Saracens
We Stooped to Conquer....
Ah - THERE you are...
By TheSaracens
November 3 2021
Although the weather forecast promises that the skies will brighten up later, we leave our cosy Hornsey Vale home in apocalyptic conditions with the rain lashing down, the wind howling and leaves flying around: I don’t know why but I’m reminded of The Omen (original 1976 version of course) as we make our way past some old buildings…and I wonder if this will set the tone for the day. With heads still attached, unlike poor Father Brennan, we arrive at the station, make our way to Vauxhall and find that all trains to Twickenham are delayed or worse due to trees on the line: is this a further sign that this will be a day when nothing goes right? Thankfully we eventually reach Twickenham via Clapham Junction, just in time to meet a friend and his son who despite both being clad in the confusion that is Quins’ colour scheme are two of the nicest people you could ever spend time with, and their company, along with a couple of pints and an excellent pizza, eases our sense of foreboding no end; interestingly, our friend is not confident about the game and cites in particular the strength of Sarries’ bench today. We shall see. The sun is out as we walk to The Stoop and all seems better with the world…other than the small matter of facing what is potentially Sarries’ most difficult away encounter so far.
Both teams today are shorn of international stars ahead of the Autumn series – Quins have lost their fly-half prodigy Marcus Smith, the slightly less baby-faced Joe Marler, Joe Marchant and Alex Dombrandt, while Sarries are shorn of Maro, Owen, Max and Jamie.
Marcus Smith’s stand-in today is the recently signed Italian international Tommy Allan.
There are no fewer than six changes on the Sarries line-up, with Sean Maitland covering Max’s 11 shirt and Alex Lewington wearing 14, while Alex Lozowski moves across to carry out fly-half duties; Ethan Lewis and the intriguing dual international McFarland come into the 23; Tom Woolstencroft steps in for Jamie, and Tim Swinson returns to the starting XV; Jackson Wray comes back in, and Ben Earl is on the bench. Messrs Goode and Wray are joint Sarries captains today.
As far as I can see from our dreadfully situated seats which provide, to the centre and right of our view of the field, only a narrow tunnel of clear vision between a support pillar and a static camera operator (I promise not to keep going on about it…), Sarries walk out of the tunnel while Quins trot out on the double, presumably trying to appear full of intent and led by that unassuming Sarries-lover Danny Care.
….and they’re off, as the first action sees Sarries, playing into the wind, try to work their way up the field and find touch; Quins then hit their proverbial straps quickly, moving the ball around briskly with Care already prominent in keeping the tempo high.
We also get an early sense of the likely approach to the game with a massive hit from Lozowski followed in short order by Allan going down hurt after a collision with the solid and unyielding piece of humanity that is Koch.
Quins penalty.
Exiting the line-out 20 metres from Sarries’ try line, Quins continue to press forward with a clearly motivated Care again in the thick of it as the pressure tells and Tizard dots the ball down after 3 minutes to open the scoring. Allan, possibly still feeling the effects of his interface with Koch, fluffs his conversion to leave things at 5-0, a score which - totally irrationally - I never like to see on a scoreboard even on those occasions when Sarries are the beneficiaries of the “5”; Sarries drag three points back - and spare my discomfiture - 3 minutes later, however, when a cool and collected Lozowski, hopefully about to replicate his fly-half masterclass at Ashton Gate, reads the conditions well enough to stroke the ball over for 5-3 after 6 minutes.
Allan sends the restart too long, so it’s a scrum on the halfway line to Sarries and it’s then our turn for a spell of possession until poor positioning from Lewington puts the ball into touch, although shortly afterwards we regain possession and win a penalty.
From the maul, the ball is worked out to the right and again Lewington’s positioning to receive isn’t quite right and a good opportunity is wasted (although looking at the TV recording later it seems, in fairness, that the ball had arrived slightly behind him).
A penalty to Sarries shortly afterwards gives us a slender lead as the accurate boot of Lozowski takes the score to 5-6, although our advantage doesn’t last long as pressure from Quins again mounts as they work the ball across the field trying to move Sarries’ defence around, until a flowing move on the left side, with a long pass from Allan taking out our defence and setting up Lawday to feed Murley, who goes over in the corner with Allan converting for 12-6 at 16 minutes.
Sarries find themselves in difficulty again as a successful Quins 50-22 takes them deep into Sarries territory and there’s another spell of quick ball play from Quins until Sarries are able to break away through Maitland, only for the ball to fly back into our “red zone” but thankfully Van Zyl is alert to the threat.
Sarries are on the rack now as Quins continue to play their high-tempo game and we have another anxious moment as Quins drive forward from a penalty until Woolstencroft forces our own penalty close to the try line and the impressive Van Zyl is able to clear.
