Last Kick

By Darraghgirl
September 11 2011

I always find it tricky to write a report from the TV. If you turn the sound off it’s like watching a silent movie but with the sound on it’s difficult to keep fatboy and friends out of your head! Anyway for the third time today (no, as I don’t have an ounce of Celtic blood in my veins I did NOT get up at 2.00am to watch Scotland) I settled down on the settee to watch a rugby match.

At least this one was on Sky who, for all their faults, do a pretty good job covering rugby (and compared with ITV’s efforts they’re in a different universe) and one could be reasonably sure we would actually see the kicks and lineouts actually taking place!

So crunch time! Was last week just a blip or the symptom of a more serious disease? (Sorry the TV is getting me clichéd). Sarries had clearly decided on the former as the same team was given the chance to make amends. Bath, who had apparently played Newcastle in their last 3 matches due to some quirk of the fixture list (see, you do learn some interesting facts from the TV) made just one change with new boy Attwood starting. I rather like the new red away strip – I was never a fan of the white – and it gave me hope they would emulate the Red Devils of Manchester who are flying high in the other variety of football.

It wasn’t a great start. Within a minute, Alex Goode did a repeat performance of his efforts at Twickenham, tried to be too clever with the ball in his own 22 and conceded a penalty which Vesty took and Bath were ahead. (More TV facts – apparently it should have been our penalty because Fearns was holding on to him for dear life but there you go).

The first line out was more encouraging. Borthwick secured good ball and Brits was able to demonstrate the skills that deserted him last week, beating a man and off-loading to Short who should have passed out to Joubert on the wing for a certain try. Instead he took the ball infield and there was no try. Still Sarries continued to attack and eventually forced a penalty which Farrell kicked for parity.

Bath attacked but good Sarries defence kept them the wrong side of the 22. Eventually Claassens was forced to kick ahead but fortunately the ball beat both De Kock and Abendanon over the dead ball line.

Farrell kicked a good touch from a penalty and from the line out Sarries produced lots of “Quality play” (sorry TV speak again). Eventually Farrell found Short who saw a big gap between Carraro and Williams and this time didn’t need Saull outside him, touching down for the first try of the match. Farrell converted and at last Sarries had the lead. Not for long though – Short misjudged a Vesty chip allowing Abendanon, with a helpful bounce, to run onto the ball and set off for the Sarries try line all on his own. Vesty converted and it was back to parity.

We were into the second quarter before we had the first scrum which reassuringly produced a Sarries’ free kick. The second scrum was even better producing a penalty and Farrell’s trusty boot again took the points. This led to a period of spirited play with both sides gaining quick ball in a high tempo game (oops, more TV talk – I’ll turn the sound down). Bath missed a penalty then Botha charged down a Claassens’ box kick and had luck gone Sarries way it might have been a score but Joubert fell over his bootlaces and Botha couldn’t quite get there.

As half time approached Bath produced a bit of magic courtesy of Claassens who dummied then flicked the ball off his toes to ex-Sarrie Ben Skirving. Skirving found Fearns who scored in the corner. Roberts converted (Vesty having gone to the blood bin) and an entertaining first half ended 17-13 to the home side.

The second half started with concerted Sarries’ pressure such that Bath struggled to get out of their 22. After 5 minutes in enemy territory Sarries won a penalty at the scrum which Farrell kicked to close the gap to 1 point. More pressure from Sarries including a beautiful drilled kick from Farrell to “pin Bath back in their 22” again (yes I admit it I’ve turned the sound up again) resulted in another penalty, another superb kick and the lead.

Sarries decided it was substitution time. Kruis replaced Botha (who had his best game for ages), Bath favourite Maddock replaced Short and Hodgson came on for Powell which led to a reshuffle in midfield with Charlie moving to stand-off, Fazlet to inside centre and Barritt to outside centre. Sarries won a penalty on halfway which the confident Farrell never looked like missing and in this seesaw game Sarries had a five point lead.

