Saracens save the best 'til last

By Jason Harris
May 11 2003

This emphatic, four try 34-19 win over Sale Sharks came about after what was easily the most complete Saracens performance of the season. Sale were never at the races as the Men in Black avoided relegation and at the same time elevated themselves into a Zurich Wilcard playoff berth.

Saracens' desire to run the ball at every opportunity yielded some spectacular results with long-distance tries for wings Richard Haughton and Darragh O'Mahony in the first half.

But Sarries also showed some strength and control in the forwards as they got the upper hand over their unusually lacklustre opponents. Abdel Benazzi crashed over just 20 seconds into the second half for a rare try in what was thought initially would be his farewell appearance as the Sharks failed to deal with the opening kick-off.

Seventeen minutes later the roof nearly came off as replacement Joe Ross scored the try that ensured Zurich Premiershup rugby at Vicarage Road for another season. Sarries were safe from the drop, but as other results started to go in their favour, they realised by full time that Benazzi and fellow retiree Tim Horan will have to play at least two more games before finally hanging up their well-travelled boots.

The win and the try bonus lifted Sarries into eighth place in the table, leapfrogging Newcastle against whom they lost the previous week, and into a two-legged showdown with fifth placed Leeds Tykes for a place in the Wildcard final. A final worth a small fortune to the winner as the prize is a place in next season's Heineken Cup.

Sale, for the best part, were pale shadows of the side that had annihilated Sarries in just 25 minutes at Heywood Road earlier in the season and this defeat, allied to Northampton's thrashing of Leeds at Franklin's Gardens, means that the men from Cheshire miss out on a crack at the Zurich Championship as they drop to fourth in the ladder.

Sharks lock Dean Schofield and fullback Jason Robinson - who scored two superb individual tries during the second half - gave the result some respectability, but Andy Goode's four conversions and penalty plus Tim Horan's sublime long-distance drop goal added to those four tries kept Saracens a safe distance throughout the afternoon.

Scorers:
Saracens:
Tries - Haughton, O'Mahony, Benazzi, Ross
Conversions - Goode (4)
Penalty - Goode
Drop goal - Horan

Sale Sharks:
Tries - Schofield, Robinson (2)
Conversions - Walshe (2)

Referee: Ashley Rowden