The Wembley Experience - Saracens vs Ospreys
What's the Weather like?
By Darraghgirl
December 12 2011
I have always loved Ospreys. They are a magnificent Bird of Prey who commute back and forth to Africa every spring & autumn and snatch pike from the water with their talons. Now common in Scotland, Ospreys returned to England a few years ago and now breed regularly at Rutland Water, Keilder Water and Bassenthwaite Lake. There are even 2 pairs now in Wales but none I believe in Swansea (or Neath for that matter). The Swansea genus is a very different though equally deadly breed.
And so the Neath Swansea Ospreys came to Wembley to take on a camel and his wolf pack. I can see why the players love Wembley – it’s a beautiful stadium and it must give them a great buzz to play in front of a large crowd but there is a downside – the pitch is still poor, spectators have to put up with high prices, poor service and body searches on entry and inevitably with a crowd of 40,000 there was the dire Mexican wave. If a game as good as this can’t capture the imagination, many of the spectators should have wandered over the road to the X Factor! But heyho that’s rugby. This was not the Osprey’s team who succumbed to a famous Heineken quarter final victory at Vicarage Road in 2008. Gone was the fake tan (now officially banned). Gone were James Hook, Mike Phillips, Lee Byrne, Justin Marshall & Gavin Henson but nevertheless the teams looked evenly matched, both 2nd in their respective leagues with 8 wins each and both with 6 points from 2 Heineken Cup fixtures. The Osprey’s team (although when it was announced it sounded more like the Jones-boys) also featured 2 of the best wingers in the World in Shane Williams & Tommy Bowe. Interestingly though coach Scott Johnson had selected 2 back-row forwards (including the wonderfully named John Thomas)at lock instead of Ian Evans – something that was to prove crucial.
The odds were on Sarrie arriving on a reindeer-drawn sleigh but obviously all the reindeer are busy at this time of year so instead he abseiled down from the roof looking a tiny bit scared, one has to say, to deliver the matchball.
The Sarries’ team was pretty much back up to full strength (although Burger’s knee was ominously heavily strapped) with the return of Brits from suspension and Hodgson from injury and the difference these 2 made was apparent from the kick off. Within 2 minutes Brits had carried and a beautiful long pass from Hodgson drew Tommy Bowe out of position and found Wyles who just put a foot in touch as he headed for the line. Joubert stole the lineout and after Burger, Gill, Botha and Spencer all attacked the line Gill was driven over. The referee invoked the TV Match official but the try was awarded. Farrell kicked an easy conversion and Sarries were on their way.
From the restart Botha fell awkwardly and never looked himself from then on. Ospreys won a penalty for hands in the ruck on half way and Dan Biggar further improved his kicking ratio (apparently he had kicked 13 out of 15 so far in the Heineken Cup) . Good work from Goode and Brits led to another Sarries penalty and the 7 point gap was restored. But not for long. Strettle didn’t deal with a high kick from Hodgson and the ball was turned over. The excellent Fussell broke from deep and passed to Ashley Beck whose grubber was chased by Bowe. Goode made a good tackle but unfortunately the ball rebounded off Hodgson and straight into the path of Beck who picked up and scored unchallenged. Biggar converted and the scores were level.
From the restart Ospreys were have alleged to have passed the ball forward (where Williams would have had a great chance of scoring). From the scrum the Osprey’s pack went to sleep and Joubert picked up off the back, darted round the blindside, evaded Tom Smith and scored a super try which Farrell converted from near the touchline. 17-10 and only 15 minutes gone.
But there was no let-up in this fast-paced game. Saracens attacked again but eventually conceded another penalty which Biggar again kicked to narrow the gap back to 4. Saracens continued their rampage. The backs looked exciting with try-scoring opportunities arising every few minutes. The key to this was Hodgson standing flat and with his superb vision throwing long passes out wide which left the narrow osprey’s defence in disarray. Sarries were also dominant in the set piece now loosing a single lineout all afternoon and stealing almost half of Ospreys and generally looking secure in the scrum. Farrel missed a tricky penalty and Borthwick uncharacteristically knocked-on in a good attacking position. Biggar failed to find touch from a penalty when Wyles acrobatically kept the ball in play leading to yet another attack featuring, as most of them did, excellent interplay between Goode and Wyles and the mercurial (yet the TC word) Brits back to his best and popping up all over pitch. Goode maybe delayed his pass a fraction of a second too long which just gave the Osprey’s defence time to counter a 3 on 1 overlap. Farrell kicked an easier penalty to extend the lead back to 7 then Monsieur Gauzere had enough of Ospreys killing the ball and captain Tom Smith was sent to the sinbin. The half ended with a Sarries’ penalty in front which Farrell kicked for a 23-13 lead. It had been an excellent half of rugby with Sarries looking dangerous in attack and solid in defence. The best half of rugby since the win against Treviso (and no coincidence that Brits and Hodgson who had been largely absent since then, were back).
