The Saints Head Coach gives his thoughts after the 27-22 win.
“A typical Saints Leeds game wasn’t it? Something we have become used to over the last couple of years. I am just happy to win that. Obviously we have started really well and looked in control and then gave a couple of opportunities to Leeds and they are such a dangerous side. They showed that and put on 22 points by half-time.
We needed half-time and luckily and we sort of re-grouped and I was really happy with the second half effort to keep them scoreless and defend our line the way we did. To come up with enough hard running to get over the line without being great with the ball tonight. I am just happy to win that game.”
On Alex Walmsley’s double try scoring effort –
“It was massive. It is great to have him back. I said last year we had a fairly good season and to not have him since Round five was a big blow to us so to have him back and just see how hard he works and even last year when we thought we were going to get him back, he was training so hard and doing everything he could to get back on the field so it was so good to see [him] get out there and come good again after the long road he has had. As you said he has played a massive part in us winning that game tonight.”
On Luke Thompson, “Those two were probably the difference. I thought Matty Lees did really well for us and I thought James Roby was good too. I thought a couple of the big boys really stood up on a night which was a weird game and I was just happy to win it.”
Justin went on to talk about the start of the season as a whole –
“Obviously happy. We have won our three. Having a week off last week after just two games is never good. I always worry about that, but in the end we got out and started well tonight. I was happy with our start and happy to win a different way tonight.
We were in a position there where we could have been in a lot of trouble and not come back and find a way to win so to do that tonight shows a lot of character in the side so early in the season which I am really pleased about.”
On Kevin Naiqama’s injury, “I thought he got a poke in the eye, but I think he got a knock from Luke Thompson’s elbow on the replay so I think he got the double whammy and whenever you lose an outside back early it throws you out of sorts and it effects your whole edge and lucky enough Louie is versatile although not really thrilled about it but it is not ideal losing someone a minute into the game but we shuffled everyone around and got it done.”
“We were in all sorts of trouble just before half-time and we needed to calm ourselves down at the start and give them a few home truths to work out what we had to do in second half and credit to them, they did that. We were in a tough spot there at half-time so I was really happy with the second half effort to come back and win.”
