Man of the Month: May

April's man of the month was Leeds Carnegie captain, Marco Wentzel.  And guess what?  No sooner had he been bestowed with this wonderful honour he promptly led Leeds Carnegie to another season in the top flight.

Hurray!

Therefore, with this in mind, I have been very careful with my choice for May.

This month sees the Guinness Premiership playoffs and final - and the question on everyone's lips (well, some people's lips) is which team will lift the trophy on May 29th?

Leicester, Northampton, and Saracens have already booked their playoff spots, and Bath will join them if they can see off Leeds next weekend.

If I had to choose a winner from the remaining four it would be tough. 

Leicester Tigers have the pedigree, Sarries are playing some superb rugby, Bath are enjoying a storming second half to the season, and Northampton Saints have been the all round surprise package.

But if I had to choose a team it would be Northampton Saints.

Why?

A few reasons I guess.

1. Everyone loves an underdog.  Northampton are not a fashionable team.  Well, maybe they are now, but before the start of this season?  Not a chance.  Jim Mallinder, Dorian West and Paul Grayson have done an excellent job of building the Saints up from relegation in 2006/07 and transforming them into this season's LV= Cup winners, Heineken Cup quarter-finalists and Guinness Premiership semi-finalists.
2. They play exciting rugby and have done all season.  I'm not saying that Leicester, and more recently, Bath and Sarries haven't been mesmerising crowds with magical ball skills, but this season, at times, Northampton have been sublime.
3. I fancy Dylan Hartley.  There.  I said it.  The Northampton captain might not be everyone's cup of tea but I think he's lovely.  Yeah, so he might look a bit like Chunk from the Goonies but I wouldn't mind seeing his truffle shuffle.  (And before you say it, I don't even know what that innuendo means). 
   
   Dylan says he is often mistaken for Chris Ashton, his Northampton and England team mate, when doing his weekly supermarket shop.  Responding to this, Ashton said: "That's ridiculous because I'm much better looking.  And thinner."
   
   Thinner, yes.  But better looking?  Nah.

Therefore, all this can only mean one thing. 

Yes, May's Man of the Month is England and Saints hooker Dylan Hartley.

A good choice I think.

With that I'm going to wish good luck to Dylan and all the Northampton Saints for the rest of the season!