Allan, who’s played well and looks a more than able to deputy for Marcus Smith, is taken off for a HIA.
Sarries try to work their way back into the game, but at this stage play from both sides is a little scrappy; we have another brief moment out of our seats when Lozowski charges down a Quins clearance but this comes to nothing.
A kicking match follows and we see some of Green’s skills when he dances his way through Sarries' lines as Quins press but we’re defending well and Zyl’s clearance sets up a push forward which is rewarded with a penalty - the metronomic boot of Lozowski punts the pill over from 25 metres out to take us to 12-9 on the half hour mark.
The penalty is followed by a better spell of play from Sarries with Christie working well and Morris tries to set himself up for a chase to his own kick but doesn’t quite get there; shortly afterwards, though, Green gets his reward for an impressive performance thus far when on 34 minutes, set up by Lawday, he goes over on the left and the successful conversion take us into the closing stages of the half at 19-9.
The half closes with two pieces of drama as a yellow card is shown to Lamb, which the TV later tells me is for a no-arms clear-out on Christie, and then as Sarries press for late points we indulge in some basketball rugby which, featuring the remarkably soft hands of Swinson, sets up Lewington, who hasn’t had his best forty minutes in a Sarries shirt, on the right but he fails to look round and see Morris making the support run, so it’s a good chance wasted.
Quins have undoubtedly played some high-tempo stuff, running the ball in the face of the breeze and driven forward by a highly motivated Care, about whom I’ll comment no further as I’ll just get irritated, but I don’t sense we’re in deep trouble, particularly as we’ll have whatever wind there is at our backs in the second half.
Sarries, energised by a half-time chat over the orange slices, inject more urgency into their play as the second half gets underway – Lamb is still in the sin bin – with Billy bulldozing forward and the ball worked left and then right before a swift pass from Van Zyl frees Lozowski and Goode to set up Morris who scampers over with barely a minute gone: Lozowski adds the extras to bring Sarries within three points of Quins at 19-16 and we have a game on our hands.
Quins, sensibly from their perspective, try and take the heat out of the game after such a dramatic start to the half as Lamb comes back on, and Ben Earl replaces Christie in the back row.
Davies takes over from Van Zyl who I think everyone agrees has been a very good acquisition by Sarries and while neither of them are yet in the class of Ben and Wiggy, Mark McCall has done well to cover the loss of two such high performers.
Quins win two penalties in quick succession, the second resulting in a a bit of “argy bargy” involving Billy, the game continuing to become a little niggly as Quins seemingly object to Sarries over-celebrating the awarding of a scrum – well, this is a keenly contested derby match after all…….
Care, never a man to miss a chance to get under the opposition’s skin, does his best to disrupt Saries’ exit from the allegedly over-celebrated scrum although Davies manages to clear the ball under pressure.
Koch is replaced by Riccioni just as it’s another penalty to Quins, who this time elect to run the ball from the line-out and push closer to our line with the Sarries defence working furiously before the annoyingly alert Care drops a goal on 55 minutes to put Quins six points clear at 22-16.
Shortly afterwards and as we approach the hour, Murley breaks dangerously on the left and Care kicks to what Goode somewhat cheekily claims is the dead ball line but the TMO says otherwise – worth a punt, some might say.
Another big Quins push is halted by a scrum to Sarries (this time not celebrated so wildly) which the scamp that is Care again disrupts but Sarries manage to exit and win a penalty – the line-out is worked well with some good handling but it’s a Quins penalty.
Sarries effect a tactical change, with Obatoyinbo coming on for Morris, which sees Goode move to fly-half and Lozowski taking his place in another position in which he excels, the centres: it seems that Sarries want to throw some pace into proceedings.
Quins are now in charge but there’s still no sense of panic as Sarries remain within a score and as we move into the last quarter of the game, Quins win a penalty and elect, somewhat surprisingly, to go for the posts – a decision that backfires as it is indeed one of those posts that’s hit, presaging another outburst of glaring and shoving. McFarland comes on for Swinson.
Sarries have more luck than Quins a few minutes later, when we win a penalty and Lozowski, cool-headed as ever. decides to take the three-point option and, so far as I can see round the support pillar (see photo), curls the ball beautifully to take us to 22-19 as we enter the last 15 minutes.
Sarries work hard during this phase of the game to defend high up the field, forcing Quins to build from deep in their own territory although an Obatoyinbo fumble when trying to gather a Care kick gives Quins a scrum from which they exit at pace, but Sarries pick up possession and it’s our penalty on the left after great work over the ball from Wray; Lozowski, with steely nerves and from nearly 50 metres out, keeps his kicking record in this game unblemished to level the score at 22-22 on 71 minutes.
