Leicester 25 Saracens 50
Book em Danno
By Josh Black
September 26 2011
Until two years ago Saracens had never won at Welford Road, so it was a surprise, and the first moment when fans felt that there might be something truly special about the Venter revolution, when a famous win was stolen at the end of the 2009/10 season. Victory in successive seasons by narrow margins (including in last season's premiership final was almost too much to ask for, but inflicting Leicester's biggest ever Premiership defeat has left many a Sarries fan giddy.
Leicester were missing sixteen first team regulars, it is true (if such a thing is possible). Yet Saracens have players at the World Cup, on the physio table or on the bench who could fill almost any position in the side, and it certainly isn't our responsibility to make sure that Leicester have a strong enough squad to cope with the World Cup. A period of transition is biting now, and may cost Leicester this year, but they will always be back.
Amongst the least experienced members of the Leicester side today were the half back pairing, James Grindal and George Ford. Many Saracens fans have wondered aloud what must be so special about Ford that he keeps our Owen Farrell out of the England Under-20 side without making a single appearance in the Aviva Premiership. Well, it is true on this viewing that he is a precocious talent and full of confidence, but poor service and a seconds' delay saw him snagged several times in his own half in the first ten minutes, many of which (along with a charge down of Grinal's first box-kick) led to the three penalties Charlie Hodgson slotted to take his side into an early 9-3 lead.
Saracens have been accused of not running the ball enough, and though 'boring' is a label too far, it is true that they have lacked ruthlessness in front of the try line and the confidence to move the ball quickly. Today the very opposite was the case. Neil de Kock was powered by duracell for his hour and Hodgson's intuitive knowledge of when a side is vulnerable to running rugby meant that the not so slight talent of Saracens' backs was on show.
Indeed, it was Hodgson who slipped inside his man for the first try after a stunning string of passes within the twenty-two and who continued to confound Leicester's tacklers all day, but it was certainly not a one-man show. Aside from a dominant scrum in which Carlos Nieto was a constant pressure on the not inexperienced Boris Stankovich and perfect lineout, the marauding Ernst Joubert and the space granted to Saracens' new centre-pairing of Farrell and Brad Barritt accounted for much of the high score. Indeed, in a week where Brendan Venter has placed high praise on the shoulders of Barritt, the centre showed the full breadth of his game, confounding the the crash-ball stereotype he is lazily painted as.
Joubert's first try, a run from thirty metres out, exposed another; chronically weak Leicester tackling. Receiving an Alex Goode pass thirty metres out, the number eight handed off Steve Mafi and slipped another two tackles on his way to the line.
After an opening ten minutes when possession of the ball was about seventy per cent in the visitors favour, Leicester began to exert themselves in typical style, going through phases and working off their lethargic start. A lineout on the Saracens five metre line gave them the desired result a few minutes before half time when a maul splintered, drawing in the closer Saracens defenders and creating an overlap as the ball went wide for Niall Smith to score.
At 11-23, the half-time score was as ominous for Saracens fans as it was for Leicester's but doubts were dispelled in short order. A Saracens attack appeared to have broken down when a loose pass went to ground but as it bounced up into the hands of birthday boy Owen Farrell, the young lad was perfectly positioned to exploit a gap in the defence to score his second premiership try.
Less than ten minutes later, Jamie George answered the question ESPN had been asking (namely, how good a Schalk Brits impersonation can the young hooker do) by popping up on the wing to exploit an overlap. Usain Bolt-like on account of the comfortable space afforded for his finish, George's delight was less Brits' sharkish grin and more Free Willy. Nonetheless, it is clear to see why he is held in such esteem, given the way he charged around the park for seventy-five minutes and hit every lineout jumper with perfect pitch and the bonus point gaining act was deservedly his.
Another quick exchange of passes saw Joubert in for a second in the corner but the match was soured somewhat as scraps began to break out off the ball. By the time a knock on by Joe Maddock as he went in for a tackle was ruled deliberate and the player sin binned, the game was already over.
