By Tim (EGB)
January 29 2006

To be fair to Steve Diamond the team he was able to pick out of the bones of those who weren’t injured suggested Saracens were always not going to score many points, and much would depend on our defence holding out what looked like a much more nimble Falcons back line. With 4 of the front 5 first choice players out, Saracens picked a pack with a solid looking Front 5, a dynamic and youthful back forward row, and some ‘experienced’ backs. The normal Saracens game plan of ‘roughing the opposition up’ wasn’t going to work, and it was pretty clear from the first Saracens rolling maul which went all of 5 metres, and the scrum which (particularly in the first half) was always on the back foot that it was always going to be a war of attrition.

During the first 13 minutes Saracens started brightly, stealing the ball at the breakdown, and being rewarded with an early Glenda penalty, 0-3. Newcastle then started getting the ball, but fortunately the Newcastle game-plan involved a determination to prove to the Sarries pack that they would not be bullied, and what followed was an entirely ordinary first half, with a 50%-powered (compared to the Biarritz performance) Saracens pack repelling wave after wave of Newcastle phases down the centre, with forwards and notably Jamie Noon ‘bashing it up’. This was repelled fairly easily by Saracens, and it was only when Toby Flood got the ball that Newcastle looked dangerous. (Another) fortunate was that poor Toby went off after 25 minutes with knee damage. Until then he was the classiest act on the field. During the rest of a dire first half Walder managed to kick 2 of his 4 penalty attempts, and missed a long drop goal. It was very poor fare for 6-3.

The first 10 minutes of the second half were similarly dull, with the game compressed between both 22’s. There was a good deal of kicking, culminating in a kick from Glenda from half-way that went dead. Newcastle had the put-in but again failed to take advantage of the phased play that followed, with their aging back row being much slower to the breakdown than Saracens Russell and (the outstanding) Seymour. Saracens got a penalty 40m out, which Glenda again converted, 6-6.

That stunned Newcastle into life, and finally a sensible game plan emerged. Rather than just flinging the ball wide, their pacer backs started to run round the Saracens. Tait did this with great effect, slicing open the defence, and passed out of the tackle to Elliot, who despite the valiant efforts of Viakona tripped and rolled over the line into the corner. Walder having a horrid day with the boot missed the conversion, however nearly 10 minutes later after another scrappy period of play he made amends with a drop-goal: 14-6. From the restart Falcons secured procession, but off the first phase Vyvyan and Seymour stole the ball, released Adam Powell to race in near the posts for a simple conversion: 14-13. Powell looks like the real deal, pace and power.

Another kick-off, Newcastle secured ball, and this time produced a 15m rolling maul, after about a further 8 phases they got inside the Sarries 22, moved it first right, drew the defence, and then moved it quickly the width of the field. Viakona found himself alone defending against 4 and Joe Shaw scored. Walder converted: 21-13.

Immediately from the restart a Falcons player again got isolated – Seymour was again all over him like a rash, and Glenda was given a 35m penalty for the bonus losers point. He nailed it. With time running out, and with Scarborough on the pitch (playing better than he has done recently, in this cameo) Sarries tried to fling the ball about and for the first time since the opening 10 minutes finally looked dangerous, but it was too late. Final score 21-16.

Sarries spiral to 10th in the GP, and now face a dog-fight with Bath (11th) in a fortnight at Watford. They will need all your support, and the return of some serious beef up front, and some pace and creativity in the backs to prevent slipping to 11th. Neither were present today.

Saracens Team: Lloyd; Cairns; Mitchell (40 Broster); Raiwalui (Chesney 40); Vyvyan; Russell (Ryder 60); Seymour; Skirving; Rauluni (Dickens 40); Jackson; Viakona; Sorrell (Powell 38); Johnston; Barholomuesz (Scarborough 60).
Man of the Match (for a poor Saracens): David ‘Pineapple Head’ Seymour.