SARRIES CONQUER THE FROZEN NORTH

3am isn’t usually the best time for watching old rugby matches but jetlag is doing its stuff and with Jonny unable to get the report out, yours truly is at least making use of downtime in the dead of night. So let us roll the clock back 60 hours to a blustery Kingston Park, 3pm on Sunday afternoon. Newcastle Falcons, off the back of a good win against Bristol Bears the previous week are, intending to be unchanged until a warm up injury forces Davidson to sit this one out and Palframan starts in his place. Falcons include their Argentinian trio of backs: Carreras, Orlando and Moroni. Sarries, coming from an even better win over Leicester Tigers have had to replace the injured Jamie George with Kapeli Pifeleti. Marco Riccioni makes his first start since damaging his ACL, Theo replaces Hugh Tizard at lock and Jackson Wray comes into the back row.

In what appears to be a chilly blustery day up in the frozen north, the Blaydon Races rings out around Kingston Park. Wayne Barnes is in charge of this Sunday Showdown.

After 3 minutes, Falcons put a kick out on the full. From the lineout Van Zyl finds Tompkins who passes out to Daly. Daly’s perfectly weighted kick ahead bounces just right for Lewington to gather, beat Adam Radwan (mooted to be a possible Sarries man next season) and score in the corner. Despite Van Zyl’s effort to steady the ball in the wind, Faz pulls the conversion.

We have our first scrum after 7 minutes and it results in a Sarries’ penalty which Faz thumps to the corner. Hunter Hill wins the line out and the rolling maul is set. Then as Barnes calls “use it” Pifeleti breaks off the back and barges through 4 black shirts to score Sarries’ 2^nd try within 10 minutes. This time Faz judges the wind and we lead 0-12. Sarries seem happy to let Falcons play with the ball going nowhere. Some superb place kicking by Faz and Lewington’s kick chase wins a penalty for Sarries inside the Falcons 22. Barnes marches then forward 10m for backchat. The lineout is overthrown and Schoeman seems to have rescued things for the home side but his pass bounces off Orlando and rebounds over the dead ball line. Sarries have an attacking 5m scrum. It’s a mess and Barnesy, aided by Assistant Referee and former Gloucester prop Nick Wood (a man he once sent off) resets. This time after several pick and goes, the ball comes out to Daly who finds Lewington. Lewington is just stopped short but the ball is recycled back to Daly who draws Schoeman then pops an inch perfect lob out to Lozowski who scores Sarries’ 3^rd. Faz gets the extras for 0-19.

It's all Sarries now and I am wondering how many more tries they will score (except I know the result which is a bit of a bummer). Van Zyl makes a lovely break (boy that guy’s improved in the last few weeks) and finds Lewington who is just forced into touch by Radwan a few metres short. Falcons are struggling to get out of their own 22 and make life hard for themselves when Schoeman fails to find touch from a penalty. Daly plonks a Sarries’ penalty right in the corner. Sarries launch another attack and lovely hands from Faz finds Daly. Daly’s perfect pass allows a show and go from Malins before he scores in the corner. Faz lands the extra 2 and the bonus point is secured after 32 minutes.  Falcons have still not made it into Sarries’ 22! Excitement when a few minutes later a Falcons maul just gets a toe over the opposition 22m line but that’s as far as it gets as Riccioni wins a penalty. Faz blots his copybook by missing touch (probably forgivable in the wind) but Falcons can’t capitalise and are in possession but going backwards as we reach half time.

