in his self-appraisal: “I just haven’t performed to the standard I want to be playing at. I have been really disappointed in my own performances this season just gone.
“I have been hit by some setbacks, such as an injury near the start of the season, and being dropped by England did affect me, I admit that. But it is up to me to get noticed again and get picked by Brian Ashton again.
“I need to concentrate on my own game for the rest of the season, and put all my effort into Northampton staying up, then in theory the international calls will follow.
“I know my game has been lacking, but I do think that I am good enough to be in the team. It is now my mission to get Brian (Ashton) to pick me- and time is running out for the World Cup.”
It will be tough to get back into the national side following encouraging displays from the likes of David Strettle, Mark Cueto at Sale and the returning Jason Robinson.
Nevertheless, in an indifferent season for the towering England winger, one great point is he claimed his 100th try for his club against Bristol.
“That game was brilliant. I had gone a couple of games on 99 tries, and the pressure was on to get the ton. That made it all the more nerve-wracking for me and then when I got it, it was absolutely fantastic.
“It was at home too and I remember the whole crowd cheering. I’ll never score that try again. It means I’ll have to get 200, hopefully that won’t take too long!”
If Cohen is damning about his own game during the 2006/07 campaign, he is just as so when talking about the way Saints have performed this term.
He agrees with many of his team-mates that the side hasn’t clicked this season, but defends comments from pal Matt Dawson that Franklin’s Gardens has become merely retirement home for Southern Hemisphere players.
“Look at the players we have brought in over the past few years from the Southern Hemisphere,” Cohen begins defiantly, “Bruce Reihana and Carlos Spencer have been electric in the backline, and the likes of Andrew Blowers and Corne Krige were superb for us during their stay.
“We have had a lot of fantastic players leave us also, though. They have been hard for us to replace. It is a bit like England when all those players retired after the World Cup, you have to rebuild from the bottom again. Since our Heineken Cup win in 2000, we have lost Tim Rodber, Paul Grayson, Budge Pountney, Nick Beal, Matt Dawson…and the list goes on.
“We need to find some continuity, which has been hard with injuries to key players like Bruce (Reihana), Carlos Spencer and Jon Clarke. If we can get some belief back into the side, then we will be a lot stronger.”
It is noticeable that the teams that are prospering at club and international level have had a core squad for years. Ireland has had the same lot of players for as long as seven years, with a backbone of Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell, Brian O’Driscoll, John Hayes and Malcolm O’Kelly.
It hasn’t just been players, but also coaches for Northampton that haven’t kept the same. Since the Heineken Cup win, they have employed John Steele, Wayne Smith, Alan Solomons, Budge Pountney and now Paul Grayson is at the helm. Almost one coach a season can’t be good for any club, let alone a struggling one.
“Having so many coaches over the past few years has been unsettling for the team. Each one brings with him a personal touch and style of play, which means we are constantly being set new goals for the way the team will be shaped.”
Cohen is supportive of his ex - team-mate and now the new man in charge: “Grays (Paul Grayson) has been left to pick up the pieces from all the other coaches, and it must be hard for a relatively new and inexperienced coach.
“Personally I like the way he does things, and I think what we need to do now is persevere with him, whether we are relegated or not. We need to help him with our playing performances.
“If we go down it is not down to him. He has done a great job under the circumstances.”
With the end of the season looming, surprisingly for Saints, relegation is not the only thing on their minds. European glory is in the offing with a semi-final coming up against Wasps in Coventry, and after Cohen played a vital part in thwarting Biarritz Olympique’s dazzling attack in San Sebastian, he is rightly proud.
“It is a great achievement for us,” he says, “With all that is going on in the league most people expected us to get battered in France. They were the favourites for the whole competition and we beat them. It gives us a lot of belief back in the league. It’s the confidence boost we needed and hopefully it can drive us off the bottom of the league table.”
With all the furore of possible European trophies and relegation on the lips of every green, black and gold supporter at the moment, it is testament to Ben Cohen’s stature at the club that his decade at the club hasn’t been overshadowed in any way.
Ticket sales for his testimonial dinner have gone through the roof, with hundreds of fans wanting to see their local hero yet again in the limelight.
The support isn’t unnoticed: “I have grown up supporting this club. It’s a fantastic place, with fantastic supporters and staff. I’m from around here so it feels great to have been at my club for ten years.
“I really appreciate everything that has been done for me here, the way the club have looked after me and the fans helped me, through the hard times like with my dad. I’ll always be thankful for that.”
From club to country, Cohen must now look forward to the next ten years, and what ups and downs might await him. His future, as always, is down to him.
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