Saracens
Christmas Puddings - Saracens v Northampton Saints 30.12.12
By Darraghgirl
January 2 2013
Christmas comes but once a year but Oh boy, Santa Sarrie did his very best to give Northampton Saints a second helping of the Christmas pudding for 2012.
Stadium MK is a fantastic venue but it did seem a rather odd choice for our HOME game against Northampton given that it is far closer to Franklins Gardens than Watford. Handing over the game’s admin to Northampton also seemed a little strange. Arriving at the ground there were no flags (if they could get them to Brussels why not Buckinghamshire?) no Sensations (well there has to be some positives!) no “Stand up” (I know it’s annoying but it annoys the away fans even more) no “Here we go” (ditto) not even any Sarrie until almost kick off –Bernie had the playing surface to himself! I almost expected Sarries to appear in their white strip but they ran out in the “Dennis” gear just so we knew they were the home team.
However the game started very positively for the “home” team. After some early kicking, all in the Northampton half, Charlie dribbled a ball towards the corner which Elliott, under pressure from Ash, was forced to carry into touch. From the line out the pack drove the ball over the try line with John Smit getting the final touch. To give him credit, referee JP Doyle buried his nose deep in the pile of bodies then awarded the try without recourse to the TMO. Charlie missed the conversion from wide on the left but after Myler put the restart straight into touch, Sarries won a penalty from the resulting scrum. The kick was on half way, dead centre and probably on the limit of Charlie’s range but he duly booted the ball over the cross bar and Sarries were leading 8-0 with Northampton looking clueless.
Sarries attacked again with Strettle looking dangerous and forcing Foden into a high tackle. Charlie plonked the penalty back into the corner. Could we stage a repeat of the first try? It all looked good until Hartley pulled down the rolling maul when another try looked inevitable. So early in the game I can understand JP not giving the penalty try but the Northampton skipper was lucky to escape a yellow card. Rather than repeat the scenario with another kick to the corner or even a scrum, Charlie opted for the penalty kick and secured 3 more points. 11-0 after 15 minutes! This was better than we’d hoped for.
Unfortunately Sarries started to get a bit too clever with some careless passing and a few knock ons. This was a time for keeping it simple but the errors allowed Northampton some possession and after 20 minutes won a scrum. JP was rather generous to Northampton in allowing a reset when Sarries seemed to be charging ahead but from the second attempt and on their first visit to the Sarries’ 22, Dowson wandered through umpteen tackles from the meanest defence in the league to score a Northampton try from nowhere. Myler kicked the conversion and Northampton were back in it at 11-7.
Northampton lost Mujati to an ankle injury to be replaced by Doran Jones and as half time approached won another penalty which Myler also kicked. He was having one of those days when he couldn’t miss and so the teams went off for the oranges with just a point separating them and leaving us wondering how on earth we had earned so little for so much possession.
The half time entertainment consisted of an entertaining dance-off between Sarrie and Bernie which Sarrie won hands down with his Gangnam Style but there was no money on offer for catching balls or hitting crossbars on this festive occasion which was again a little odd.
The second half began with a penalty for Sarries out wide on the right. It looked optimistic but Charlie gave it a go. However into the increasing wind the kick was short. Then Northampton won a scrum penalty after Mako seemed to be struggling to catch his bind on Doran Jones. The scrum followed a rather careless knock on from Charlie which rather epitomised much of the afternoon. Myler again kicked beautifully and somehow Northampton were in the lead! Almost immediately another Sarries’ penalty again out wide. Given the previous kick had been short I wasn’t hopeful and I was sadly proved right. Into the wind it was beyond Charlie’s range. On the other hand it was a kick to nothing but a lineout (which was superb all game) might have been a better option.
Farrell replaced Tomkins who yet again had a good game and Wiggy replaced De Kock. Another Sarries’ penalty, this time in front. Owen had just been on the receiving end of a rather crunching tackle so Charlie took the kick. This was one he should have got but uncharacteristically he was wide and 9 points had gone begging.
And so all change for the front row. Gill, Brits and Nieto took the field, Brits with big smiles to loud applause and sporting “100” above the large 16 on his back. Tongah’uia replaced Waller and with the change in personnel Northampton achieved parity at the scrum even though Doran Jones seemed to be struggling with a rib injury.
Another penalty for Northampton just in their own half but Myler was up for it and justifiably so, the ball sailed over the crossbar to give Northampton an 11-16 lead. Almost at once Sarries got the chance to reduce the deficit. This time Owen took over kicking duties with a straightforward kick in front of the posts to bring it back to 14-16. Brits was determined to make an impact. Legend has it that he doesn’t do well as a substitute so again it was an odd call that his 100th appearance should be off the bench. A high ball seemed to rebound off his legs but JP Doyle (or I suspect his touch judge) saw it differently and gave Northampton the scrum.
