OUR CUP IS OVER FLOWING

The Premiership Cup brings a welcome respite to the hard grind of Premiership rugby. A little breathing space, a time when those players not required by their National teams can have a break in the sun while their understudies have the chance to take centre stage. The competition, even this early in the season, defines a clubs’ ambitions. 

Those with hope of National or European success will rest their first team players and use the competition in the way it was intended (I assume) as a showcase for their fringe and academy squads. Those who are struggling, especially in this season of no relegation, will target the Premiership Cup as a winnable piece of silverware. Strangely it is a competition often won by a Club who enters into the spirit of the competition (Northampton excepted) although why something to that effect can’t be incorporated into the rules is beyond me ! (But then at my age a lot of things are beyond me).

Talking of rules, this competition makes Heineken Cup Qualification look like child’s play! The rules state (I think) that there are two pools of 4 and one of 5 clubs. (Wouldn’t it have been better to include the top 3 Championship Clubs to make a nice round 16? But that would be far too sensible). Each club plays the other 3 in their pool - ironically we face the last 2 teams we have played in the Premiership - Quins and Irish, plus Saints. Then the teams in pools 2 & 3 (ie us) play one of the teams from the other pool, in our case Wasps. The 3 group winners and the best placed runner up progress to knock out semi finals. I think. Are you still with me ?

So as I was saying, the beauty of this competition is that the result doesn’t matter. Well not really. If you could have a win against Quins today or Irish LAST week what would you choose? Seriously it’s a no brainier. Which means the mood in the crowd is bright (even if the weather isn’t) and despite the offers of free tickets the attendance is small. These games also provide challenges for your Match Reporter - generally no TV coverage to check the bits you miss, and the big TV at the ground (50% obscured from my seat) shows no action replays at all. The announcer gives up with the names of try scorers and substitutes half way though the 2nd half so all in all it’ll be a miracle if anything you are about to read bears much relationship to events !

Both teams seem to approach this competition as it was intended with largely Academy/fringe squads. For Sarries, although you could argue the case for Dom Morris and maybe Andy Christie, none of the starting 15 would be first choice in their positions. I’m not particularly familiar with Quins but I only recognise Club Captain Stephan Lewies (who has had a long injury lay off) and Ross Chisholm among their team. Premiership Rugby also seem to be playing the game with the appointment of Referee George Selwood – another unfamiliar name. 

We start with an Act of Remembrance – the laying of a wreath, the Last Post and a minute’s silence, studiously observed. From the kick off, the ball doesn’t seem to travel much beyond either 10m line for the first 5 minutes but Elliott Obatoyinbo looks reassuringly solid under 2 high balls. Alex Cleary breaks free but in his enthusiasm knocks on. Quins put a potentially kickable penalty into touch, setting the tone of this game: both sides are looking to score tries. Sadly a groggy Sean Reffell makes a premature departure to be replaced, somewhat earlier than anticipated, by Toby Knight. Manu also kicks for touch but like the Quins’ opportunity earlier, it comes to nothing. There is a lot of Sarries’ endeavour with play mostly in the Quins’ half but silly mistakes and handling errors keep getting in the way. After 17 minutes it all comes together. Segun  starts it and the ball passes through the backs and is recycled then an outrageous offload from Theo McFarland allows Barrington to take Route 1 and score. Manu adds the extras (on what was to be a perfect day for kickers) as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” sounds out around the StoneX.

Obatoyinbo puts the ball out on the full resulting in a Quins’ lineout close to the 22. Quins win a penalty which Jamie Benson plonks in the corner and Quins seem to trundle over for the try. A collective groan – but the touch judge has noted a knock on so back we go. (Encouraging that there is no referral to the TMO – maybe there wasn’t one?) However Quins are on a Penalty Advantage so we do it all again. This time Sarries pull the maul down illegally so we go round again for the 3^rd time. Cameron Boon forces a turnover, the dangerous Huw Jones is forced into touch just short and finally Manu clears from a penalty (after a short bout of fisticuffs). Sarries have momentum but the final pass isn’t there. Then after half an hour we have a stunning try from Dom Morris off the line out, his little legs spinning like the Road-Runner as he sprints across the pitch leaving all in his wake and scores Sarries’ second try in the corner. Unfazed, Manu is foot perfect with the tricky conversion.

Sarries concede a kickable penalty almost straight away but once again Quins go for the corner. This time they don’t bother with the maul and Jurevicius scores in the corner. Not to be outdone, Benson nails another tricky conversion. More indiscipline from Sarries and a Quins’ penalty is marched forward (the miscreants really should be writing 100 lines “I must not back chat the referee”) – luckily Sarries escape further punishment when Jack Musk overthrows the lineout. As we approach half time, Segun makes good ground from a scrum (that lad is powerful) and off loads to Theo McFarland with plenty of work to do but there is no stopping the Samoan basketball international and he is over. Manu optimistically tries to hand his water bottle to the referee before lining up the kick – understandably Mr Selwood declines – but the kick goes over and we are 21-7 ahead at half time.

