A timely return...

By TheSaracens
April 13 2022

Unfortunately, due to work and other recent commitments mitigating against a trip to Brive-la-Gaillarde – which, from the photos posted by travelling supporters on The Sarries Fans Forum looks like a beautiful town – I and the eternal Francophile that is Mrs Jonny (proudly descended from a Breton nobleman) are obliged to forego the cultural and culinary delights of deepest France and settle for the more prosaic setting of our sofa in Hornsey. Sarries have certainly put out a 23 that means business tonight – although like most people I’m far from au fait with the ludicrously complicated qualification process we’re looking to secure a place in the last 16 with a decent winning score against a CA Brive side reputed to be strong at home in Stade Amedee-Domenech.

Owen Farrell (making his Challenge Cup debut tonight, I'm told) returns to lead the side, forming a midfield hub with Ivan Van Zyl; up top, we have Eroni Mawi, the try machine that is Tom Woolstencroft and the cult that is Alec Clarey, with Baz and Jamie George on the bench this week; Nick Isiekwe and Theo McFarland form a notably agile and athletic second row combination; the back row of Andy Christie, Jackson Wray and a once more terrifying Billy looks formidable; in the centres we have Elliot  Daly and, to everyone’s delight, a fully fit Duncan Taylor making his 150^th appearance in the black and red - the landmark he would surely have reached some time back but for his terrible luck with injuries over recent seasons; Alex Goode moves back to his customary, not to say legendary, place at full-back joining Roti and fellow Alex, Lewington, in a threatening back line.

Sarries have kept not only Jamie but also the bang in-form Ben Earl on the bench tonight.

I’m pleased that Sarries have put out a strong 23 tonight - a number of people I’ve spoken to have been scornful of the Challenge Cup, one referring disdainfully to the tournament as the “Runners-Up Cup".

Much like the Championship, the Challenge Cup is a competition that in all honesty I hope we won’t have to take part in again but we should be paying it the respect of taking it seriously - which I'm certain is how Mark McCall, the coaches and the squad see things - and, let's face it, there’s no feeling like seeing the Sarries players parading a cup round a pitch.

In any case we’ve booked our weekend in Marseille….     

Maro is taking a well-deserved break in America and from postings on Facebook looks to be having a great time.

CA Brive’s squad is not familiar to me save for their loosehead, one Haydon Thompson-Stringer, late of NW4 and who made the decision to try his luck in France three years ago: by all accounts he’s settled well in France and is now in his third season - it will be interesting to see him in action tonight; from the commentary, I gather it’s a Brive side containing a fair few second-strong players

There’s a strong Ulster connection in play tonight, with Mark McCall coming up against his former Ulster and Ireland team-mate and, if recall correctly (I’m sure someone will tell me if I’m wrong), Castres coaching colleague, Jeremy Davidson.

In an effort to create a rugby-ish atmosphere in the confines of Browne Towers, pies, chips and mushy peas are on the menu alongside the beer (although it should probably have been something like steak tartare et frites given the match venue) as we settle down in front of the TV and really wish we were there..

As the game kicks off, the conditions are blustery and the posts sway in the breeze..

Sarries get off to a fast and hard start, with an off-the-sofa moment as Daly breaks at speed to almost set up the onrushing Lewington for a very early try but the ball goes astray – a display of intent from the men in black and red.

Sarries continue to dominate proceedings and it isn’t too long before the first points of the game are registered on 6 minutes, when a penalty gives Farrell a thankfully straightforward kick to make the score 0-3 after 6 minutes.

4 minutes later, a period of heavy pressure from Sarries near the try line forces Brive to attempt a clearance but their kick is charged down by Christie who calmly gathers the ball and goes over – Farrell’s kick, not helped by the conditions, hits the post so it’s 0-8.

Brive are stirred into action after Sarries’ good early spell, with Tuicuvu finding space just inside the Sarries half and racing away to put his side back into the game with 15 minutes on the clock – the conversation is messed up ( the ball fell off the tee) but it’s now 5-8 and at this juncture there's all to play for.

Perhaps surprisingly in front of their own crowd, Brive are not lifted by their try, and Sarries continue to dominate with Daly again creating some excitement when he dances through the Brive defence but the ball is lost forward.

As we move into the second quarter of the game, Sarries continue to pressurise the Brive defence, working their way towards the line until eventually Mawi finds enough space to cross the whitewash from close range, with Farrell’s this time successful conversion putting a little more daylight between the sides at 5-15 on 23 minutes.

