David ahead on Points but Goliath climbs off the canvas

There is 77 minutes on the clock Irish lead by 3 and Alex Goode fields the ball in his own 22. Goode kicks long down the right hand touchline and James short, instead of letting it go into touch makes a complete mess of fielding it so Sarries get the throw in to the lineout just outside the Irish 22. Sarries go for the catch and drive but Irish don’t compete at the lineout and stand off the maul.

Great thinking by Irish... Mr Pearce blows his whistle and....... bizarrely gives a Scrum to Irish instead of the penalty he should have given. 

Thomas O’leary puts in to the scrum and Irish hook it, the ball is at the back feet but Tom court hinges and goes down, something which has already happened several times in the game for both teams which Mr. Pearce has chosen to ignore but on this occasion he decides to penalise Irish. Charlie Hodgeson kicks for touch and Sarries perform a textbook catch and drive which includes half their backs as well as their pack to drag big Billy Vunipola over for the try which made so many smiling Irish eyes mist up with tears.

Rewind 80 minutes and no one would ever believe the game would reach such a thrilling climax when with just 51 seconds on the clock Sarries quick hands and poor Irish defensive alignment combined to produce a good try for Tim Streather which was converted by Owen Farrell and which sent shivers up the backs of the assembled Irish faithful. This was followed soon after by a Farrell penalty after a scrum infringement allegedly by Halani Aulika which for all the world looked like Gill pushing inwards. Doesn’t matter, as they say “read the scoreboard” and the scoreboard said that 9 minutes were gone and Sarries led by 10 points to nil. Oh no! Are we going to get the full Quins treatment? This could end up being a very long afternoon.

This Irish team though seem to be made of much sterner stuff and from a clever kick ahead by Geraghty Irish hunted down the ball, recycled and with a couple of quick hands found Blair Cowan cutting a fabulous line to score the touchdown which Shane converted. 11 minutes gone and at least we haven’t been nilled.

It’s a very open game now with both teams getting plenty of ball and the next score is one of those which you just hate to give away. Irish win a breakdown, Steele kicks ahead and Narraway chases from an offside position. Mr Pearce screams at him to stop but he doesn’t. Farrell kicks the pen and its 13 -7.

For the next few minutes there is nothing but bizarre calls from the ref who seems to want to take centre stage whilst not controlling the game, both sides have cause for complaint and tempers raise a bit as everyone thinks they are being hard done by until finally there is some more rugby and it comes from Sarries. Irish kick long and Ashton runs it back, there are some really quick hands to get the ball to a tackle situation wide on the left with the Irish defence stretched. Irish have two posts but no guard Wrigglesworth picks up the ball and sees nothing but grass all the way to the try line. In realtime it looked as though Barritt had taken Cowan out at post but having looked at the replay there is really nothing in it so good try to Sarries which Farrell converted to make it 20 – 7 after just 23 minutes , and the spectre of Quins comes up once again.

Brian Smith said after the game that he was pleased that whenever questions were asked today we had answers, and indeed we did. The setback stirred Irish into stern action and we attacked hard with intelligent kicking and great running, we engineered a lineout on the right, got quick ball off the top and zipped it right across to the left where we took contact recycled quickly to Noakes who looked up and chipped a beauty the width of the pitch where Lewington gathered in the air and out sprinted the defence for the try. Shane got the extras and it was 20 – 14. Now it’s all Irish and Sarries look a little bemused at the resistance they are experiencing. Steele is at the heart of everything and when there is a ruck on the right, Sarries have flopped all over it and Mr Pearce has his arm out, Steele sees a chance to nothing and chips a grubber through which Alex Lewington runs onto for his second try to make the feared wolf pack look like a litter of poodles (see what I did there?). Shane misses the conversion so the score stays at 20 – 19 then just on half time Narraway is penalised for not releasing and Farrell make it 23 – 19 before hitting the post with another penalty right on Half time.

Just enough time to watch a few eejits trying to make love to a giant rugby ball or something the back for the second half .

Irish were out like a steam train and force a ruck on halfway Sarries are flopped all over it and Shane kicks the resulting penalty from half way. 23 – 22 and game on. It’s all Irish now and from a scrum on our own 10 metre line Steele breaks blind and threads another great grubber which lewinton gathers and sprints clear for his hat trick and the best try of the game. Shane converted to make it 29 – 23 to Irish. The game broke up a bit and penalties were surrendered some were scored and some were missed but Sarries managed to get two of theirs to tie the scores at 29 each. The substitutions had handed Irish an advantage at scrum time and this was rewarded when Johnstone was penalised after getting a bit of a do-ing from Tom Court, Shane came up and slotted it and all we had to do was play territory and run down the clock which was all going according to plan until with 77 minutes on the clock Noakes kicks long into the Sarries 22. The ball is fielded by Goode and the rest, as they say, is history.

So what have we learned?

Brian Smith says that we respect everybody and fear nobody. On the evidence of this game he is absolutely right. The game plan yesterday was spot on, and in Steele and Noakes we really do seem to now have a quality midfield. Add to that Shane playing better than I have ever seen him and we really do seem to have found some creativity in the Piano players to match the strength and power of the Piano shifters up front.

Noakes is not flashy but he kicks like a horse and puts us in the right places on the park while Shane is currently just on fire. We have found a genuine classy fullback in Andy Fenby and could this have just been a coming of age for Alex Lewington. I would like to see more from Short and Mulchrome but neither of them are doing much wrong so overall our backs are looking good.

I thought the whole pack performed brilliantly as a unit my only criticism is that Halani is giving away too many penalties. Narraway put in a decent shift as did Guest when he came on. Paicey is just Paicey. Consistently an excellent performer and Court, although the ref didn’t think so had another good game. Another ref will see things very differently. I want to pick two people for MoM I thought both the starting locks were totally outstanding. Jeb and George for me.

ON now to Leicester, and we will go there without fear. Can’t wait.