Sarries Conquer The Stoop

Burger
By Darraghgirl
September 29 2013

I hadn’t intended to do the match report this week on the grounds that I was at home puppy sitting (Mr DG having done it for the past 3 weekends) and anyway it was time someone else did it. The plan was to put my feet up on the settee and enjoy the game on the TV. But in the end I couldn’t let it go unmarked could I? So here we have an armchair report:- Wot no bonus point?

It was another pleasant Indian summer’s day in TW2 although by the looks of things the breeze had got up a bit and could become troublesome. All the talk was that this was the first “real” test for Sarries with the definite implication that our results so far were flattering because we hadn’t played a “proper” team yet. Well Quins are definitely “proper” so could we prove we were no “flash in the pan?”

Quins started the game well and an early attack led to Burger conceding a penalty (about the only thing he did concede all afternoon) and Nick Evans ominously kicking the ball between the sticks. From the restart, Evans’ clearance was charged down by Wiggy and only just cleared the dead ball line before he touched it down. Interestingly after his criticism last weekend, Mr Fox asked the TMO to check the kick off but all was in order. There followed a frantic passage of play from both sides with Ashton unlucky – he scooped up the ball and looked to be through just as Mr Fox blew for a Quins knock-on.

Monye appeared to be blocked by Alex Goode, who didn’t have his best afternoon, and Goodey spent 10 minutes in the bin while Evans extended the lead to 6-0. Brits went for a quick tap from a kickable penalty but ultimately the ball was turned over. In fact as the half progressed it became very much a case of the forwards winning the ball in the loose and the backs knocking on or throwing forward passes. Eventually Farrell got a difficult penalty chance into the wind to put Sarries on the scoreboard which he executed perfectly. There was some more careless play, poor kicks, kicks going out on the full, although the wind was undoubtedly playing a part. Inevitably Sarries conceded a kickable penalty and Evans extended the lead to 9-3.

Then a bit of innovation – a line out to the front caught Quins napping and Kelly Brown set off for the tryline. It looked like a try and Mr Fox clearly though it was (“any reason why I can’t award a try?”) but the replay showed a superb tackle from Williams had prevented Kelly from grounding the ball. What followed was a round of handbags, also referred to the TMO (our friend wavy Davey) whereby Fa’asavalu was caught tugging Burger’s locks and also sent to the bin. Interestingly various punches thrown, noticeably by Danny Care, didn’t invite comment!

Farrell put the penalty in the corner and the resulting catch and drive was illegally pulled down. This time Farrell went for goal to bring the score back to 9-6. Annoyingly Sarries conceded a penalty from the restart which Evans kicked to restore the 6 point lead. From the restart Sarries attacked and it looked like Strettle would score but he just juggled the pass under the force of a tackle and the opportunity was lost.

Sarries started the second half with a lot of possession but not much progress. It did look like the wind had played a quite a part in the first half and maybe, like Gloucester a couple of weeks ago, playing in to the wind in the second half would take its toll on Quins, particularly when the might of the Sarries’ bench was unleashed. Stevens was teaching Marler a lesson or two at the scrum which looked more secure than last week. More often than not Sarries were winning penalties at the set piece. Sarries had also begun to win the lineout at will – theirs or Quins. Farrell found a lovely line from one of these, fed Wyles who found Ashton just inside him and no one was going to stop him from there. Farrell converted from under the posts and finally Sarries took the lead 13-12. Foxey referred to his friend “wavy” again (after huge crowd shouts of “forward”) but both passes were absolutely fine.

Hargreaves and De Kock replaced Kruis and Wiggy and the Sarries pressure mounted. A huge drive from a lineout marched half the length of the pitch and was only stopped when Marler pulled it down illegally and went to the bin for his efforts. There was a definite argument for a penalty try because there was only ever going to be one legal outcome. Instead it was just a penalty which went in the corner and this time the drive didn’t get started. Billy and Mako both charged for the line but Quins defended well and Sarries settled for another penalty which this time Owen kicked for 12-16.

James Johnston replaced Stevens, not a welcome sight I suspect for the floundering Quins front row. Then a lovely tackle by Strettle on Williams forced another penalty. A difficult kick out wide, but with the wind in his favour Owen nailed it to extend the lead to 19-12. This was followed shortly by yet another super kick for 22-12 and Quins were now out of bonus point range.

Quins did manage another spirited attack but Sarries were always in control and eventually Mako forced the penalty to allow Farrell to clear the danger. Quins had found a novel way of overcoming their line out difficulties – not throwing the ball straight. Something Mr Fox got rather lax about. George and Wray replaced Brits and Brown. Finally Quins won a penalty to at least give them the bonus point but Evans found kicking into the wind somewhat trickier and the ball bounced off the posts into Sarries’ hands.

As the clock wound down, Auterac replaced Mako and Wilson replaced Farrell with Goode going to fly half. And then Mr Fox awarded Sarries a penalty, the ball was hoofed into the stands and it was all over.

Burger deservedly won man of the match. His performances this season really underline how much he was missed last year. So it’s 4 played, 4 wins, 19 points…….wot no bonus point today? Well we shouldn’t be greedy, after all we were playing a “proper” team this week!

Harlequins

Brown, Williams (Botica), Lowe (Hooper), Casson, Monye, Evans, Care (Dickson), Marler (Lambert), Buchanan (Ward), Collier (Sinckler), Easter, Robson (Trayfoot), Fa’asavalu, Robshaw, Guest,

Saracens

Goode, Ashton, Wyles, Taylor, Strettle, Farrell (Wilson), Wigglesworth (de Kock), M Vunipola (Auterac), Brits (George), Stevens (Johnston), Borthwick, Kruis (Hargreaves), Smith (Wray), Burger, B Vunipola.

Scorers:-

Harlequins: Pens: Evans (4)

Saracens: Try: Ashton, Conv: Farrell, Pens: Farrell (5)

Scores (Quins first)

3-0, 6-0, 6-3, 9-3, 9-6, 12-6, 12-13, 12-16, 12-19, 12-22

Attendance 12,956

Referee: Martin Fox

Sarries conquer the Stoop

Posted by: TheSaracens.com (IP Logged)

Date: 29/09/2013 13:50

Another excellent report from DG, who is also doing the publishing.

There may be no end to her talents, but the might be to her patience/time/energy - it'd be good if we could have a roster of scribes, so that editors also doing the writing becomes the exception, rather than the norm.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013:10:13:16:32:27 by Darraghgirl.