14 minutes into the 2^nd half and Bath finally got over the half way line although not for long and Sarries were back on the attack. Eventually Bath drove their way back into the Sarrie’s half, took advantage of an overthrown lineout and won a penalty which Vesty kicked from out wide to narrow the gap. Bath replaced both their props, Flatman and Palma-Newport (TV’s best quip of the day – “sounds like a Ryanair route”) with Catt and Bell,  and Simon Taylor, good looks spoiled by an egg under his left egg was also replaced by Mercer. Sarries brought on Carstens for Gill.

Finally Bath managed to “string a few attacking phases together” (mind the cliché!). Mr Garner was getting annoyed with Sarries for repeatedly slowing the ball down and Saull went to the bin. Vesty put Bath back in front with 15 minutes to go. Brits, who was back to his enigmatic best, was replaced by George who promptly threw the lineout ball back to Bath. Barritt forced Attwood to concede a penalty almost on half way. Farrell was confident and went for the posts but for the first and only time all afternoon he missed.  Fraser replaced Melck and Caldwell gave away a silly penalty when he tried to pull Borthwick’s scrumcap off. This one was closer but wider but Farrell calmly sent the ball between the posts and Sarries were back in the lead. Immediately Sarries produced their own “dick of the day” when Vunipola took Biggs out off the ball and Vesty from wide on the left put Bath back in front. (Kicks mean points and what do points mean? Points mean prizes……Oh do give over).

Sarries continued to attack. Goode chipped forward but Bath won the race to the ball. After a lot of pressure, Hodgson went for the drop goal when a better plan might have been to pass out wide where Strettle was apparently free. The opportunity was missed for both the drop goal and the try and now there were just 3 minutes left.

Bath were intent on winding down the clock (and why not?). Sarries were now the ones pinned in their own 22. With 2 minutes left a de Kock clearance was charged down but Goode’s calm head cleared the ball.  Bath regained possession and seemed intent on hanging on. Somehow Jamie George forced a turnover and between them Goode and Barritt got the ball down to the Bath 22. With time almost up, Mr Garner adjudged Hipkiss (remember him) to have gone off his feet and Farrell, the youngest man on the pitch, had a difficult kick to win the game – wide on the right with a swirling wind behind him (at least I think it was – hard to tell in my living room). But he has an old head on young shoulders and nerves of steel. (If you can keep your head when all about you……O shut up!) We held our breath. The ball looked good then at the last minute veered to the right and hit the far post, rebounded onto the near post, thought about it and dropped over the line.

Farrell was deservedly man of the match. His kicking for goal and out of hand was impeccable (eat your heart out Jonny) and his game management much more assured than last week. It was good to see Botha and Borthwick back to form and just maybe the Farrell/Hodgson/Barritt axis is worth another look.

So we are up and running and hopefully Worcester at home next week will suffer. But already Sarries are realising that winning the Premiership was one thing, defending that title is quite another.

(With apologies to Will Shakespeare)

Canst thou, O steady nerve, give thy repose
To the wet Faz-boy in an hour so rude,
And in the windiest and least stillest day,
With all appliances he swings the boot,
Deny it to a king? Then happy now, we won!
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Bath: Abendanon, Carraro, Hipkiss, Williams, Biggs, Vesty (Roberts), Claassens, Flatman (Catt), Dixon (Batty), Palma-Newport (Bell), Attwodd, Caldwell, Skirving, Fearns, Taylor (Mercer)

Saracens: Goode, Strettle, Powell (Hodgson), Barritt, Short (Maddock), Farrell, De Kock, Gill (Carstens), Brits (George), Nieto (Vunipola), Borthwick, Botha (Kruis), Melck (Fraser), Saull, Joubert

Scorers:

Bath: Tries Fearn, Abendanon, Conv: Vesty, Roberts Pens: Vesty (4)

Saracens: Try Short, Conv: Farrell, Pens: Farrell (7)

Scores (Bath first) 0-3 3-3 10-3 10-10 10-13 17-13 17-16 17-19 17-22 20-22 23-22 23-25 26-25 26-28

Referee Greg Garner

Attendance: 10,085