By Innings
September 4 2021

Some games stay in the memory for reasons that are nothing to do with rugby as we know it: the infamous Boxing Day game at Vicarage Road, freezing cold, two sides clearly more interested in getting home to the mince pies and far away from a dire drawn match is one such.  Some stay because one pulsating phase of play: Rod Penny’s solo try from behind is own try-line against Bath, or Sarries at Twickenham, defending against Leicester, with Tuilagi clearly unwilling to receive a pass that would involve a tackle from Jacques Burger, or being in the crowd making one’s way to the stadium at Clermont, all are great memories.  Sometimes even a pre-season friendly can be pure rugby at its best.  Late summer evenings at Goldington Road, a pint of Charles Wells bitter and a hot pie, Thomas Castagneide and Hugh Vyvyan in their pomp, such are the best of what makes rugby so addictive.

Last night in Ulster might stick in the memory, for different reasons.  Chief among them would be the traffic across the subs benches, busier than Twickenham station on match day.  Another would be the continued pleasure at a game that flowed, not always stopping, sometimes for minutes at a time, for a four-way judicial enquiry into whether some action did or did not happen, and what to do about it.  That was a blessing of the Championship, and if it were not for Sarries, I might even find that life outside the Premiership could offer a better spectacle than does the top tier of the England game.  It is also noticeable that players respect the referee more when they know that he is the actual arbiter of play.

This game was clearly a pre-season run-out.  Neither Ulster not Sarries had more than a couple of their biggest names in their squads, and with about 30 players a side, all expecting game time, we were bound to see some lack of cohesion as the players came and went, often linking up with others for the first time in a competitive game against external opposition.

As is needed by a match that must feature 60 players, this game can be divided into four quarters, but ones of uneven duration.

First quarter, duration 5 minutes.  Ulster open at pace, move the ball among the backs, and catch a slow-starting Sarries defence for a penalty.  Madigan, for me Ulster’s best performer on the night, kicks for the corner, drive, re-set and Matty Rea goes over.

Second quarter, duration 25 minutes.  Almost on the restart, Alex Goode at 10 presents a perfect little pop to Elliott Obatoyinbo, who catches the first Ulster defenders unaware of the dangers of his raw speed.  Not quite a solo try, because Goode’s pass set him up so well, but no try scored from that distance is ever less than an individual’s own input.  From the restart, Sarries move the ball wide, Rotimi Segun breaks all but the despairing last line of defence, but quick re-cycling makes good ground.  A judicious use of forward power draws in Ulster defenders, and the ball goes out for Nick Tompkins to score.  Four minutes later, a most welcome sighting of the way in which two returning loanees have used their seasons, Nick Isiekwe at Saints and Ben Earl at Bath.  Pressure on the Ulster line is led by these two, proving more than Ulster can handle, giving hooker Tom Woolstencroft the try as a result of good forwards’ play.  Alex Goode is playing a masterly game at 10, involving his array of players who have speed and guile to attack, and he coordinates another attacking wave that ends with Elliott O. scoring his second.  Immediately after this one, we can see the intriguing grouping of Alex, Elliott and Rotimi in a huddle, Alex clearly setting out thoughts on how to capitalise on the fact that Ulster are having trouble with the winger and full-back running onto the pass at speed.  End of second quarter 7-26.

The third quarter is to be a long one.  Starting on 29 minutes, marked by the first scrum of the game.  What can some referees get the scrum that they ask for almost immediately, and some can never do so?  In keeping with everything else tonight, even the scrum is slick and efficient, although this one actually goes for a free-kick as Ulster go early.

Momentum changes, and Ulster could easily have scored either or both of two attacking moments that took them within reach of the Sarries line.  However, Sarries rarely give tries away, opponents have to work a little more efficiently to get them, and both Ulster effort fell short, the second literally as Nathan Doak had to check momentarily to gather a loose pass, giving Sarries the split second necessary for cover to bundle him into touch, on the last centimetre before scoring.

Aled Davies, having a good game, could easily have scored just before half-time, and indeed it might have been easier to score than to lose the ball and knock it forward as he grounded.

Officially, half-time and a good feeling, knowing that Sarries used their dominance over 25 minutes to good effect, and held out well in defence for 11 minutes under the cosh. 