We start part 2 and Manu makes a mistake, missing touch with a penalty earned by Andy Christie. Obatoyinbo makes a good break but the off-load is poor. Quins kick deep and Obatoyinbo, perhaps unwisely, tries to field the ball with his feet. The ball bounces back to the 5m line and Elliott clears to touch. Mr Selwood decides the ball was taken back in and awards a Quins lineout on Sarries’ 5m line. We sit right on the line and Elliott appeared to make his unwise attempt at kicking the ball inside the 22. The officials were a long way off. I think he was hard done by but you win some you lose some. Inevitably Quins score from the lineout. The announcer is shell-shocked and doesn’t reveal the name of the try scorer (I think it was Archie White). Once again Benson lands another difficult conversion.

McFarland comes up with the perfect response when he combines with Dom Morris to score his second, and the bonus point try. Yet again Manu adds the extras from out wide. 28-14 with half an hour to go. Time to ring the changes. Theo Dan replaces Ethan Lewis at hooker – Ethan looked far more assured today and nailed all his throws. Van Zyl replaces de Haas. Quins also swap their scrum half and Jurevicius their try scorer. Quins are gaining momentum but we see the worrying sight of Duncan Tylor on the floor. He appears to have landed awkwardly on his shoulder then got a knee to the head while he was on the ground. He is helped off holding his arm. That guy must have walked under an awful lot of ladders – he has absolutely no luck. Brandon Jackson replaces him. Mr Selwood shows no mercy and pings him for not rolling away.

Quins opt for a scrum from a penalty in front but Sarries defend well then we change the props (Crean & Wainwright for Barrington & Cleary) and Ollie Stonham replaces Cameron Boon (for what will prove to be an all too brief stint). We resort to a bit of catching practice for both sides and Stonham gets clattered and limps off to be replaced by winger Tom Mills (who I assume didn’t expect his first game for Sarries would be in the back row!) As we enter the last 10 minutes Christie and Harris seem to be struggling with cramp and Quins are looking strong. With 5 minutes to go Quins score a lovely try – Aaron Morris breaks clear on the left wing and finds Nick David on the overlap. He evades flailing hands and scores. We could do with Benson missing this one but despite the angle, he completes a perfect day for the kickers. 28-21. Memories of last week’s debacle now come to the fore. Surely it can’t happen again?

Quins sense the draw at least. They break into Sarries 22. Collier appears to have gone over but once again the touch judge intervenes and says it was held up. God knows who that was but it was desperate defence. There are cramping bodies everywhere. We take the goal line drop out but Quins run it back again. Somehow we force a knock on but it’s not over yet. Obatoyinbo collects the ball and thumps it up field. A minute left. The reassuring presence of Theo McFarland wins a penalty. Manu taps it and plonks it into the stand and unlike last week, Sarries hold on for a 5 point victory.

So an entertaining afternoon with both sides looking to attack. 7 tries scored and lots of running rugby. Dom Morris looked class and Theo McFarlane confirmed earlier impressions that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately there was no repeat of least week’s capitulation – Sarries held on to their lead until the end. Order was restored. But at what cost was this weekend? Duncan Taylor looks to be out for a while. Sean Reffell will need to get over his head injury as will Ollie Stonham. Further afield, Faz says he’s fine (but then he would even if his leg was hanging off): we await a scan on Jamie’s knee and sadly it sounds like we can say goodbye to Riccioni for the rest of the season: - ACL’s are 9 months minimum. It seems some of our guys might have played their way out of next Friday’s game with Irish – and into the squad for Sale.

SARACENS

Obatoyinbo, Harris, Morris, Taylor (Jackson), Segun, Vunipola, de Haas (Van Zyl); Barringon (Crean), Lewis (Dan), Clarey (Wainwright), Boon (Stonham) (Mills), Hunter-Hill, McFarland, Reffell (Knight), Christie

HARLEQUINS

David, Chisholm (Beard), Jones (Hyde), Anyanwu, Morris, Benson, Gjaltema (Stafford); Kerrod (Osborne), Musk (Head), Trenier (Collier), Tizard (Hammond), Lewies, Jurevicius (Alikhan), Wallace, White

SCORERS:-

Saracens (28): Tries – Barrington, Morris, McFarland (2); Conv: M Vunipola (4)

Harlequins (21): Tries – Jurevicius, White, David; Conv: Benson (3)

Referee: George Selwood