Steele concedes forwards lost it
September 29, 2001

Northampton coach John Steele admitted his team were destroyed up front as Cardiff opened their Heineken Cup campaign with a 25-17 victory tonight.

"They denied us possession," he said.

"They dominated the scrums, the line-outs and the kick-offs - and we had to live off scraps for most of the game.

"We finished the match well, but it was too late by then."

Steele was confident the problems can be resolved before Saints' next match against Glasgow on Sunday week.

"That's the first time this season we struggled in the set-piece," he said.

"It's not a recurring situation and it's something we know we can put right."

Steele's opposite number Rudy Joubert said tonight's was an important win for the club and will do wonders for his side's confidence after a dismal failure to qualify from the group stages of the Celtic League.

"The boys showed guts, pride and commitment and they are to be applauded," said the South African.

"We should have taken a few more of our opportunities but we stuck to what we said we'd do, and it worked out."

Cardiff Centre Matt Allen, who left Northampton at the end of last season, was a happy man afterwards.

"I had a lot to prove, mainly to myself," he said.

"I was desperate for us to win, and everything went all right."

Allen was involved in the clash of heads which saw Northampton wing Nick Beal leave the field with a badly broken nose.

"Nick may well miss the Glasgow game," said Steele.

"But of the players who were not fit for tonight I am fairly certain Peter Jorgensen will be okay for that match - and Olivier Brouzet is 50-50."

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