By Darraghgirl
December 7 2015

Newcastle Falcons v Saracens: an armchair view. In this week’s Sunday Times, Saracens’ new best friend, Stuart “Fatboy” Barnes wrote an article about how Saracens have put the smile back into club rugby and how we can all learn to love Saracens again because of their entertaining style. So it was probably inevitable that this game in the far Northern reaches of the Premiership, would be quite a dour affair!  

Newcastle Falcons may be lounging at the wrong end of the table but Kingston Park has always been a challenging venue for Saracens. After Storm Desmond did its worst overnight, the weather in the North East appeared (at least on TV) to be surprisingly benign. Newcastle’s plastic pitch though is a home from home for Sarries and at least conditions underfoot were good. Newcastle fielded a couple of ex-Sarries in their starting 15:  Adam Powell (I’m glad he seems to have made a go of it “up north”, I always felt he was an unlucky player at Sarries) & Marcus Watson and good old Mobo on the bench. Saracens, taking advantage of 2 relatively easy games against Worcester last week & Newcastle today, fielded a half-and-half team with many of last-weeks first choice starters given the week off, and those who had a week in the sun last week, back in the team today.

Falcons started the game well and it was a good 7 minutes before Saracens had any attacking ball when Wyles managed to turn Powell over and take the ball into the Falcon’s 22. From the 1^st scrum of the game, Mr Small penalised Scottish prop Jon Welsh and Hodgson put the ball in the corner. A text-book long throw, catch and drive and the maul was unstoppable. It was Samu Vunisa who touched the ball down for his first try for his new club. Hodgson kicked the conversion with the help of the posts and Sarries, against the run of play, were ahead.

Falcons lived a bit dangerously when a kick ahead found Wyles and Tait together close to the touchline. Rather than take the ball into touch, Tait lobbed it back into play. The ball could have gone anywhere and it was only the luck of the Gods that the bounce favoured the defending side otherwise Sarries could have been 2 tries ahead. Shortly afterwards, Hodgson kicked a penalty for 10-0. Newcastle hit back soon after with a penalty from Catterick and Newcastle began to gain some momentum with their rolling maul looking particularly effective.

Both sides looked to kick the ball and we were treated to a lengthy period of aerial ping-pong.  In the middle of this, Charlie put a Sarries’ penalty the wrong side of the corner flag. This closely followed a Sarries’ maul close to the Newcastle try-line which was well defended and ultimately turned over. Chances were not being taken. The half petered out with kicks and mauls, all between the two 10m lines, and none of them going anywhere. It was all a bit tedious. The Tongan captain Nili Latu was a persistent threat in the loose. Finally as Mr Small was about to put us all out of our misery, Sarries won a tricky penalty in overtime. Charlie duly kicked the points and Sarries went in13-3 ahead at half-time. An unsatisfying half where Sarries never really got out of 2^nd gear and seemed quite content to toy with their opponents rather than take the game by the scruff of the neck.

So the second half began and almost immediately Will Fraser was on the ground in a lot of pain. It was the sort of injury which causes eye-watering and guffaws from people safely in the commentary box but Mr Small summed it up as he was clearly heard to say “You alright? Everything where it should be?” Fortunately it was. Saracens seemed to be making a far better fist of defending the rolling maul which had been Newcastle’s main attacking weapon in the first half. Slowly Saracens started to turn the screw. Lineouts were stolen, progress was stalled. Charlie put a lovely crossfield kick in for Ellery to run on to. It wasn’t the kindest of bounces but would Ash have got it? We will never know. Sarries were wasteful with what attacking ball they did have and although Newcastle didn’t look threatening, Sarries appeared happy just to keep them at bay.

