Saints pair get their act together

Wayne Smith arrived in Northampton last winter, suspecting that Matt Dawson had been resting on his laurels and that Paul Grayson was 'over the hill'. Five months later, the former All Black coach sends the Saints marching into Saturday's Powergen Cup Final against London Irish to the inspiring tune called by the club's half backs, having resurrected their nine-year partnership. Smith acknowledges that both players have since proved his initial suspicions were wide of the mark.

'I had a perception about Grayson that he was over the hill,' he said. 'I wasn't even sure if he was still playing when I came and I probably thought he wasn't committed. 'He put that right in his first interview. He looked me in the eye and said nothing could be further from the truth. He's been as good as his word. 'Paul's quick enough, he's got a good eye and can enforce a game-plan as well as being a terrific goal-kicker. My perception of him changed pretty quickly. 'I had perceptions of Matt, too, which are between the two of us. We had frank discussions and I have never seen a player work harder to recover from injury and prove himself. 'You had to ask yourself why the team wasn't winning. Some of the players were just not performing. I tend to be a wee bit blunt but they seem to respond to that.' Grayson, whose wife Emma gave birth to twin boys this week, began the season as the Saints' third-choice fly half. He will finish it with a two-year extension to his contract.

'Wayne has made an amazing difference in a relatively short time,' he said. 'He tells you what he wants and then lets you know whether he's happy or not with your performance. He's been a joy to work with.' Dawson, now back in the England squad, said: 'Wayne has improved my all-round game to a considerable extent. There's no question that if he hadn't come, we'd be

down there fighting relegation with Leeds, Quins, Bath and Saracens.'

NORTHAMPTON: N Beal; C Moir, P Jorgensen, J Leslie, B Cohen; P Grayson, M Dawson; T Smith, S Thompson, M Stewart; J Ackermann, O Brouzet; A Blowers, G Seely, B Pountney (capt). Substitutes: D Richmond, R Morris, J Phillips, A Rennick, D Malone, M Tucker, J Brooks.

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