Part 2 starts with Falcons’ possession but Sarries are just playing with them like a cat tormenting a mouse. When they get bored, Sarries up the tempo and regain possession passing it around themselves until Theo takes matters into his own hands, plucking a pass from Faz with his huge hand, bludgeoning his way through the Falcons’ defence and offloading to Daly who thinks he’s scored a well-deserved try but Barnes has blown, the pass was just forward and the try is disallowed. Falcons commit a similar crime a few minutes later when Radwan thinks he’s made it but again the pass was forward. Falcons bring on England Hooker Jamie Blamire. Then a pivotal point in the game. After 53 minutes a ruck has formed. Mako makes a late and very clumsy entrance, catching Penny around the head with a shoulder and making no attempt to wrap. There is only ever going to be one outcome and Mako, very apologetically, departs with a red card. Initially the loss doesn’t seem to impact unduly on Sarries who attack the Falcons 22. A lovely offload from Loz finds Faz who in turn finds Earl. Earl cuts back and passes on to Daly who puts Malins in space to score number 5. Faz’s conversion goes just wide but with 20 minutes left Sarries lead 0-31, 5 tries scored and Daly has made 4 of them. He’s on some streak that man (Happy 30^th Birthday last Saturday).

Alec Clarey & Alex Goode replace Riccioni (who has had another promising game) and Lewington (who has also looked good). The first scrum since Mako left us and Billy is sacrificed for Mawi. Not surprisingly Falcons win a penalty. The ball is plonked into Sarries’ 22 and after an hour Falcons finally make it into the opposition danger zone. Not for long though, Theo’s large hand steals the lineout and the ball is cleared. Finally with 15 minutes to go, Newcastle make the numbers tell. Mulipola and Carreras combine, Schoenman kicks and Blamire spots the gap and breaks through the Sarries’ defence to score. Schoenman converts. Pifeleti gives way to Theo Dan. Sarries continue with their delightful passing game but without much purpose now – who can blame them really. It’s as if they want to put on a passing show. Then a Newcastle lineout is pinched by Christie who finds Mawi but Ben Earl for once gets it wrong and knocks on. With the advantage, Carreras gathers the ball and sprints to the line to score a 2^nd which is converted for 14-31. 10 minutes left. Surely they can’t throw this one away can they? How will this brave new Saracens team respond?

At the next scrum, Daly (who else) joins the pack and Sarries hold on. Theo makes a lovely break and powers his way towards the try line leaving Falcons’ defence in his wake like cardboard cut outs. He is fouled in front of the posts and a pragmatic Farrell takes the points. 14-34. 6 minutes remain. Joe Shaw, who seems to be in charge today, obviously feels confident as Van Zyl, Earl and Loz give way to De Hass, Tizard and Hallett. In the final minute, Matteo Carreras, who has been a bright spark for Falcons, breaks, dinks the ball over Malins’ head and beats Farrell. Has he scored? The replay shows that by a couple of centimetres the ball is grounded over the dead ball line. To make matters worse, Carreras looks very sore but soldiers on. We play for another 4 minutes with both sides getting penalties before Faz has had enough and kicks the ball out.

So a satisfactory visit to the North East and another 5 pointer making it 20 from 20. Can’t be bad. Theo and Daly again stand out among a very good team. Lewington had a good game and Van Zyl is looking the real deal – Davies is going to struggle to get his place back.

And finally at almost 5 am, I’m ready for bed. Good Night.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Penny, Radwan (Stevenson), Moroni, Orlando (Lucock), Carreras, Schoeman, Stuart (Young); Brocklebank (Logovi’i), McGuigan (Blamire), Palframan (Tampin), Peterson (de Chaves), Robinson, Welch, Collett, Chick (Lockwood)

SARACENS

Daly, Malins, Lozowski (Hallett) Tompkins, Lewington (Goode), Farrell Van Zyl (De Hass); M Vunipola (RC), Pifeleti (Dan), Riccioni (Clarey), Hunter Hill (Christie), McFarland, Wray, Earl (Tizzard), B Vunipola (Mawi)

SCORERS:-

NEWCASTLE FALCONS (14):  Tries (2): Blamire, Carreras;  Conv: Schoeman (2)

SARACENS (34): Tries: Lewington, Pifeleti, Lozowski, Malins (2); Conv: Farrell (3); Pen: Farrell

Referee: Wayne Barnes

Attendance: 6,125