SARRIES RIDE THEIR GOODE FORTUNE

I was at the game, and so it was only on playing the match recording that I got to see the phalanx of Sarries legends who formed the guard of honour to welcome Alex Goode onto the pitch. I cannot think of any player in my years of watching Sarries who has more deserved the accolade of being saluted by some of the greatest players ever to wear a rugby shirt.  Just to mention two, Francois Pienaar and Philippe Sella, indicates the respect and affection that Alex has earned over his entire rugby career.  As everybody knows, England’s failure to appreciate the talents of one of the most gifted players of his era has been Sarries’ gain, this time for the 339th time.

Before the realities of the day began, two things caught my attention.  The first was the decision by Alex Sanderson to name a bench of six forwards and two backs.  This rather suggested that Sale would roll the dice on this being an old-fashioned game, the sort that Sarries have recently put behind themselves.  The other was that Alex Sanderson seemed strangely subdued in his pre-match interview. Saying all the right things about past memories and present commitment and loyalty is not the same as radiating belief in them.  It was, to my thinking, an interview that he really was not enjoying, surely not just because of the distraction of seeing Francois Pienaar enjoying lunch in the hospitality area that adjoins the media area.

No surprises in selection, although a couple of very late withdrawals, one for each side, meant a slight re-shuffle for both.  For Sarries, I thought that the late withdrawal of Kapeli Pifileti, replaced off the bench by Theo Dan, with Ethan Lewis, not seen for some time, replacing him on the bench.

Sale had the wind advantage, a considerable one, at the opening.  Sarries seemed to be asleep, and a very poor kick-off reception should have given the easiest of opening scores to Sale within 45 seconds.  It was only in the middle of Sale celebration that we were shown the replay, and the slightest touch of the ball, totally unnecessary, by Sale prop McIntyre, which knocked on, saw the try chalked off.  No problems for Sale, and within four more minutes they have opened their account, more in the manner expected, with a mauled try, not converted from wide out to the right-hand side under the north stand. 

The re-start was routine, what we expect when Theo McFarland is first to the scene.  He takes the ball cleanly, a few passages across the field as backs and forwards pass between themselves.  Then a perfectly weighted pass to Alex, coming forward at pace from the back.  Eddie Jones is watching. But what Alex does next would not impress him, probably because it was far too subtle for the England coach’s attention. The tiny change of pace, with a hint that he’ll pass to his right, with a twitch to suggest he’ll go left, and the two defenders move apart, allowing Alex a pathway.  There are still defenders to beat, but subtlety has achieved what brute force might never have done, and the scores are back level, totally against the run of play.  This is in fact almost the first time that Sarries had the ball, and absolutely the first time that they have seen the Sale end of the pitch.

It would be nice to report that Sarries have woken up and begun to play as they know how.  However, with a majority of their pack away or injured, and Sale committed to a forwards-dominated game plan, the next 15 or 20 minutes will prove to be torrid for Sarries.  One bright spot is that Eroni Mawi, with a Mako head-band, could easily be mistaken for Mako himself, making the sort of hard yards and dominant tackles that we expect from the England absentee.  The scrum is not as overwhelming as Sale might have expected, and although Sale are shading the line-out, Calum Hunter-Hill and Theo are keeping Sarries’ participation at least respectable, if not advantageous.

A Sale drive from a penalty lineout gives a straightforward 3-pointer, and only minutes later a driving maul collapsed on the line by captain Ben Earl has led to a penalty try and yellow card.  Sale see clear water between the sides and some hopes, at 5-15.  Manu Vunipola has had to leave the field, and Sarries have re-shuffled.  Alex to 10, Eliot Daly to 15, Sean Maitland on and to the wing.  On the day, one has to admit that in all three positions the re-shuffle has probably improved the overall strength of the Sarries offering.

With the first half clock running down, a soft penalty, a little inside the Sale half gives Daly a 43 metres shot into the wind, taken with aplomb.  It is not long before we see some very fast ball movement, not far but far enough to drag Sale’s defence into some disarray.  The last person whom the Sale centres wish to see under those circumstance is Theo.  Almost stationary when he takes to ball, and about thirty metres out, with Sale backs already moving to cover the gap, Theo’s acceleration is extraordinary, and almost untouched he goes in for a spectacular touchdown.  With the conversion, Sarries are now level at 15-15

To mark his celebratory day, Alex has a penalty success to add to his tally, so Sarries go in at half-time with the lead for the first time, 18-15.  Even the one-eyed among us might agree that this lead is unexpected, given that Sale have most of the possession and territory.  Sarries have most of the referee’s displeasure, very justifiably.  One oddity is that with about half the possession time that Sale have enjoyed, Sarries have made about twice as many gain-line metres. 

