SARACENS V COVENTRY

After an, erm, interesting series of games (and one cancellation) in the Trailfinders Cup, now certain to be won by its namesake club, we come to the first of two bona fide friendlies - home and away encounters with Coventry, currently another highly aspirational Championship side but once, for those of us old enough to remember, one of England’s leading clubs and home to, among other famous names, David Duckham, the original “rock star” rugby player.

Although in theory the two games against Coventry will be something akin to pre-season hit-outs like those we used to see at the HAC or Goldington Road, I can’t help feeling that, like their counterparts in Ealing and Doncaster, Cov may well be up for trying and prove a point against the (sic) fallen giants, even in a couple of friendlies.

The TV coverage is thankfully no longer emblazoned wth Trailfinder logos and adverts, replaced by the less intrusive StoneX/City (sorry, Ciddy) Index branding.

The coaches are interviewed pre-match, and Smally seems a lot more relaxed this week, while his Cov counterpart is respectful about Sarries  and clearly looking forward to the game.

We are promised two big reveals today,  the first of which is the marvellous news that Roti Segun has signed a new contract keeping him at Sarries until 2023 – the second reveal is promised for half-time – which sets up a slightly ironic conversation with Ali Crossdale, soon-to-be Wasp and one of today’s co-commentators along with Rosie Galligan,  about the great news of Roti’s committing to us for longer,  but he dealt with it well.

The Sarries starting XV looks strong, with Jackson Wray back from suspension and Sean Maitland released from Scotland duty. I’m pleased to see Andy Christie come in to a re-jigged back row at no. 8 in a formidable back row alongside Jackson and CHH. Plenty of muscle and class on the bench, and I notice that Tom Whiteley is shadowing Manu at fly-half whilst Alex Day covers the scrum-half slot. Glad to see Senor Socino in the 27….

I don’t really recognise any names in the Cov squad apart from Ben Nutley, and presumably Toby Trinder is a relative of Henry.

And away we go on a pleasant-ish day, the StoneX illuminated by Cov;s garish kit, which Mrs Jonny tells me is not pinky-purple but fuchsia

Manu starts things off, Cov fail to gather the kick, Joel Kpoku snaffles the ball and glides over for a try in the left side corner after, what, 10 seconds???  Surely the fastest score seen at Allianz/StoneX.

Manu hits the post from a tight angle and at less than a minute gone it’s 5-0.

Cov are almost Sarries-like in the response, remaining calm and patient and proceeding  to work their way forward until close to the ten-minute mark, after a couple of penalties, the pressure told with Burrows going over and Wilkinson adding the extras. 5-7.

Cov continue to look impressive and enjoy a lot of possession, playing tidy rugby and working well in midfield although not overly troubling Sarries’  defence.

Sarries work their way forward and after a bit of pressure and no little Premiership class and nous, create space on the left, and having earlier flattened one of the Cov players whilst chasing a long kick from Davies, Maitland does what he does best after some lovely work from Manu and glides over the line. Manu misses his kick again to leave the core at 10-7.

As with our first try, Cov keep calm and after  penalty and a well-worked maul culminates in the hard-working Dolly going over for 10-12. The conversion is missed.

Cov then back  up their slight advantage, using a scrum near Sarries’ 22 as a platform to apply some Exeteresque pressure which culminates in Nutley going over followed by a successful conversion for 10-19. Oh dear…..

Sarries nearly hit back almost immediately, with a well-worked phase of play putting Christie over for a well-deserved try…but no try….the ball had gone forward.

We move into the closing stages of the first half, and Sarries suddenly up the tempo as a slightly tiring Cov look forward to the tea and orange slices…  

Morris is put through by deft work from the man-boy Manu and charges over, with a successful conversion taking us within reach of Cov at 17-19.

Moments after the restart  Sarries’ collective nose is in front courtesy of an all-Scottish effort with Maitland gliding forward at speed before setting Taylor free to go over and Manu converts once more to take us into the interval at 24-19. 

An entertaining first half, and the interval chat is brightened considerably by more marvellous news:  deciding to “reeeeeemiiix” for a few more years, Baz has signed a new contract – not only a ferocious loose head but the embodiment of everything special about our club. A true Sarrie.      

Cov start the second half and again there’s an extremely early score, replicating Sarries’s effort that began the match, with Dacres gathering almost straight from the kick-off and ging over in front of the posts – an easy conversation and it’s 24-26.  

Things get worse for Sarries who seem a little out of sorts in this period of the game, albeit that Cov deserve plaudits for their performance when good work from Wilkinson sends White over which with a successful conversion adding the extras takes the game to 24-33.

At this stage, Cov look like they could “do an Ealing”, matching us try for try, working hard  and staying calm.  I remind myself that this is a friendly – this result won’t have any bearing on much other than giving the coaches things to work on.

The visitors’ two-score margin doesn’t last long, as it transpires, as Baz crashes over with a little help from his friends to celebrate his big day to take us, after a successful conversion, to within two points at 31-33.

We’re into the last twenty minutes now and the momentum changes again;  snapping into the groove and scenting blood (not sure if those two metaphors go together…), Sarries at last begin to go through the gears and Cov start to feel the pressure.

As you’d expect in a friendly game with a twelve-man bench, the round of substitutions is dizzying

Baz, very deservedly, crashes over for his second of the day.

The contest in a meaningful sense is ended when White is yellow-carded for deliberate knock-on, as Pifeleti decides to finish things off himself by going over for our seventh try, and then producing more good work to set up our eighth for, one of the men of the match, Christie, to run in from 25 metre out to dot down for five points.

A highly entertaining game, and one that leaves me to wonder if this will be the way forward in the Championship this coming season, with Sarries facing well-organised and hard-working sides, spending long periods of matches toiling but ultimately coming through by dint of fitness and an ability to find another gear late on.

We’ll find out soon enough.

TEAMS:

SARRIES:

15 Obatoyinbo 14 Lewington 13 Morris  12 Taylor  11 Maitland  10 Manu Vunipola                   9 Davies  1 Barrington  2 Woolstencroft (capt)  3 Koch  4 Joel Kpoku  5 Swinson                        6 Hunter-Hill  7 Wray  8 Christie

Impact Players:

Pifeleti, Crean, Ibuanokpe, Stonham, Reffell,  Day, Whiteley, Socino, Hooley, Benson, Harris, Mawi

COVENTRY:

15 Brown 14 Emery 13 Knox 12 Fenner, 11 Sirker 10 Wilkinson 9 Barton  1 Jeannot, 2 Dolly    3 Harper 4 Dacres  5 Woolford 6 Lewis 7 Nutley 8 Burrows (capt)

Finishers:

Ma’asi, Trinder,  Boulton, Jordan, Peters, Nayalo, White, Lewis, Owen, Forsyth, James, Hudson

REFEREE:

Hamish Smales