Project -Home semi-final" successfully accomplished
Pressure leads to points
By saracenangel
April 26 2011
I decided it was time to treat my fellow Saracen Angels (my family) to come to this game as a timely Easter treat. They were so, so excited prior to the game and I was hoping that Saracens would not disappoint them. Back to a more serious note, if Sarries won this game, despite only beating Gloucester once in the last nine encounters, then we would secure a home semi-final. We enjoyed a nice traditional breakfast at Wetherspoons before the game and then we headed to the match.
Mark McCall yet again fielded a strong side for this encounter, which saw the return of Captain Steve Borthwick and scrum half Neil de Kock from shoulder and hamstring injuries respectively. Rodd Penney was set to join the 100 club after making the bench for this match.
Saracens booked a home Aviva Premiership semi final with a 35-12 bonus point victory over Gloucester at Vicarage Road on Sunday, which was their tenth victory on the trot as they moved just one point shy of pole position.
In a thrilling display, tries from Schalk Brits, Ernst Joubert, Matt Stevens and David Strettle secured the victory and the club's first home semi final which will take place on Sunday 15th May. Sarries will have to wait until the final round of Premiership action to find out who they will be facing in the final four, but Vicarage Road will host one more match in the 2010/11 season. The victory was Saracens' ninth Premiership win on the trot and moved them within a point of Leicester at the top of the table.
Saracens were the dominant side at the start and drew Gloucester into conceding a penalty at the breakdown after four minutes. But Alex Goode's kick, which came from wide on the left, became hooked outside the near post. Gloucester came very close to snatching the lead on 20 minutes. However, a Freddie Burns penalty from just inside the Saracens half struck the left-hand upright and Saracens were allowed to make a break.
Within sixty seconds, Saracens were ahead as a result of this. The Sarries changed gear completely and wing James Short and hooker Brits exchanged passes before Brits charged clear for his sixth try of the season. This will surely be a contender for try of the year. Fly half Alex Goode added the extras.
Saracens caught Gloucester red handed yet again on the half-hour. Jacques Burger peeled off the back of a left-wing lineout close to the Gloucester try line, and then fed Ernst Joubert who was forced over by the pack despite desperate efforts by Gloucester on their line. Referee David Pearson had to consult the video referee before raising his arm to show another successful drive over the try line.
However, Gloucester gained their revenge six minutes from the interval. Charlie Sharples was fed on the left from a scrum, managed to locate Tom Voyce who raced up field, timing his offload perfectly to send James Simpson-Daniel in by the flag. Luckily, Freddie Burns missed the conversion.
Despite this, Alex Goode did not miss the opportunity when Gloucester conceded a penalty in front of their posts to prevent another surging Saracens attack seconds from half-time.
Just four minutes after the restart, Saracens had scored their third try of the match. Mouritz Botha smashed through the heart of the defence and Richard Wigglesworth dummied to pass. He then darted for the line before delivering a clever reverse pass for Matt Stevens to score from close range. Goode added the extras to extend the lead to 22-5. Goode then added another penalty to his tally on 50 minutes.
However, Gloucester found themselves consistently under pressure, and after surviving two prolonged driving mauls, they were happy to concede a penalty rather than another try and decided to go offside. Ales Goode kicked the goal successfully on 57 minutes.
Gloucester raised the standards of their game heading into the final quarter and scored a second try when Brett Deacon rescued the ball off the ground. Henry Trinder then raced away past Hugh Vyvyan lying on the ground in agony. He was then receiving treatment on a knee injury that was to end his match and potentially his Sarries career (hopefully not).Ryan Mills successfully converted to take their point tally to 12.
This only served to inspire the home side to valiantly resume battering the visiting Gloucester defence. This time referee Pearson's patience ran out; with Luke Narraway being sin-binned for ball killing. Saracens decided to take a penalty scrum on the back of this, which unfortunately came to nothing.
But the pressure on Gloucester had to tell, and they finally cracked in the 79th minute as David Strettle was sent sprinting home on the right for the fourth, bonus-point winning, home semi final securing try, and Goode’s conversion completed the rout.
Me and my Saracen Angels thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even though Freddie Burns managed kicked the ball onto my 12 year old sister’s head during kicking practice, which nearly knocked her glasses off! I know you’re probably thinking is she OK, but don’t panic, she’s fine now, just that she felt a bit embarrassed. Anyway, we were all happy that Saracens secured the home semi. I am also jumping for joy at the fact that I won’t miss the game for my sister’s 13th birthday party!
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 David Strettle, 13 Chris Wyles, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 James Short, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Jacques Burger, 6 Kelly Brown, 5 Mouritz Botha, 4 Steve Borthwick (capt), 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Matt Stevens.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Petrus du Plessis, 19 Hugh Vyvyan, 20 Andy Saull, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Rodd Penney, 23 Noah Cato.
Gloucester: 15 Tom Voyce, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, 11 James Simpson-Daniel, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Dave Lewis, 8 Brett Deacon (capt), 7 Andy Hazell, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Will James, 3 Rupert Harden, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.
Replacements: 16 Olivier Azam, 17 Nick Wood, 18 Paul Doran-Jones, 19 Alex Brown, 20 Luke Narraway, 21 Rory Lawson, 22 Ryan Mills, 23 Tim Molenaar.
Referee: Dave Pearson
Attendance; 10,439
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:05:09:47:31 by Fozz1e.
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
and yes - it was Try of the Round for round 21