A Weekend in the Wild West
NDK Clears by PNH
By Darraghgirl
October 4 2011
The great thing about being a Rugby supporter is that it’s a wonderful excuse for a weekend away. How else would I have persuaded Mr DG that although he is very busy and can’t really afford to take the time off, we’re going to Exeter for the weekend! After our first visit to Sandy Park earlier this year, a weekend in the West Country was a definite “must” this season.
We couldn’t have expected that our return to the Reservation which is Sandy Park would coincide with this fabulous Indian summer and for once the English Riviera really lived up to its name.
Having suffered the railroad that is South West Trains last time, we took our wagon on to the motorway network (incidentally did you know Winnebago means filthy water people?) and the only problem we encountered was Talksport’s appalling commentary on what sounded like a pretty awful England performance (if you think ITV is bad, try Talksport – on second thoughts don’t bother!) We arrived early and sat in the sun on the Sandy Park patio sharing a drink and a chat with other refugees from Watford. Bliss!
Fortunately one of Mr DG’s mates has a corporate teepee at Exeter (he may not be the greatest rugby fan but he has his uses) so sporting the official wristbands we were whisked up to level 2 for lunch, drinks and a splendid view of the game and the surrounding countryside (although I have to say my Sarries shirt did raise a few tomahawks). Seriously though, at what other Premiership ground can you look out across rolling countryside to the sea in one direction and the hills of Dartmoor in the other? Sandy Park is a truly lovely ground. Let’s hope Copthall can aspire to something similar (although even Mr Griffiths will have a job moving mountains!)
This looked like a tricky game for Sarries with the 2 teams lying 2nd and 3rd in the table. Which team would turn up today? The one that thrashed Leicester or the one that rolled over to Wasps. From the way the game started it appeared to be the former – within 5 minutes a pass from Hodgson put Farrell free to score. Charlie converted and Sarries led by 7-0. The Indians in the box were already anticipating a thumping (and incidentally asking why Owen wasn’t in the England squad. The answer, of course, he plays for Saracens !)
Unlike Leicester, Exeter didn’t lie down. 5 minutes later Ignacio Mieres, having missed a very difficult penalty, slotted an easier one over the totem poles to put The Chiefs on the scoreboard. A series of promising Saracens’ attacks came to nothing then Exeter showed how dangerous they can be on the break when Brits, sporting a rather fetching headdress, overthrew the line out and Exeter pressure saw Matt Jess streak down the right wing and find the powerful Naqelevuki who passed to Sestaret. He seemed certain to score until Short pulled off a try saving tackle 5m out.
Shortly afterwards Sarries won another penalty, this time on the halfway line and clearly beyond Charlie’s reach. Up stepped young Owen again and the ball sailed over the crossbar to restore the 7 point lead. From the restart Brits lineout was deemed wonky and the Exeter scrum, which is one of the best in the Premiership and was proving a real challenge for the Sarries pack, won another penalty from which Mieres again scored and it was 6-10. As half time approached, the heat was clearly taking its toll. Mieres kicked beautifully from hand finding long probing touches but Saracens defended superbly (as they did for most of the game – very fast, very flat) The half ended with a Sarries penalty wide out on half way. As the clock was dead Owen took it on but it never looked likely to go over.
As the players went in for a half time pow wow, we watched a confusing display that I think was a cross bar challenge however none of the challengers, who included a penguin and a man in flippers, got the ball anywhere near the crossbar let alone over it so maybe I was wrong!
The second half started a bit ominously with an Exeter substitution (Ben Moon for prop Brett Sturgess – pay attention, this information will be needed later) and a penalty against the Sarries’ scrum. There followed a sustained period of huffing and puffing by Exeter but in fact they were held within the Sarries’ 10m line making no progress forward. Exeter now substituted their other prop John Andress for Alan Paver (on loan from the Pirates). Again please note both props now off injured. Exeter took the next scrum against the head then Sarries almost returned the compliment immediately. Certainly the battle in the tight was very even. De Kock seemed to be hobbling. Could this be the Battle of Wounded Knee? (OK that was one metaphor too far!) Fortunately he recovered.