Nonetheless, Leicester grabbed a penalty before a darting run from replacement Matthew Tait set up the base from which Leicester number eight Julian Salvi darted over. This constant danger meant that Saracens did not rest on their laurels, and they neutralised the effect of the sin binning when after the introduction of Adam Powell's fresh legs a wrap around move saw Barritt stroll in for a well-earned try. Barritt's quick hands had worked many of the tries this afternoon, so it was fitting that he should have a hand in his own score.
From then on, Leicester were forced to run the ball from deep, hoping for a four-try bonus point, but it was they who were pinged and Saracens, having already beaten Wasps' previous best score of 47 against the Tigers in the Permiership, opted to take three points to add insult to injury.
It is easier to take a feeling, rather than concrete conclusions, from such a rare result. Leicester's young players, undoubtedly great talents to a man, appeared thrown together without much time playing together. Introducing the three props, regular half backs and Tuilagi brothers, all of whom are on international duty would have made a significant different to the Leicester side Sarries dismantled.
For the visitors, it was hard to fault any player, such was the comfort with which fifth and six choice back rowers Will Fraser and Jackson Wray acquitted themselves. Farrell and Barritt, for all their confidence, actually appeared to enjoy and read the game better from their centre partnership, though they were equally deadly when moved to ten and twelve after Hodgson departed. The three quarters are still under-utilised, but Strettle and Goode went looking for work and were helpful. Joe Maddock is still waiting for an opportunity to impress but was rather upstaged again by James Short. And as Wray has said, 'it all looked so good on the outside because we (forwards) were working our nuts off in the tight.' As representative of both sides of the game, it sure is good to see Joubert flying again.
Scorecard
Leicester:
Tries: Morris, Salvi, Woods
Cons: Twelvetrees 2
Pens: Twelvetrees 2
Saracens:
Tries: Hodgson, Joubert 2, Farrell, George
Cons: Hodgson 3
Pens: Hodgson 3, Farrell
Leicester: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Matt Smith, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Niall Morris, 10 George Ford, 9 James Grindal, 8 Julian Salvi, 7 Ben Woods, 6 Steve Mafi, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Ed Slater, 3 Michael Holford, 2 George Chuter (c), 1 Boris Stankovich.
Replacements: 16 Rob Hawkins, 17 Jonny Harris, 18 Peter Bucknall, 19 Tom Youngs, 20 Tom Armes, 21 Mickey Young, 22 Jeremy Staunton, 23 Mathew Tait.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 David Strettle, 13 Brad Barritt, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Joe Maddock, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Will Fraser, 6 Jackson Wray, 5 Mouritz Botha, 4 Steve Borthwick (c), 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Jamie George, 1 Rhys Gill.
Replacements: 16 Harry Allen, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 Mako Vunipola, 19 George Kruis, 20 Andy Saull, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Adam Powell, 23 James Short.
Referee: Greg Garner
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:10:04:12:23:37 by Fozz1e.
I'm not sure that "Ford kept Farrell out of the U20s". Owen played 12 alongside Ford. If you have two class players, you look to play them both, and Owen was a 12 then, he only became a 10 in our hour (season) of need last summer. And we seem to be looking at Hodgson - Farrell - Barritt right now, so I don't think owen's future as a 10 is cast in stone, whatever the Saracens management said a few months ago.
But certainly Owen is more matured player than George at present and would rightly be furious if George was selected for Saxons / full England squads ahead of him.
I think we may see them playing 10 & 12 for England in the near future. Which would be fitting as they lived next door to each other as children.
It will be interesting to see how much time Farrell gets at twelve outside Hodgson and Hougaard this year. Without putting too much pressure on the lad, I would like to see the coaches build a team around him at fly half.
Quote:Do you think Hougard will play for us again?
Yes.
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Nicsue - there's a new version being aired on Sky - not as good as the original though.
Now that I wouldn't know - we only have what my brother calls 'poor people's TV' in this house! What we save on Sky we spend on our season tickets...........
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