Saracens Storm Into Home Semi
By Behindthebench
December 23 2014
Saracens Storm 27-0 London Welsh. Monday 22 December. Allianz Park. With the prize of a home semi-final in the Aviva A League up for grabs, the Storm progressed from a subdued first half to claim a five try bonus point victory thanks to clinical finishing and rock solid defence, as well as the considerable disruption caused to the Welsh lineout.
Saracens' line up brought two changes from the comprehensive win over Wasps this time last week, as Jack Culverhouse came in for Richard Barrington at loosehead prop, and Mauritz Botha made a bonus farewell appearance at lock, replacing Hayden Smith, and accompanying captain Maro Itoje. That meant Jared Saunders continued at hooker, and Biyi Alo at tighthead whilst the back row consisted of Hayden Stringer and Matt Hankin, with Nick de Jäger at number 8. A completely unchanged backline saw a half-back combination of Ben Spencer and Nils Mordt, with George Perkins and Mike Ellery on the wings, Thretton Palamo and Tim Streather in the centres and Catalin Fercu at full back.
Welsh were looking for a third A League win this season after home successes over Harlequins and Wasps at Ealing RFC. The visitors started with Tongan loosehead Eddie Aholelei accompanying hooker Koree Britton, who started Saturday's Premiership match, and loosehead Jack Gilding in the front row. Former Henley Hawks lock Josh McNally accompanied club captain Matt Corker, in his eighth season at the club, in the second row, whilst Ben West and Daniel Browne, both members of the promotion winning side, made up the back row with former Blackheath player Jesse Liston. In the backs, ex Munster scrum half Paul Rowley combined with Chris Elder, at 10, the latter being listed as a full back primarily, A youthful back five featured Phil Ellis and Conor Corrigan on the wings, George Bolton and James Tincknell at centre, and Ben Summers in the full back berth.
The first half, or at least the first 39 minutes of it, could be politely described as tight with knock ons and turnover thwarting both sides attacking ambitions. Welsh showed far more resilience in defence than their first team counterparts did on Saturday as they withstood the pressure from a Saracens ten metre lineout in the early stages. Whilst they were comfortably keeping their opponents at bay, it took the Storm 15 minutes to create a real chance as Nils Mordt's kick through found Mike Ellery on the right but he just drifted into touch. Seven minutes later, Welsh could have taken the lead as Saracens were adjudged to have infringed in their own scrum on the fringe of their 22 but Chris Elder pulled the kick and the score stayed blank. Gradually more purpose came into the home attack as Tim Streather's wide pass initiated a flowing crossfield move but the hosts were penalised for holding on. After another move had broken down when Sarries knocked on ten yards out, they finally took the lead with the last action of the half. Storm won a free-kick from a scrum around 30 metres out, and with Hayden Stringer and Ben Spencer to the fore, the ball was worked out to the left. Spencer's long pass returned play to the centre, finding Mordt to throw the dummy and go in underneath the posts for a try he converted himself for a 7-0 interval lead.
At the break, Welsh changed scrum half as Ed Hoadley replaced Rowley. The visitors started the second half the stronger forcing successive penalties to close in on the Storm line, but the hosts won one of several crucial lineouts on the opposition throw to end the pressure. Having withstood the pressure, the Storm extended their lead on 48 minutes, as Elder dwelt on a long kick into the Welsh 22 and Saracens were able to force a penalty five minutes out, as the visitors were penalised for holding on. Play was quickly switched from right to left and Saunders went over to the left of the upright, but Mordt clattered the right hand post with the conversion, as it stayed 12-0. With the wind picking up, the visitors were starting to struggle with the Storm's kicking game, although managed to keep them out with some stern defence from a close range lineout after 54 minutes. Nick Tompkins was brought on for Streather on the hour, but hopes of a late surge for the bonus point appeared to have receded, when, after the referee had played a long advantage during Welsh's best move of the match, Culverhouse spent ten minutes in the sin bin for a trip. Instead, whilst down to fourteen, Saracens went further ahead, Pinching another close range Welsh lineout, they forced a penalty of their own on halfway, with a fine kick from Mordt giving them a five metre line out - play flowing from left to right, for Tomplins to go in at the right hand corner. With wholesale changes for the visitors, as they emptied their bench, the Storm replaced George Perkins with Hayden King and collected tries four and five in the last ten minutes. The fourth arrived after Ellery's break initiated a neat exchange of passes which was capped by Hankin going over on the left, and the last action of the match saw Saracens steal another Welsh lineout deep in their own territory, forcing the penalty and opting for a scrum 30 yards out, as quick hands saw Mordt and Tompkins combine to set up a try for Fercu on the right. We nearly had a fairytale ending as Botha stepped up to take the conversion which closed the match but it drifted wide of the left hand upright. The Storm go on to a home semi final which will be at Allianz Park on Monday 5 January.
Teams
Saracens Storm
15. Catalin Fercu 14. Mike Ellery 13 Tim Streather (Nick Tompkins 60) 12 Thretton Palamo 11 George Perkins (Hayden King 70) 10 Nils Mordt 9 Ben Spencer (Tom Whiteley 70) 1 Jack Culverhouse (Ben Featherstone 70) 2 Jared Saunders (Josh Taylor 70) 3 Biyi Alo (Jack Tredrea 70) 4 Maro Itoje (c) (Max Wilkins 70) 5 Hayden Smith (19 Mike Tredrea) 6 Haydon Stringer 7 Matt Hankin 8 Nick de Jager
London Welsh A
15. Ben Summers 14.Conor Corrigan 13 James Tincknell 12 George Bolton (Connor Serge 70) 11 Phil Ellis (Owain Fussell 70) 10 Chris Elder 9 Paul Rowley (Ed Hoadley HT) 1 Eddie Aholelei (Ian Williams 67) 2 Koree Britton (Ollie Walliker 48) 3 Jack Gilding (Sam Beckett 67) 4 Josh McNally 5 Matt Corker (Clarke Smith 67) 6 Ben West 7 Jesse Liston 8 Daniel Browne
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Thank-you for the match report from last night Behindthebench.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015:01:02:20:06:47 by Darraghgirl.
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!