After almost 20 minutes Sarries relieved the pressure with a penalty to touch. The ball came out through most of the forwards and eventually Maddock (on for Short) got to within 5m of the try line. He passed to de Kock who found Borthwick , back to de Kock and on to Hodgson and Charlie saw a gap in the Exeter defence and ran straight through to score a second try which he also converted and Sarries went into a 17-6 lead.
By now the heat was telling on the Braves of both sides. Every stoppage in play brought on the waterboys (in fact the game lasted over 2 hours with no significant injury breaks). The forwards seemed to be suffering more than the backs as both the line out and the scrum looked increasingly fragile. More concerted pressure was relieved when Borthwick’s head-dress came flying off (didn’t something similar happen at Bath?) and Sarries had a pressure relieving penalty. With 10 minutes to go Paver’s brief appearance came to an end and we had the now very rare sight of uncontested scrums. In all honesty it hurt Exeter more than Sarries as the Exeter scrum had seemed the stronger.
The last 10 minutes seemed to take half an hour as everyone was feeling the heat and both teams were genuine redskins. With Exeter having to play with 14 men, the tom toms were sounding loudly as Maddock kicked a ball promisingly down the touchline for Joubert to chase but it just beat him into touch. Then the forwards, clearly reinvigorated by not having to work at the scrums, set up a rolling maul that walked more than 30m to the Exeter tryline. Smoke signals were rising fast from the Exeter forwards. Surely this had to be a try? Some how the home tribe managed to halt the wardance legally on the line. Sarries tried a couple of pick and drives then seemed to loose patience and the ball came out to Farrell who lobbed a pass out to Maddock. With an unnecessary piece of showboating he tried to flick the ball behind his back where it was intercepted by Jess whose long kick and chase was just retrieved by Alex Goode and sent into touch. So the final minute was spent in the Sarries’ 22 not the Exeter one. Inevitably a penalty was conceded. Kevin Barrett, on for the dangerous Haydn Thomas, appeared less dehydrated than everyone else and took a quick tap which Richard Baxter packed into his papoose and scored before Sarries realised what had hit them. Mieres again converted with the last kick of the game to leave the final score 17-13. Sarries had a valuable scalp but Exeter gained a well-deserved bonus point.
J P Doyle was not popular in these parts and was booed off the pitch. I have to say that as one who usually sits behind the goal in the South stand (where off sides are impossible to judge)from my elevated side-on vantage point, I thought Sarries were generally on side, just very flat, very quick and very solid.
So that’s the rugby bit. For those who are interested in the rest of my weekend, the players from both sides came up to the hospitality wigwam as we departed. On the steps outside we found Andy Saull and Jamie George eating pizza (clearly not keen on joining the big campfire upstairs). We went back to our hotel which overlooked the Teign estuary and I sat on my balcony and watched 2 otters playing in the receding tide. A definite First for me. Then we had a lovely meal at a pub popular with the Exeter players. Next morning after a “Lighterman’s Grill” we went for a tramp across Dartmoor. Beautiful! (And I understand why rugby’s a winter game – walking was bad enough, how could anyone run about in that heat?). Of course we finished with a Devon Cream Team.
Thanks to Exeter for gracing the Premiership and making it possible and thanks to Sarries for a brilliant weekend! Geronimo!
Exeter
Arscott, Sestaret, Naqelevuki, Shoemark, Jess, Mieres, Thomas (Barrett), Sturgess (Moon), Whitehead (Clark), Andress (Paver), Hayes, Muldowney (Philips), Johnson, Scaysbrook (White), Baxter
Saracens
Goode, Strettle, Farrell, Barritt, Short (Maddock), Hodgson (Powell), De Kock, Gill (Carstens), Brits (George), Nieto (Vunipola), Borthwick, Botha (Kruis), Wray, Fraser (Saull), Joubert
Scores (Exeter first)
0-7 3-7 3-10 6-10 6-17 13-17
Scorers
Exeter: Try Baxter, Conv. Mieres, Pen. Mieres (2)
Saracens: Tries Farrell, Hodgson, Conv. Hodgson (2), Pen Farrell
Referee: JP Doyle
Attendance: 6,893
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:10:11:12:18:57 by Fozz1e.
I was going to offer but then we would have lost 
