Tenacious Tykes triumph

By Jason Harris
November 3 2002

Leeds Tykes secured a second half shut-out as Sarries wasted an eight point half time lead to come out on the wrong end of a 27-18 scoreline.

A final quarter flourish from the Tykes saw them home as the Men in Black switched off during the last 20 minutes.

Up until the hour mark Sarries held sway with some good set-piece work and with Kyran Bracken directing operations, looked as if they would easily hold on to their half time lead.

Sarries started the more brightly but the opening score went to Leeds kicker Braam Van Straaten courtesy of a penalty.

The Men in Black pressurised the Tykes line straight afterwards and Richard Hill went over for the first try of the game. The move, started in the Saracens half by Andy Goode, went up the left side of the field as first Chesney, then O'Mahony made headway. The Sarries wing was held up just short of the line but Hill was in the right place at the right time and duly picked up the five points.

Sarries' second try came from a five metre catch and drive with Christian Califano coming out of the pile in-goal with the ball to score his first try of the Zurich campaign for his new club. Goode converted and Sarries were now ahead 12-3.

There is an old football cliche which goes "you're at your most vulnerable after you've just scored a goal". Perhaps Buck Shelford could get this phrase pasted to the Bramley Road wall this week after Sarries were caught napping as Leeds opened their try account for the afternoon.

Just after the re-start, Leeds made a rare foray into the oppotision 22. Outside half Gordon Ross somehow ghosted through the defence untouched and scored next to the posts as Sarries clutched air and scratched heads. The conversion was a formality for Van Straaten and now there were just two points in the game.

The Men in Black extended their lead before the break as Goode put over a brace of penalties. Little did the Sarries faithful know that those two goals were to be the last points scored by Saracens in the match.

After the break, Sarries continued to get the upper hand of their hosts but could not, despite the efforts of Horan, Castaignende and Bracken who all came close to scoring, break down the Tykes defence.

The stemming of the Black tide did wonders for Leeds morale as the Tykes finally came out of their slumber to start worrying Sarries.

With wing George Harder making vast amounts of ground up the middle of the field, the Tykes were pressurising Saracens into making mistakes and giving away penalties.

Van Straaten kept up his good day with the boot as he edged his side one point in front with another three penalties.

With time running out and the hitherto silent home support willing their men on, Sarries once again pressed the panic button and tried some moves that were more in hope than expectation.

And it was one of these speculative plays that proved to be the Saracens downfall. Andy Goode directed a cross-field punt towards the right wing but the ball was scooped up not by a Sarries player, but Leeds wing Chris Hall. Hall was off to the races and beat Castaignede on his way to the match-winning score. Van Straaten gave Sarries a reprieve by missing the conversion attempt so Sarries were just six points adrift and still wanting to win the game.

The "catch-up" style has rarely borne fruit and time after time, the Men in Black looked directionless and sometimes foolish as they desperately tried to get into opposition territory.

Ross had the final word with an injury-time drop goal; the second in the space of eight days to deny Sarries a precious bonus point.

All in all, then, another game where Sarries switched off after half time and one that they threw away superiority in nearly all departments -including points on the board - to giftwrap an win for their opponents.

With only three more games before the half way point of the season and Sarries now with a 3-5 win/loss record, it's starting to look like the Men in Black will once again struggle in the Zurich Premiership unless they can keep a lead.