Ice Cold In Alex's Veins

Matchwinner...
By TheSaracens
October 24 2024

Sarries had made quite a number of changes to their matchday squad following the previous weekend’s disappointing result at the Stoop, a game overshadowed by that terrible injury to Andy Onyeama-Christie which clearly and entirely understandably unsettled his teammates, so the 23 had a different feel – notably, Alex Goode was starting at fly-half with both Fergus Burke and Louie Johnson indisposed; I was slightly surprised that Alex Lozowski, a past proven performer in the no. 10 shirt and in superb kicking form this season, hadn’t been moved inside but in Smally we trust. Nick Isiekwe was due to make his 150th appearance for Sarries By the time we arrived at Ashton Gate there was already a large crowd in the ground, Sarries’ Women having been in action against their ursine conterparts earlier in the afternoon (Sarries won 24-41).

Conditions were bright and surprisingly warm when the teams ran out, and as the game got underway it was immediately clear that Bristol meant business...and after just 2 minutes they took the lead entirely with the run of play: a penalty was kicked close to the corner, and a well-worked exit set up Harding to go over. 5-0, with the conversion having been missed.

Sarries needed to hit back quickly against this confident and free-flowing Bristol side, and we in the large contingent of visiting fans were briefly out of our seats when good work from Hallett and Daly set up Segun to stretch his legs out on the left but he lost control of the ball.

As the 10-minute mark passed, a penalty from MacGinty increased Bristol’s lead to 8-0, and the always classy Randall, a player the fast-emerging Charlie Bracken puts me in mind of, failed tp take advantage of a half-chance when free in some space.

Visiting backsides were again lifted off seats when Elliott accelerated down the wing after a well-worked scrum inside the Bristol 40-metre line but was stopped short.

This was already shaping up to be a lively encounter…..

After 15 minutes, Ibitoye was yellow-carded and it didn’t take long for Sarries to take advantage of the situation: their penalty was kicked to the corner, and after Hallett had gone close Knight drove over to give Sarries a foothold, Lozowski’s conversion taking matters to 8-7.

Within 3 minutes, Bristol, playing some scintillating rugby, stretched their lead again when some lovely play after a loose ball was picked up allowed Randall to scamper over the line from 20 metres out, with a missed conversion leaving matters at 13-7.

Shortly afterwards, Sarries missed an opportunity to close the score up again when Dan was held up.

On 25 minutes, an alert Tizard intercepted a stray pass and charged into Bears territory – the ball was then worked out to Segun who slalomed his way to the line with a conversion out wide from Lozowski taking Sarries into the lead at 13-14. What a match…..

Theo McFarland then thought he had a chance to increase Sarries’ lead, as he headed for the line but play was pulled back for an earlier infirnigement to a bit of groaning from the visiting fans – we all knew that against a Bristol side capable of cutting any defence to shreds in the blink of an eye, every point was invaluable.

Daly, having a superb game, saved Sarries’ lead with a last-ditch tackle which took the dangerous Fricker into touch just as he looked odds-on to score.

As the first half drew to a close there was still drama to come, though, as Bristol cut through Sarries again, Grondona surging forward to set up Harding to score his second try from close range and MacGinty adding the extras to regain the lead for the Bears at 20-14.

The last action of the half was a Lozowski penalty to take Bristol down the tunnel ahead at 20-17.

A hugely exciting encounter so far between two very good sides – and even the Sarries faithful were marvelling at the quality of Bristol’s attacking play; Sarries had been able to stay with them, though, despite a slew of missed tackles which will have disappointed the coaches, and it was one of those games where I looked forward to another 40 minutes of the same.

We’d also been pleased to see, on camera, Andy Onyeama-Christie, up in the director's box and clearly in very good spirits despite his terrible injury and the prospect of surgery followed by several months out of action.