George is now on for Woolstencroft.

As with the first try, Brive look again to quickly reply and push forward only to be stopped by good work from Billy.

Sarries continue to control proceedings, denying Brive any real opportunity to work their way back into the match.

As the half moves into the last ten minutes, Sarries start to cut loose and on 35 minutes a surging run from Mawi and some clever team play set up Van Zyl to find Isiekwe out on the left to skip over for our third try, with Farrell mastering the conditions (and swaying posts) to add the extras to take the score to a satisfying 5-22 going into half time.

Even against a seemingly depleted Brive side, Sarries have so far looked efficient and ruthless, aided in no small part by a razor-sharp Owen Farrell who looks to have shaken off the (perfectly understandable) ring rust apparent at Tottenham 13 days ago – assuming he doesn’t get injured (and I’m crossing my toes as I type this), we couldn’t have him back and firing on all cylinders at a better time in the season; Andy Christie and Elliott Daly have also had an eye-catching first half; Segun has been his hard-working self and always a threat

Sarries are fast out of the traps for the second half, and with barely a minute on the clock the bonus point is secured, as another break from Daly frees Van Zyl, who makes a clever supporting run, to glide over to secure the bonus point and with Farrell back in the kicking groove the score moves to 5-29 and even with most of the half left, Brive look like a beaten, not to say outclassed, side.

With no discernible let-up in their momentum or contro, Sarries have started to empty the bench, with Billy making way for Earl, Harris has replaced Lewington, the props have been changed with Barrington and Wainwright on for Mawi and Clarey (in the latter case one dodgy “barnet” swapped for another – but who is a bald man to criticise?), and the increasingly large Hunter-Hill replaces Wray. De Haas replaces the excellent Van Zyl at Farrell’s side and lastly Morris allows Taylor a celebratory sit down on his memorable day.

As we approach the last quarter of the game, McFarland gets over the line but is held up, whilst a promising and pacey break from Christie comes to nothing after some good defending from Brive halts him in his tracks.

Shortly afterwards McFarland is again in the thick of it and makes a strong break for the Brive line, creating an opportunity for De Haas to make his mark by finding Earl, emerging through the Brive defence, who goes over under the posts, Farrell taking the score to 5-36 on the hour…our overall points difference across the season must be nudging +300 by now…

We’ve barely got our breath back when, just a couple of minutes later Segun takes a deserved place on the scoresheet when a clever short pass from Farrell sets Goode up to  fire a beautifully weighted pass out to rugby’s deadliest chemistry graduate who scampers over on the left, and although Farrell misses the conversion we’re still 5-41 to the good.

The metaphorical rock continues to be pounded and with 10 minutes to go with our, unusually, not having seen a Sarries hooker score a try, the natural order of things is restored when after a Brive grubber is charged down, Goode strides forward and Harris cleverly sets up George to score. Farrell’s conversation takes us to 5-48.

Harris, who I rate highly and is proving a tough lad, finds himself in the wars when he takes a big, painful and illegal hit from Muller, resulting in the Brive full back receiving a red card, but nonetheless recovers sufficiently to round off the night by finishing off a lovely phase of play by gliding over from an inch-perfect pass from Goode with five minutes left. – Farrell’s conversion is successful and the game ends at 5-55 - and we must surely have hit +300.

A convincing and ruthless performance by Sarries with Farrell deservedly winning the Man of the Match award, but Christie and Daly couldn’t have been too far behind in the reckoning.

With a home tie on Easter Sunday (post-script – it’s against Cardiff) in the last 16, Sarries must be well set to have a crack at winning this Cup.

By the way, our points difference is +305...

Jonny Browne

TEAMS:

Brive: Muller; Tournebize, Tuicuvu, Lee, Tirefort; Abzhandadze, Sanga; Thompson-Stringer, Narisia, Bekoshvili; Lebas, Cerqueira; Voisin (capt.), Gue, Lam

Replacements: Dufour, Thomas, Bruges, Bedou, Bost, Lacoste, Danovaro, Tapeuleulu

Sarries: Goode; Segun, Daly, Taylor, Lewington; Farrell (capt.), Van Zyl; Mawi, Woolstencroft; Clarey; Isiekwe, McFarland; Christie, Wray, Vunipola

Replacements: George, Barrington, Wainwright, Hunter-Hill, Earl, De Haas, Morris, Harris

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)