Bonus point goes begging

By Jason Harris
September 8 2002

After being 21-3 up and with the opposition down to 14 men, Saracens were stopped from playing in a dour second half by a Bath side short on ideas as well as personnel whose main goal was damage limitation.

Credit to the visitors, they stuck at it and got stuck in – quite literally – in an error-strewn second forty punctuated by several flare-ups which tried the patience of the referee, the crowd and the Sarries players.

Joe Ross’ try six minutes from time was the only occasion when the home side crossed the try line after the break and it definitely was a case of a bonus point going begging. Whether the inability to take the maximum five becomes crucial at the business end of the season remains to be seen, but Sarries will, no doubt, be disappointed not to get a fourth try and add to the paltry seven points scored between half and full time.

Bath took the lead on four minutes when fullback Olly Barkley converted an easy penalty kick 18 metres out in front of the Sarries posts after Kris Chesney was pinged for being offside at a ruck. The visitors, boosted by the return of Mike Catt, Mike Tindall, Gareth Cooper and Simon Danielli spent the rest of the afternoon kicking and fumbling away precious possession and the hosts capitalised.

Sarries took the lead just before the quarter hour with a try from Ben Russell which was converted by Andy Goode. From a lineout on the Bath 22 the ball was moved across the back line right to left and Tom Shanklin was tackled just short of the line. From the ensuing ruck, Russell picked up and drove the short distance to the whitewash to bag the five points.

Two minutes later, Bath were penalised just outside the Sarries 22 after Mike Tindall failed to release the ball in the tackle. Bath hooker Jonathan Humphreys exchanged pleasantries with referee Leyshon and Bath were marched back ten metres to a spot mid way between the 10m and half way lines. Andy Goode stepped up and had a shot at a 55m kick which sailed just wide. A few minutes later Goode was once again lining up a shot at goal from within his own half and, from 52m out, the ball bisected the uprights and Saracens were 10-3 ahead.

Further Bath indiscipline was punished on the half hour with full back Barkley spending ten minutes in the sin bin for being offside at a ruck. Goode converted the resulting penalty, making the score 13-3. The intense Saracens pressure nearly resulted in another try shortly afterwards when a cross-field punt from Goode was caught wide out on the right by Ben Johnston. Looking an absolute certainty to score, the Sarries wing was denied by a superb tackle by Tindall, the Bath centre holding his opponent off the ground and forcing a penalty as Johnston refused to release.

The final half dozen minutes (five of them making up injury time) of a very one-way first half were action packed. Thomas Castaignede broke through the Bath midfield defence and set up a ruck just outside the 22. Bath were penalised for using their hands and rather than take the points, Saracens elected to kick for the corner. The lineout was won and the forwards rumbled towards the line. The ball came to the back of the ruck and into the hands of Darragh O’Mahony who timed his pass to perfection and Thomas Castaignede was over in the corner for his second try in as many games. Goode missed the extras but the Men in Black were looking good at 18-3 up.

Saracens continued to pressure their visitors and were once again in the opposition 22 when an ugly incident involving the two captains flared up. As the play swept out towards the right touchline, a brawl involving several players from both sides was in full flow. At the bottom of the pile was Kyran Bracken, nursing his jaw and from up in the stands it looked a very nasty injury. Touch judge Ashley Rowden was in no doubt that Danny Grewcock was the culprit and after a long consultation with Leyshon, the Bath skipper was dismissed for his attack on Bracken who by now had left the field for treatment. Brett Sparg came on for the final minute or so and Andy Goode took the three points on offer to put the game beyond Bath at 21-3. Shortly afterwards Leyshon blew for half time and the talk in the crowd was about Bracken and whether he would be back.

The home fans heaved a collective sigh of relief as the Saracens captain led out his side for the second period. Bath, surprisingly, played most of the rugby but their handling let them down at crucial times and the Sarries defence was resolute enough to keep the west countrymen at bay. Bath were awarded several penalties in kickable positions, but they shunned the opportunities, electing instead to kick for the corner and use the catch and drive from the lineout. This tactic didn’t work as Saracens’ organisation and strength meant that all Bath’s efforts came to nought.

The rest of the second half was nothing to write home about, other than the Ross try, a beauty crafted by Bracken who led the Bath midfield a merry dance by running blind and firing a 20 metre pass back to the open side where Sorrell and O’Mahony between them carried the ball up to the Bath line. A quick rucked ball later, Ross was over in the corner and the conversion was magnificently booted over by Niki Little on his Saracens debut. Sarries now join Gloucester atop the table with nine points from their opening two games and will look to stay there when they visit London Irish next weekend.