To Franklin’s Gardens in late August for The Saints pre-season match against Rotherham. This was combined with the club’s open day, so the players not involved in the game were hanging around in the “village” area posing for photos and signing autographs. This is Neil Best – I asked if I could take his photo, and he paused and then posed for me. He was the only one to really pose – everyone else just stands there and lets you take the photo. Top bloke!
Nikon D200, Nikon 18-200VR lens at 55mm, 1/125 @ f8, ISO 100
This is prop Soane Tonga’uhia (aka “Tiny” – all 6’3″ and 19 stone of him) scoring.
Nikon D200, Nikon 70-300VR at 300mm, 1/125 @ f8, ISO 100
Centre Jon Clarke takes a bit of a hit.
Nikon D200, Nikon 70-300VR lens at 250mm, 1/1600 @ f5.6, ISO 400
“Tiny” might be a big old lump, but he’s very athletic and an amazingly good runner. When you watch the pre-match warm-ups, he’s also very flexible.
Nikon D200, Nikon 70-300VR lens at 220mm, 1/1250 @ f5.3, ISO 400
This is John Brake, our up-and-coming scrum half. Really nippy around the pitch – still only 21 and hopefully an integral of the squad in years to come.
Nikon D200, Nikon 70-300VR lens at 300mm, 1/1600 @ f5.6, ISO 400
I do really enjoy photographing rugby, but the quality of the photos that Claire Jones takes at the Saints can be quite demoralising at times (in the nicest possible way, Claire!) – see the right-hand side of the page for a link to her web page (Red Hat Photo).