Dickson says Saints wanted to be ‘brave’ and claim title glory with a try

PRESSURE PLAY - as the clock ticks down, the Saints players push for their winning try against Saracens at Twickenham (Picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

As Saints piled on the pressure on the Saracens line under posts, any Saints fans at the game, watching on TV and listening to radios across the country will have been screaming for Stephen Myler to be given the chance to slot over a drop goal as the clock ticked down to zero.

Three points would have levelled the scores at 20-20 at the end of extra-time, but Saints would have been victors by virtue of outscoring Sarries, at that point, by two tries to one.

But Saints never looked like they were going to take that option, they went on through phase after phase, and with the clock going over into time up their effort was rewarded when Alex Waller dotted down on the line.

Northampton Saints v Saracens at Twickenham for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final 2014. NNL-140531-185448005

“We knew a drop goal would win it, but we just thought we had them,” revealed Dickson.

“We thought we would be brave, we thought let’s got for the jugular, and Waller went.

“If he didn’t get it and they had pushed us back a little bit, then maybe we would have gone for the drop goal, but that’s history and it doesn’t matter.

“We have won it now, we scored a try, and there is no better feeling I don’t think.”

Northampton Saints v Saracens at Twickenham for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final 2014. NNL-140106-093605009

Dickson is one of several members of the Saints squad that has suffered big-game heartbreak in the past, losing the Heineken Cup Final to Leinster at the Millennium Stadium in 2011, and then the Aivia Premiership Final to Leicester 12 months ago.

Asked how it felt to be a major trophy winner at last, Dickson said: “It’s an awesome feeling.

“It was a tough game, the first final that’s gone into extra-time, and the boys had to dig deep.

“Credit has to go to Sarries as well, they put on a great show out there.

“Rugby is an enjoyable sport, and it was especially enjoyable when Waller went over at the end, and I completely lost myself.

“I am pretty sure I was running around like a school kid on the pitch!”

And he added: “Winning the final means everything to us, and that’s not just the team and the coaches, it means everything to the town.

“We have been working so hard for this for many years.

“I have been at the club for six years, and Jim (Mallnder) and Dorian West have come in, and they have wanted to put a championship side together, and this year they have done it.”