With 13 minutes left Sarries won another straightforward penalty when Pisi opted to run the ball out of defence and was pinged and again Owen obliged making it 17-16 and squeaky bum time. Brits erred again when with no one near him he tried to catch a low kick from Myler and knocked on again (although maybe he felt given what happened last time he’d get penalised whatever part of the body he used). Northampton finally began to mount a few attacks, notably with a run from Foden and with no one, least of all JP Doyle, too sure what was going on the game was turning into something of a lottery. Another Sarries catch and drive ended in a turnover. Both sides won dubious penalties, none of them kickable then finally with 90 seconds on the clock, Sarries won a penalty about 10m inside the Northampton half. The script said “take your time, kick for touch, wander up to the 22, win the line out, count to 10 and kick it out”. Brits hadn’t read the script and for some unfathomable reason went for a quick tap which surprised not only Northampton but most of his Sarries’ team mates too. The crowd let out an enormous groan. The trouble with geniuses is that sometimes they do behave rather eccentrically!
It almost cost the match. Inevitably, with none of the Sarries’ defence in the right place, Charlie missed touch and Northampton had the ball which soon became a penalty. Still it was a good 15m in the Sarries half, the clock was all but dead and Northampton would have to go for the tap. Then Gill, who had conceded the penalty in the first place, compounded the error by kicking the ball away and JP marched the kick forward 10m. It was still a good 5m inside the Northampton half and wide on the left but Myler decided it was time to be a hero and opted for the kick. It was unwatchable stuff. Myler had kicked like a dream all afternoon and with the wind behind him there was every chance this would go over and break Sarries’ hearts. He kicked it long and straight. Just at the last moment it died and hit the crossbar, dithered for a second then fell forward into the arms of a grateful Brad Barritt who hoofed it into the stands.
So what at one point looked like a potential 5 pointer ended with a one point win by the thickness of the undercoat on the crossbar. It was a game dominated by Saracens yet one they came within a hair’s breadth of loosing. Northampton took the few crumbs offered by Sarries and made the most of them while Sarries were profligate with their riches and almost lost.
Sale next weekend is a potential banana skin. Let’s hope we show our real potential instead.
Saracens
Wyles, Ashton, Tomkins (Farrell), Barritt, Strettle, Hodgson, De Kock (Wigglesworth), Vunipola (Gill), Smit (Brits), Stevens (Nieto), Kruis, Botha, Brown, Fraser, Joubert
Northampton
Foden, K Pisi, G Pisi, Waldouck, Elliott, Myler, Dickson, Waller (Tonga’uhia), Hartley, Mujati (Doran Jones), Manoa (Sorenson), Lawes, Wood, Dowson (Clark) Van Velze
Scores (Saracens first)
5-0, 8-0, 11-0, 11-7, 11-10, 11-13, 11-16, 14-16, 17-16
Scorers:
Saracens: Try Smit, Penalties Hodgson (2) Farrell (2)
Northampton: Try Dowson, Conv Myler, Penalties Myler (3)
Referee: JP Doyle
Attendance: 18,856
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Thanks for the match report DG, I was watching through my fingers as Myler kicked that penalty!
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013:01:09:16:09:47 by sutton_sarrie.
One slight error
Quote:Still it was a good 15m in the Sarries half, the clock was all but dead and Northampton would have to go for the tap.
I assume that was supposed to be the Saint's half
Anyway, nice review!
Boy oh boy, watching that kick from the side was heartstopping.
But it didn't go over!
Sometimes the pragmatic approach in the last 90 seconds is what is required rather than a flash of skill or a rush of blood. We were, in some ways, reprieved.
We must make sure we take every opportunity against Sale and not kickstart their season!
Thasnks again for the report!
Regardez mon visage. Suis-je bovvered?
I did think that there would have been more of a sense of occasion, it being the festive season game. I brought my whole family assuming that there'd be entertainment beforehand & my Grand Daughter was looking forward to meeting Sarrie the camel, who as you say only appeared after the Dog had been on the pitch for ages.
Still, everyone enjoyed the game & atmosphere...... and the win!
Quote:
I loved Rugbybiker's photographic contribution to that thread and Ostrichonstilts' reply!
An appointment with the law book beckons!
"Brits hadn’t read the script and for some unfathomable reason went for a quick tap which surprised not only Northampton but most of his Sarries’ team mates too. The crowd let out an enormous groan. The trouble with geniuses is that sometimes they do behave rather eccentrically!"
To be fair to Schula he was told by Ernst that we were ahead by 4 at that point and that's why he took the tap and go. Joubert mentioned that in his man of the match speech after the game.
PNH
Nous sommes l'armée noir et rouge !
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