The second half began much as the first had, unfortunately, with Bristol scoring after only 42 minutes as Harding notched up his hat-trick try – the continuing threat that was Ibitoye carried forward from the restart and after a spell of more dazzling interplay Harding went over in the corner with MacGinty doing the honours to take the score to 27-17, with insult being added to Sarries’ injury by Goode being shown a yellow card for an infringement during the passage of play leading up to the score.

3 minutes after Harding’s third try, Bristol looked to have gained control of the game as they turned the ball over, MacGinty cleverly found himself some space and set up Fricker for an easy dash to the line, increasing the Bears’ led to 15 points at 32-17 after the conversion was missed.

Not exactly “game over” with more than half an hour still to play, but whatever Sarries could achieve Bristol looked at this juncture entirely capable of matching it.

All of that said, the enduring Saracens spirit would not allow capitulation and on 46 minutes, immediately from the restart, Dan gathered the ball and charged forward giving Daly the opportunity to embark on a mazy run for the line, Lozowski converting to take Sarries back within two scores at 32-24; with over half an hour left I was pronouncing this to be the match of my season thus far.

On 53 minutes, Lozowski brought Bristol back within range with a penalty for 32-27.

Again, though, Bristol came back after Daly had looked to add to his tally, only to be stopped by the flying Ibitoye, with the ensuing play coughing up a penalty for Bristol which was dispatched by MacGinty for 35-27 on the hour.

Isiekwe celebrated his 150th Sarries cap (and he’s still only 26!!) by stealing the ball close to his own lines to end a period of pressure from the Bears.

The game had moved into the last 10 minutes with it looking like Bristol may have done their job but then on 73 minutes Daly set the youngster Jackson, who had earlier replaced Elliott, up to make some ground into Bristol’s half before returning the ball to Daly who made no mistake in scoring his second of the game and Sarries’ bonus-point try (potentially giving us the two points); another successful conversion from the reliable boot of Lozowski, and the score reached a - for both sets of fans – nerve-jangling 35-34.

The closing stages of the game were a bit of a melee but the ball remained in play after we’d passed the 80-minute mark, and then it happened – Sarries had a penalty!!

Lozowski, who some of the Bristol fans felt shouldn’t have still been on the pitch after his apparent “no arms” tackle had been checked and ruled as “no foul play” (bless those match officials and their cotton socks as my grandmother would have said), stepped forward and many supporters from both sides couldn’t watch as our always cool, calm and collected 13 took the kick:

The ball sailed between the posts, the flags went up……and so did the arms of the Sarries contingent both on and off the pitch as we all celebrated a hard-earned 5-pointer.

What a match…….the sort that should be shown to people who profess not to like rugby.

Daly oozed class throughout, Lozowski has come back from injury as good as ever and was ice-cool when faced with kicking to win, the youngsters all continue to acquit themselves admirably when called into the squad, and the result will be a big psychological boost to Sarries after such a difficult game at the Stoop.

I suspected as we left Ashton Gate - stopping on the way to talk to Bristol fans, so many of whom were fair-minded enough to have enjoyed the game notwithstanding the result - that tackling practice might be a priority item for the next week's training schedule.

SQUADS:

Bristol: Lane; Fricker, Bates, Jenkins, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Lahiff, Caulfield, Batley, Dun, S Grondona, Harding (capt).

Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Kloska, Owen, B Grondona, Marmion, Worsley, Elizalde.

Yellow card: Ibitoye (15)

Saracens: Daly; Elliott, Lozowski, Hallett, Segun; Goode, van Zyl; Carre, Dan, Riccioni, Itoje (capt), Tizard, McFarland, Knight, Willis.

Replacements: George, Brantingham, Clarey, Isiekwe, Michelo, Simpson, Tompkins, Jackson.

Yellow card: Goode (43)

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe

Ice Cold In Alex's Veins

Posted by: TheSaracens.com (IP Logged)

Date: 24/10/2024 14:46

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:10:30:13:21:07 by Darraghgirl.