The unofficial third quarter, that had begun at 29 minutes, continued after the break.  Sarries a drifting onto the wrong side of the referees’ whistle, and a team warning for tackle-technique infringements gives pause for thought, as does a stoppage for some minutes for treatment to an ankle roll sustained by Marco Riccioni.  The wind is in Ulster’s sails, and another thwarted score on 49 minutes is followed by a game-changer, a blatant non-competitive take-out by fresh-on-the-pitch new arrival Ivan van Zyl.  Without a moment’s hesitation, a red card, his first outing in. a Sarries shirt over almost before we have had time to say Hello.  It does seem as though Sarries are losing shape and discipline, whilst Ulster have raised the game to an altogether more competitive level.

Two minutes later, Sarries are penalised for not rolling after a tackle, kick to the corner, good drive, 14-26.  Almost immediately on the restart, late tackle, penalty, kick to the corner, drive, 21-26. 

At 21-26, tails up, a man up and with over 20 minutes to go, Ulster must fancy themselves for a win, perhaps even a comfortable one.  However, it turns out that this ‘third quarter’ of Ulster dominance, starting before the first half was over, has ended. Sarries suddenly wake up again.  Within a minute, Ben Harris, England sevens player of the year in 2020, has scored, his first of three as the game now enters the fourth quarter.  Of his three, the next is outstanding.  Manu Vunipola has been having a sound game after replacing Alex Goode, and reaches a new standard when, about 20 metres in front of the Ulster posts, he posts a brilliant cross kick to his left.  It eludes the fingertips of the sole Ulster defender and falls for a smart catch and easy run-in for Harris.  The third of this hat-trick is opportunistic, tired defence, loose ball, gather and run in.  the final whistle blows and Sarries walk off winners at 21-45.  Fortunately, although the game started at 1900, 7p.m., it ended well before 2145.  This was not an interminable Lions test, thank goodness, but a festival of sportsmanship, respect for the officials, commitment to skills rather than force, and an actual real live crowd.  What’s not to like?

I thought about who stood out.  Jackson Wray is just Mr Reliable, always there, always busy, always effective.  I think that the new laws will suit our backs. Segun, Harris, Lewington and Obotyinbo very well.  None was exactly a passive observer of the game under the existing laws, but more space for their skills will be an attractive proposition.  Some think that Alex Goode was always a fly-half by nature, and he demonstrated why that view persists, with a masterful display.  But whilst several players stood out for Sarries, one Ulsterman really was the difference between heavy defeat and utter rout.  Ian Madigan held things together when others could not, and led in attack to manage his backs as effectively as they were able to play.

The officials were the stand-out team, not because they stood out, but because they were firm, effective and neither obtrusive nor officious.  As a result we had a flowing, sporting spectacle to rouse interest for the season to come.

  Full-time score: Ulster 21 Saracens 45

SCORERS

Ulster

Tries: Matty Rea, Andrew Warwick, Brad Roberts

Cons: Ian Madigan (3)

Saracens

Tries: Elliott Obatoyinbo, Nick Tomkins, Tom Woolstencroft, Rotimi Segun, Ben Harris (3)

Cons: Alex Goode (3), Manu Vunipola (2)

LINE-UPS

Ulster

(15-9) Aaron Sexton, Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Angus Curtis, Ben Moxham, Ian Madigan, Nathan Doak;  

(1-8) Callum Reid, John Andrew, Ross Kane, Mick Kearney, Sam Carter (Capt.), Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, Greg Jones. 

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Gareth Milasinovich, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Carson, Azur Allison, David McCann, Harry Sheridan, Andrew Warwick, Lewis Finlay, Conor Rankin.  

Saracens

(15-9) Elliott Obatoyinbo, Alex Lewington, Dom Morris, Nick Tomkins, Rotimi Segun, Alex Goode (Capt.), Aled Davies;

(1-8) Ralph Adams-Hale, Tom Woolstencroft, Marco Riccioni, Nick Isiekwe, Tim Swinson, Jackson Wray (Capt.), Ben Earl, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Harvey Beaton, Andy Christie, Alec Clarey, Sam Crean, Callum Hunter-Hill, Joel Kpoku, Ethan Lewis, Eroni Mawi, Theo McFarland, Sean Reffell, Janco Venter, Ben Harris, Alex Lozowski, Sean Maitland, Manu Vunipola, Ivan van Zyl, Charlie Watson.