Ospreys started the second half brightly and won a penalty almost straight away to get back within a score. Sarries then went back on the attack and eventually Goode found a gap and Spencer picked out Hodgson who found Brits at inside centre. Schalk Brits, rugby player, drew in 3 Osprey defenders then pulled off a beautiful reverse pass to Wyles who went over in the corner. Farrell missed a difficult kick but as Smith returned to the field they had a lead of 28-16 and were 3 tries to the good. The future was bright!
Inevitably we got to “potty time”. It seems to be an inevitable feature of Saracens’ matches of late with 10 minutes of madness that undoes all the good. Potty time began with a silly offside by Botha which Biggar uncharacteristically missed. Then inexplicably the coaching staff pulled off Brits (who looked equally mystified) and finally Farrell blocked a chip ahead with his shoulder and earned 10 minutes on the naughty step (will he never learn) and this time Biggar made no mistake.
Down to 14 the team seemed to pull themselves back together. Hodgson almost picked up on a Barrett chip which just bounced into touch then Sarries were awarded a penalty out wide almost on half way. With Farrell off the pitch the kick was way out of Hodgson’s range. Surely the sensible option was to put the ball in the corner where Saracens’ imperious lineout might well have got the ball over the line. Instead Spencer went for the posts and although on target the kick was short. Ospreys went back on the attack and a kick ahead by Tipuric forced a superb clearance from his own 22 by Hodgson off his left foot. Ospreys won the resulting lineout and sustained pressure resulted in a 3 on 1. Goode tackled Fussell but he managed to offload in time and Ashley Beck scored his 2nd try which Biggar converted from out wide and it was back to 28-23 with everything to play for.
The return of Farrell saw the arrival of Peter Stringer and the departure of Hodgson. Fair enough – he’d had an excellent 60 minutes but with his departure (along with the loss of Brits) Sarries lost their shape and their spark. Farrell may have a better boot than Charlie but he has a long way to go before he has the master’s hands and eyes. Farrell’s first act was a tricky penalty which he missed (not surprising since he’d been chilling on the bench), he then looked a bit rattled (maybe anxious to make amends?) and had a clearance kick charged down. Ospreys seemed to be scenting victory and entered the final 15 minutes with renewed energy. Nieto came on to steady the ship. Sarries attacked again deep in the osprey 22. Ospreys turned the ball over and Biggar was keen to set up an attack but unfortunately Bishops slipped and forced Thomas to kick the ball out over his own goal-line. The resulting 5m scrum produced a penalty which Farrell converted for 31-23. The decision was entirely understandable given the state of the game but maybe they might come to regret not going for a possible penalty try and a 5 point victory.
With 5 minutes left a second Farrell kick was charged down and in the resulting loose, Saracens’ hands were seen in the ruck and Biggar put the Welshmen back within 5 points. As the clock ran down Ospreys got the ball back into the Sarries’ half. Their lineout wasn’t straight but then Sarries’ gave away a free kick from the resulting scrum and then conceded another 10m by arguing. Osprey’s opted to kick the ball to touch which given that they hadn’t managed to win a single Sarries’ lineout all match was a strange decision. Sarries won the ball and then a penalty and Farrell sent the ball into the stands.
It was a super game, a great advert for rugby and if the 40,000 odd who came to Wembley weren’t engaged it’s difficult to know what more we can do. However although the men in Black came away with a win their was an air of deflation. Joubert deservedly won man of the match but there was an argument for so many others – Goode, Wyles, Hodgson & Brits all had excellent games.
We should have got 4 tries, we should have prevented Osprey’s getting the bonus and now we HAVE to go to Swansea on Friday and get a minimum of a point to keep out fate in our own hands. Brits and Hodgson HAVE to play 80 minutes – the team looked so much better when they were on the pitch and Farrell has to behave.
Saracens: Goode, Strettle, Farrell, Barritt, Wyles, Hodgson (Short), Spencer (Stringer), Gill (Carstens), Brits (George), Stevens (Nieto), Borthwick, Botha (Kruis), Brown, Burger (Saull), Joubert
Ospreys: Fussell ,Bowe, Bishop, Beck, Williams, Biggar, Webb, D Jones (Bevington), Hibbard (Bennett), A Jones, R Jones, Thomas, Smith (Gough), Tipuric, Bearman (Stowers)
Scores (Saracens first): 7-0 7-3 10-3 10-10 17-10 17-13 20-13 23-13 23-16 28-16 28-23 31-23 31-26
Scorers;
Saracens Tries: Gill, Joubert, Wyles Conv: Farrell (2) Pens: Farrell 4
Ospreys Tries: Beck (2) Conv: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar (4)
Referee: Pascal Gauzere
Attendance 41,063
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:12:18:13:34:35 by Fozz1e.
I thought the entire front row starters need plaudits as that was a full Welsh front row.Stevens looks happy at tight head and offers so much more in open play.With Carstens leaving perhaps for the sake of the Club Smit must be put on the bench as total front row cover.He can certainly deal with any tighthead in the AP or HC
MOM was deserved by Joubert but Stevens was a very close second
Its a bit hit and miss, but I was lucky enough one year to see one of them hunting in the marsh just outside Bishops Stortford on their way back south
Fantastic sight