Half an hour to go and the subs came on. However, whereas last week, the substitutions were a negative, this week they seemed to be a turning point (well what else when you bring on 2 Vuniploae), although actually it was Neil de Kock who seemed principally responsible for upping the tempo and getting some urgency into Saracens’ play. First they won a penalty which Charlie kicked to extend the lead to 3-16. Then there was a turnover and finally ball was run from the 22 rather than the kick-chase. Newcastle had a sustained period of possession (15 phases I think), the only problem was that they started on the Sarries 22 and ended up on the half way line! At last Sarries turned the ball over and Alex Goode set up another attack with Billy taking the ball deep into the Newcastle half. Jamie George almost reached the try line, the ball was recycled and finally Nick Tompkins got the ball down. Charlie kicked the extras (again with the aid of the posts) and now we were rolling at 3-23.

More substitutions saw Rhodes replace Wray and Streather replace Tompkins while Mobo, late of this parish, came on for the Falcons. Ransome came on for Wyles.  It wasn’t all roses. Mr Small wasn’t happy with Sarries’ engagement at the scrum and gave Newcastle a penalty which fortunately came to nothing. Careless passing saw another Falcon’s attack and with Taylor on the floor, Sarries’ defence was tested. Finally Catterick had no option but to kick the ball towards the corner and hope. De Kock used his pace and experience to beat Harris to the ball and touch down for a 22 drop out rather than a 5m scrum.

Into the last 8 minutes. The win wasn’t in doubt but yet again it looked like we were content with victory without going for the jugular. Jared Saunders came on for George Kruis – not a natural replacement and therefore worrying as Kruis had been his usual towering self all game.  Somewhat surprisingly, George ordered Charlie to go for the posts from a penalty in the Falcon’s 22. It looked like the team were happy with what they had and weren’t worried about a bonus point. How wrong can you be!

With Newcastle pressing for a consolation try, Charlie seized the moment, intercepted a rather telegraphed pass, and set off across the half way line. Would his old legs make it? Of course they did. Tait was a distant second when Hodgson touched down for the 3^rd try. A quick attempt at the conversion missed and there was still a minute left. Not enough surely.

Sarries launched a final attack but still in their own half, it looked like that was it when Mr Small gave Falcons a penalty. However rather than kick the ball out, Newcastle opted to run the ball. With admirable patience, Sarries engineered a turnover only for Ben Ransome to burst out of the pack and head for the try line. He was caught just short but the bonus point try was definitely on. Newcastle conceded a penalty on their 5m line and while everyone was thinking about what to do, Billy picked up the ball and scored! Alex Goode kicked the conversion, although it hardly mattered, and Sarries had a bonus point win 38-3.

Hodgson was awarded Man of the Match and in all honesty this was a master-class for all young pretenders to the 10 shirt. He may be in the twilight of his career but Charlie can still turn it on when he wants to. No one plays so flat or passes with such precision, or kicks with such vision than the old guy. Eat your heart out Fordy! And the smile on his face when he was interviewed after the match, when he suggested he doesn’t get many starts these days so he needs to make the most of them, suggests that maybe Barnes is right. There’s a big smile at Saracens!

So 8 wins out of 8 and the only unbeaten team in top-flight Northern-hemisphere Rugby. We go into back to back games against Oyonnax who are currently lounging at the bottom of the French Top 14. But there is no way Saracens will take anything for granted. The focus is undoubtedly on European success and nothing but 10 points will do from these 2 games. Then a couple of tricky fixtures over the holiday period with Wasps away then Leicester at home. If we can end 2015 unbeaten, that will definitely bring a smile to my face!

Newcastle:

Tait, Agulla, Powell, Socino, Watson, Catterick, Young, Vickers, McGuigan, Welsh, Robinson, Green, Wilson, Welch, Latu

Subs:

Lawson, Rogers, Vea, Botha, Hogg, Takulua, Willis Harris

Saracens:

Goode, Wyles (Ransome), Tompkins (Streather), Taylor, Ellery, Hodgson, Spencer (De Kock), Barrington (M Vunipola), George, Figallo (Du Plessis), Kruis (Saunders), Itoje, Wray (Rhodes), Fraser, Vunisa (B Vuinpola)

Scorers:

Newcastle:  Pen – Catterick

Saracens: Tries – Vunisa, Streather, Hodgson, B Vunipola. Conv – Hodgson (2) Goode Pens – Hodgson (4)

Attendance: 6,020

Ref: Andrew Small