Two Oscars for Sarries...

I’d been looking forward to this trip to the Richmond Athletic Ground, having last visited there in the 1990s for the Estate Agents Sevens, a tournament for surveying companies that during the pre-professional era afforded an opportunity to do some schmoozing, enjoy day-long free beer and barbecue, and then there was the small detail of seeing the likes of Rob Andrew, Andy Irvine and Gavin Hastings play in their companies’ colours alongside a host of very good club players (plus on a couple of occasions me as a thankfully unused squad member). Always a fine day out…. as far as I remember.     We arrived at RAG in foul weather, nonetheless enjoying a fine (and very reasonably priced) meal in hospitality, with Mrs Jonny winning first prize in the raffle – a bag stuffed full of Tunnock’s (Scottish’s shirt sponsors) produce and merchandise. A good omen for the game? Venturing out into the stand, we encountered a proper old-fashioned rugby ground with a proper non-artificial and extremely muddy pitch – one or two people opined that the conditions might be something of a leveller, with Sarries players more used to the lush carpets of the Premiership.

Sarries’ squad included a returning Alex Goode, in need of game time after some months out with injury, and a midfield axis of Charlie Bracken and Louie Johnson that could, one day perhaps, form the engine room for England. Hugh Tizard was also being given a run-out, paired in the second row with the youthful but already imposing Kaden Pearce-Paul and Eroni Mawi was starting.  

The Scottish squad included Alex Wardell, late of Sarries, and the splendidly-named Ashley Challenger.

The game got underway in the dark and cold, and the large Sarries contingent were quickly warmed up by first the highly promising Elliott and then young Jackson getting into good positions, only to lose the grip of the undoubtedly slippery ball.  

It was already noticeable that a lot of use was being made of Charlie Bracken’s kicking.

With 9 minutes gone, a series of infringements by Scottish advanced Sarries deep into opposition territory, eventually giving Johnson a straightforward opportunity to open the scoring for 0-3.

With emphasis still on kicking, neither side was willing to test the claggy conditions with an attempt at free-flowing rugby.

Michelow and Pearce-Paul were looking effective during this period of the game.

Scottish offered their first threat of the game when Talbot-Davies looked like he was going to break clear but the danger was snuffed out, although the home side had settled into the game and were starting to apply some pressure on Sarries, albeit to no avail.

Goode had decided by now – with both teams absolutely covered in mud (Mrs Jonny commenting that if anyone walked into the game late they’d be asking why both teams had been allowed to wear brown kits) - that he’d had enough minutes for one game and retired to wrap up warm and enjoy a cup of cocoa, being replaced by Oscar Wilson who was soon to make his presence felt:  

Just as the half was drawing to a close, a lovely spell of play set  Wilson free to slide over in the corner, Johnson’s tricky but successful conversion sending the teams (and us) back into the warm at 0-10.

Given the conditions it had been an enjoyable first half, taking many of us more mature types back to the old days of midwinter mud-wrestling although I suspected the players no longer warm up with a half-time cigarette and tot of the hard stuff.

Both sides, perhaps reluctantly, ventured back out into the elements and battle re-commenced.

 Hadfield and then Elliott had half-chances as Sarries sought to put more daylight between the sides.

Scottish countered with probably their best spell of the game as they patiently worked through the phases from a line-out, only being stopped by a thunderous tackle and a long kick to clear the threat.

The game continued with neither side making a great deal of headway, Sarries’ defence locking out a hard-working Scottish but not breaking through themselves and the conditions continuing to prevent any really open play; our section of the crowd was, however, being entertained by the antics of a group of very well-dressed young French visitors, presumably in the area for the following day’s England-France game.

The game had moved into its last quarter when Sarries gave their chilled (but not in a good way) fans something to get out of their seats for when a delightful dink from Simpson freed Elliott to make his way towards the Scottish line, setting up Hartley to pass out to Wilson who made no mistake as he again went over in the corner for his second try. The conversion was missed, leaving Sarries 0-15 to the good.

Another opportunity came Wilson’s way as he latched onto a loose ball but then, rather than go for glory himself, he slipped the ball to Johnson who kicked the ball forward, only to see it dribble into touch.

The last action of the game saw Sarries’ third try after Tizard had gone over at the back end of a maul, the conversion again failed but Sarries headed for the heat of the dressing room having won 0-20.

At this juncture we were still laughing at the attendance for the game having been announced as 21,013!

The game had remained entertaining despite the atrocious conditions and it was basically a satisfactory case of “job done” by the mix -and-match Sarries squad.

Photo courtesy of David Loxham/SSA

Teams:

London Scottish

15 Talbot-Davies; 14 Zheng; 13 Bradley; 12 McCallum; 11 Ferdinand; 10 Lloyd-Seed; 9 Nutton

 1 Cave; 2 Scott; 3 Mpiko; 4 Green; 5 Wardell; 6 Spurway; 7 Barrett; 8 Wallis

Substitutes:

Doorey-Palmer; Prior; Challenger; Johnson; Ingall; Law; Wilstead; Gribbon

Sarries

15 Goode; 14 Elliott; 13 Hallett; 12 Hartley; 11 Jackson; 10 Johnson; 9 C Bracken

1 Mawi; 2 Hadfield; 3 Clarey; 4 Pearce-Paul; 5 Tizard; 6 Eke; 7 Michelow; 8 Tuipulotu

Substitutes:

Isaacs; Crean; Beaton; Sylvester; Hammick; Simpson; Davidson; Wilson