Sarries outrace the Ampthill Mob

I do like a pre-season friendly. There’s an opportunity to relax with a drink or two on a warm evening, catch up with the Sarries Family that holds a large place in my heart and haven’t seen for a couple of months, see our new signings run out for th first time in the black and red and enjoy what is basically an entertaining  public training “hit out”  and although on this Friday evening it would have been nice to have fetched up at one of  our more traditional late summer stamping grounds like The Honourable Artillery Company Ground or Goldington Road, I’ll happily take the short hop round the A406 to StoneX. Tonight’s game was, as most of you will know, originally scheduled to take place on Saturday 3rd September, but has been brought forward by 20 hours due to an apparent need to allow Mark McCall’s squad an extra day’s preparation in case the heartbreaking situation involving Worcester Warriors culminates in fixture changes across the Premiership which would require Sarries to play their opening fixture at The Stoop on 10th rather than 17th September.

We arrive at StoneX just after 5pm and are greeted by the always disconcerting off-season set-up of the ground with the North and South Stands “missing” before their-reinstallation  closer to the first scheduled hoe fixture against Glaws on 24^th September (subject to change); all of tonight’s spectators, likely to be a couple of thousand. will  be housed in the East Stand, and we’re two seats from our usual spots.

We’re also greeted, to our delight, and after a quick diversion into the club shop to purchase my new home shirt (Mrs Jonny is content to assess possible future additions to her wardrobe), by a large contingent of the aforesaid Sarries family, with lots of smiles, hugs, and (mostly) good-natured ribbing about my Sarries Hawaiian shirt (if you’re interested the shop also has matching Bermuda shorts); it’s wonderful to see everyone and catch up on all the summer news.

Pints and pies purchased, and off to our seats.

The Sarries squad tonight is strong, with no fewer than 11 internationals in the squad, along with a selection of young talent on the bench: perhaps not too surprisingly, Mako, Jamie, Maro, Billy and Owen will not feature, and nor; due to his very likely protracted recovery following surgery, will Nick Isiekwe.

I was hoping that Marco Riccioni might feature, and although he doesn’t appear on the pitch he is I’m later told at the game and will be fit to start the season; I haven’t yet seen the formidable-looking Eduardo Bello in action yet, but based on his performances last season prior to his injury last season I’d see Marco as the man to fill the big boots of the much-loved Vincent Koch; the name most of us are pleased and intrigued to hear announced is that of new signing from Quins, the highly promising Hugh Tizard who has impressed everyone last season when he’d played against Sarries, scoring a try in the Premiership game at the Stoop

Notwithstanding the above absences, there is plenty of Sarries stardust ready to be sprinkled by the likes of Elliot Daly, Max Malins, Nick Tompkins, Alex Lozowski, Theo McFarland and Alex Lewington -  somewhat less twinkly in style but rightly very popular during his last sojourn Christian Judge has re-joined Sarries, from Worcester Warriors, to add his considerable presence to a strong tight-head group.

The name I'm most intrigued to hear announced, though, is that of new signing from Quins, the highly promising Hugh Tizard who impressed everyone when he’d played against Sarries last season, scoring a try in the Premiership game at the Stoop.

I’m not familiar enough with the Ampthill squad to offer any in-depth comment, but I do note in their squad the presence of our own Theo Dan.

The game gets underway, and it’s immediately apparent that Ampthill are not here to provide bodies for Sarries to knock over; they look strong, well organised and motivated, while Sarries, understandably, perhaps, look a little ring rusty, as several of the side haven’t played a match in anything approaching anger since the Premiership final, and others longer than that.

It is not a complete surprise, then, that Ampthill draw first blood when after working the ball out from a well-executed scrum, a Crossfield kick finds Cambriani who shows good balance and “feet” to elude the defence and dot down with less than 5 minutes played; a straightforward conversion gives the visitors a 0-7 lead.

As one would hope, the early setback rouses Sarries to shake off a bit of rust and there's a bit more urgency about their play which is rewarded on 10 minutes when a sharp-looking Lewington breaks and crosses the line under the posts, with a Manu conversion levelling matters at 7-7.