At this point, Sarries perhaps look favourites to steal this…..
Quins are penned in near their 22 by Sarries' high defensive line but win a penalty for offside, with the ball kicked to the halfway line: Care lofts his kick and Davies effects a successful 50-22 and although the exit from the line-out is scrappy we’re able to gain ground through Billy and then Lewington atones for his slightly shaky first half performance with a driving run to set up Wray, who surges over on the right to give Sarries the lead with 4 minutes remaining!!
Lozowski’s boot remains unerring and it’s 22-29.
Steady now, lads – game management, discipline, calm….
Oh no - Billy’s hurt……..although it looks from what we can see on the big screen like a knee injury, he’s able to walk off.
Lewis is on for Woolstencroft and it’s a scrum to Quins as we reach 80 minutes.
Quins fling the ball around now and Sarries fans’ hearts leap into their mouths as Green breaks, and Quins work the ball back and forth, reaching Sarries’ 22 as they fight their way forward but Sarries defend hard, before the ball is turned over and Ben Earl ends the game as he gleefully belts into it touch and, as Mr Jonny and I learn later on the train home, into the lap of a well-refreshed young man on his Stag Day who proudly cradles that very object in his arms as he tells us the story…..
As we leave The Stoop to try and figure out how we'll get home (we do, eventually) I’m feeling nothing but immense pride in Sarries’ performance today – our enduring and indomitable spirit has seen us through yet again.
Billy, back to his best this season, is an injury concern and we later hear that he’ll be out for a few weeks, while Alex Lozowski, again putting in a stunning performance at fly-half, is deservedly MOTM.
Teams:
Harlequins: 15 Green; 14 Lynagh; 13 Northmore; 12 Esterhuizen; 11 Murley; 10 Allan; 9 Care (capt); 1 Garcia Botta; 2 Walker; 3 Collier; 4 Tizard; 5 Lamb 6 Chisholm; 7 Kenningham; 8 Lawday.
Replacements: Riley; Kerrod; Louw; Lewies; Wallace; Steele; Edwards; Jones
Sin-bin: Lamb (36 mins).
Saracens: 15 Goode (capt); 14 Lewington; 13 Morris; 12 Tompkins; 11 Maitland; 10 Lozowski; 9 Van Zyl; 1 Mako Vunipola; 2 Woolstencroft; 3 Koch; 4 Isiekwe 5 Swinson; 6 Christie; 7 Wray (capt); 8 Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Lewis; Mawi; Riccioni; McFarland; Earl; Davies; Manu Vunipola Obatoyinbo
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (RFU).
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:11:14:20:05:57 by Darraghgirl.
It's odd to me that some writers on this board cannot bring themselves to accept that Loz is turning into a 10/12 who offers the ideal mis of game styles for Sarries: they prefer to look at things that don't work, rather than appreciate the overall effect of his game.
Innings
Points win matches: tries win hearts and minds.
I'm sure you'll have a better view this weekend!!!
I thought Woolstencroft had his best game for a long time. Good arrows, some strong carries and a couple of important turn-overs and as remarked upon Loz was fantastic. I fear we'll struggle to keep him given the value for a utility player of his calibre who could be starting 10 in many of the other Premiership clubs.
Quote:Innings
Very detailed, and you managed not to mention that Danny Care should have been penalised at least twice for going past the ball in the scrum
I did wonder when the opposition scrum-half having to have booth feet behind the ball stopped being part of the Laws. Maybe he thought it meant behind our side?
Quote:Innings
It's odd to me that some writers on this board cannot bring themselves to accept that Loz is turning into a 10/12 who offers the ideal mix of game styles for Sarries: they prefer to look at things that don't work, rather than appreciate the overall effect of his game.
Eddie Jones made an interesting comment a while ago with reference to Slade and said that the 13 gets much less ball these days than they used to. It certainly feels to me that whether its Lozo or Morris, other than defensively, they seem less involved at 13. Perhaps we'll see a little more of Lozo at 12 when the full team is available? Either way he feels somewhat under-utilised at 13 given his defensive and attacking input at 10.
Quote:Darraghgirl
Thanks Jonny - sounds like a mission but worth it in the end
I'm sure you'll have a better view this weekend!!!
Thanks, DG - I think others had worse journeys than us.
I’ll definitely have a MUCH better view at StoneX! Some clubs would of course sell tickets in areas like that at a “restricted view” discount - but given the result I’m not complaining (much).
Quote:OldMarovian
jonny perhaps you didn't realise that when they sang "you've never seen nothing like the mighty Quin" they were speaking literally
🤣🤣🤣
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