Oddly for the Stonex on the hill, the wind, having favoured Sale, has died away, with only the slightest breeze left to favour Sarries.  It was not needed very early, when a three handed move, with support from others, took play from well inside Sarries’ half.  Tompkins makes the initial breakthrough run, Alex Lewington, playing a very steady game, especially in defence, makes more ground, before a couple of pairs of hands move swiftly to Ben Earl, who breaches the last defensive wall to score.  No conversion, but 23-15.

Eliot’s fortunes are about to become very mixed.  A silly penalty by Sale comfortably inside Sarries’ half gives options.  Dead in front of the posts, with only the mildest of wind-assistance, and only 58 metres to cover, Eliot steps up, and with his usual three step run-up takes the lead out to 11 points, 26-15.  I wonder sometimes whether such a score is disheartening for the opposition, or whether it is just so improbable that as a player you just have to shake your head in surprise and move on. 

After this moment of pleasure, Eliot has a nightmare one.  A tricky contest for the high ball should not have caused any problem, but Eliot is seen to have made unnecessary contact with the jumper’s leg as the latter was falling, but still in the air.  Sarries second yellow card of the day is the result.  Sale must now capitalise, and spend a long period in the Sarries last ditches.  After seven minutes of this Nick Tompkins’ tackle technique comes under scrutiny, so Sarries are down to 13 for three minutes.  

In this period, we see what I can only think of as brain-fade under pressure.  Sale have a full fifteen on the field.  Sarries are missing the vital defensive positions of 12 and 15.  Sale have an easy penalty to the corner.  Surely, actually certainly, all that is needed is a clean line-out, very fast ball from jumper to 9, and immediately on out to where six Sale backs face four Sarries defenders.  Absolutely certain try, with time to go again with similar advantage.  Instead, Sale go for a driven maul, and hooker Taylor seems to go for an underground approach, trying to mole his way forward on hands and knees.  Mr Barnes is unimpressed so Sarries see out the two-man deficit without score by Sale.  There will be a Sale try and conversion during the remaining seven minutes of the Tompkins card, so the score narrows again, to 26-22. 

Sale will spend several frantic minutes in desperate efforts to reverse their deficit, and I am reminded of the final against Tigers when Sarries held on for similar number of minutes.  The passages of pressure are punctuated when Alex Goode sees a chink in Sale’s defence about 25 metres out.  Sale 15, Carpenter, has drifted left to cover a Sarries overlap there, leaving a square hole exactly between the post and extending all the way forward to the Sale front-line defence.  A perfectly weighted grubber just eludes the returning, falling Carpenter, and he only manages to slow the travelling ball into exactly the right place for Nick Tompkins, hurtling through at top speed, to drop a hand onto it as he sped past and into the hoardings at the back.  33-22 and nothing to do but hang on, as Sarries see out the remaining couple of minutes 

After the game it is interesting to see Alex Sanderson and MMC as they react to the day’s events.  The former looks as though he is unimpressed that his side were largely dominant, in possession, territory and penalty count, in scrum and line-out, but only briefly held any sort of lead on which to build confidence.  MMC knows that although this has been Sarries toughest game so far, and five points onto the table list takes them ten points clear of today’s visitors in second place, his team have not all played as well as they can.

Alex Goode has showed that he remains a man for the big occasion.  I hope that he has had time to enjoy the landmark in his own inimitable style, but I am writing this belatedly on Tuesday, and do hope that he has managed to found his way home and into a change out of his playing kit by now.

And finally, a word for Mr Wayne Barnes.  In my view his tackle technique is suspect and his running of blocking lines needs attention if he is to avoid being caught off-side so often.  A less lenient referee might take issue with both aspects of his play. 

Saracens: Goode; Lewington, Lozowski, Tompkins, Daly; M Vunipola, Van Zyl; Mawi, Dan, Judge, Hunter-Hill, McFarland, Christie, Earl, Wray.

Replacements: Lewis, Flynn, Riccioni, Kitchener, Knight, De Haas, Hallett, Maitland.

Sale: Carpenter; Reed, S James, S Hill, O'Flaherty; R du Preez, Warr; McIntyre, Taylor, Schonert, Wiese, Beaumont, Ross, B Curry, D du Preez.

Replacements: Ashman, Harrison, Harper, Postlethwaite, Dugdale, Simpson, Curtis, McGuigan.

Scorers;-

Saracens (33): Tries: Goode, McFarland, Earl, Tompkins; Conv: Goode (2); Pen: Goode, Daly (2)

Sale Sharks (22): Tries: Curry, Pen try, Carpenter; Conv: R du Preez; Pen: R du Preez

Referee: Wayne Barnes.