There’s no sense at this stage, however, thar Ampthill are going to capitulate, and indeed they continue to impress as a side strong in the set pieces and well-drilled in defence, helped, it must be said, by Sarries  once more looking a bit rusty and with a few errors creeping in, and not unenterprising in attack. I’m thinking that our friends from the wilds of Bedfordshire could be in for a good season.

It’s Sarries, though, who take the chances that do fall their way.

On 20 minutes, Lewington is given the platform to carry on his good work, as a well-worked exit from a scrum puts him over to take Sarries into the lead although the conversion is unsuccessful to leave the score at 12-7.

Sarries are starting to “click” and apply more sustained pressure on the Ampthill defence, and in the closing stages a fresh-looking Tompkins powers over to take the score, after Vunipola again misses the conversion, to 17-7. I never cease to wonder at the strength of Gravesend’s greatest living Welshman given that he isn’t a big man – he’s almost unstoppable when he drives hard for the line.  

The half-time whistle sounds shortly after Tompkins’ try and while Sarries have not quite hit their straps, all credit must be given to Ampthill for the way they’ve approached this game.

I’m mightily impressed with young Tizard who seems to have slotted into the squad very well indeed.

As is so often the case after a relatively indifferent first half, the half-time chat with the coaches over a cuppa and slice of orange, Sarries start the second half with a lot more purpose and cohesion and early in Act 2 their lead is extended to 24-7 when a bobbling kick from Malins bamboozled everyone except an alert Earl who dives over, with Manu this time adding the extras.

Ampthill, looking to be tiring a little after a competitive first half performance, fall further behind when a rumbling Sarries maul is adjudged to have been illegally brought down, and a penalty try is awarded to take Sarries to 31-7.

Tired as they are, Ampthill won’t roll over just yet, and as the game moves into its last quarter the young and England/Romanian-qualified Sarrie Dan pulls a score back to take the score to a respectable 31-14.

As the games moves into its closing stages and as Ampthill continue to tire, Sarries pull away:

Theo McFarland is now on, and shows that he’s ready to carry on where he left off by barging his way over the line on 65 minutes, with Manu calmly slotting over for 38-14.

Sarries are emptying the bench now and we’re treated to seeing some of the youngsters have a run out.

Elliott Daly shows us he means business with a brilliant solo effort, with Manu doing his job once more for 45-14, and shortly afterwards Lewis takes Sarries’ score past the half-century, driving over from a maul and the now-metronomic boot of Vunipola the youngest converts for 52-14.

The very best is saved for last….

Harris (who as everyone who can be bothered to listen will know I rate very highly indeed) latches onto the ball wide on the left and accelerates at ludicrous speed through an admittedy weary Ampthill defence, and the last real act of the game sees Manu convert from out wide to see the game end 59-14.

A much better second half from Sarries’ point of view and my “takeaways” are that Hugh Tizard will undoubtedly prove to be a very, very good signing, it’s nice to see “The Judge” back, and, overall, Sarries will, once they get into the groove of the season proper will be capable of some spectacular rugby; then again maybe we shouldn’t read too much into a pre-season game.

I'd like to finish, though, by wishing our friends at Ampthill every success for 2022/23.

SARRIES SQUAD (PUBLISHED):

15 Max Malins; 14 Alex Lewington; 13 Alex Lozowski; 12 Nick Tompkins; 11 Elliot Daly

10 Manu Vunipola; 9 Ivan van Zyl

1 Eroni Mawi; 2 Tom Woolstencroft; 3 Christian Judge: 4 Callum Hunter-Hill

5 Hugh Tizard; 6 Jackson Wray (c); 7 Ben Earl; 8 Andy Christie 

Replacements:

Kapeli Pifeleti; James Flynn; Sam Wainwright;  Jevaughn Warren; Obinna Nkwocha

Theo McFarland; Toby Knight; Ollie Stonham; Ruben de Haas; Josh Hallett; Dom Morris

Ben Harris; Duncan Taylor; Brandon Jackson