20. Gloucester 13-14 Saracens; Kingsholm, 30 April 2005

Saracens’ maiden victory at Kingsholm was a real nail-biter and the Shedheads could not believe it because, apart from a first reverse against the flashy London ladyboys, they conceded a penalty try and Andy Gomarsall missed two sitters from in front of the posts to make it safe.

The game itself was a dirge; played in perfect conditions, but ruined by two sets of forwards who wanted to wrestle on the ground for 80 minutes. I had to feel as sorry for ref David Rose as I was grateful to him for the award of that penalty try. Ben Johnston scored a great try in the first half, started in the Sarries 22 by Tevita Vaikona who found Raphael Ibanez who put Johnno in from half way.

Sarries could have made the score a little more respectable with the last play of the match but, of all people, Richard Hill put down a scoring pass with the line at his mercy. Thankfully it didn’t matter  as we hung on and the End-of-Season Dinner party began on the minibus back up the A40.

Team: Castaignède; Johnston, Sorrell,  Harris, Vaikona; Bartholomeusz, Bracken; Yates, Ibanez, Visagie; Chesney, Raiwalui; Randell, Hill, Vyvyan (c).

Replacements: Cairns, Lloyd, Fullarton, Skirving, Rauluni, Little, Jackson

Report: http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/254_5687.php

19. Munster 18-16 Saracens; Ricoh Arena, 27 April 2008

I make no apologies for being one-eyed here. ERC wanted a Munster v Toulouse Heineken Cup final and Saracens and London Irish were interlopers in the virtual closed-shop reserved for the boring, one-dimensional Munster and their cronies at ERC HQ in, where else but... Dublin.

I saw first-hand supposedly disinterested ERC staff willing Munster on and it was almost a cert that they'd win given ERC had apppointed Nigel Owens as the referee for the fifth consecutive Munster match. Co-incidence? Possibly. A major advantage to a team who knew how to play him because of previous matches in Europe and the Celtic League? Absolutely.

Owens was dreadful throughout and the final call that pinged Richard Hill for not releasing the ball in the tackle when he had three red-clad defenders lying all over him summed up the whole conspiracy thing. Had the penalty gone the other way it would have been possible that the Red Army would not be mobilised and ERC would, perhaps, have seen a few empty seats at the Millennium Stadium.

Anyhoo, we scored one try, a beaut from Kameli, that was started in our own half and it was none other than Hilly who won the ball on the Munster line to send the Fijian over the line.

The rest was tight and tense, and a lapse of concentration early in the second half gifted a try to Munster, after which we were up against it. Sure, the Munster fans afterwards had faces that had relief written all over them akin to someone who had been waiting two days to take a leak, but I still have the feeling that we were done like kippers.

Team: Haughton; Leonelli, Sorrell, Powell, Ratuvou; Jackson, DeKock; Lloyd, Cairns, Visagie, Vyvyan, Chesney, Gustard, Hill, Skirving.

Replacements: Ongaro, Johnston, Ryder, Barrell, Rauluni, Ross Scarbrough.

Video: http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/erc_rugby_tv.php?medid=1588

18. Sale 9-15 Saracens; Edgeley Park, 10 March 2006

Matt Cairns, take a bow. It was your strike against the head from an attacking Sale scrum that, in my humble opinion, turned this game and the season. Sale were on the front foot for most of this game (not helped when Cobus was sin-binned) even though Saracens outscored the Sharks by two tries to nil. Ben Johnston barged over in the first half and Glen Jackson crossed in the second, but it was seriously nail-biting stuff all match and for me, that Matt Cairns moment of magic was the best moment of what turned out to be a dismal season.

Team: Bartholomeusz; Scarbrough, Sorrell, Johnston, Vaikona; Jackson, Bracken; Lloyd, Byrne, Visagie; Raiwalui, Ryder; Chesney, Randell, Vyvyan.

Replacements: Cairns, Broster, Barrell, Yates, Rauluni, Harris, Bailey.

Report: (And note, everyone, Mike Ford’s opening remarks) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/4775748.stm

17.  Harlequins 40-10 Saracens; The Stoop, 12 November 2004

Here is a reminder, dear reader, that it says at the top “memorable matches” not “best matches” and this one will certainly live a long, long time in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

Mike Worsley’s try in the 14^th minute sealed the bonus point for Quins in a performance that was quite possibly the worst from Saracens since Nigel Wray’s investment in the club. Indeed, our Nige didn’t stay around for the second half such was his disgust with what he saw. What made it worse was that Quins were bottom of the table and winless going into the match.

Believe it or not, we won the second half with the tries coming from Taine Randell and Paul Bailey, but the damage was long since done.

Team: Kydd; Haughton, Johnston, Harris, Vaikona; Jackson, Rauluni; Lloyd, Ibanez, Broster;  Fullarton, Raiwalui; Randell (capt), Seymour; Chesney.

Replacements: Cairns, Visagie, Sanderson, Skirving, Williams, Bartholomeusz, Bailey.

Report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2004/nov/13/rugbyunion.harlequinsru

16. London Irish 7-22 Saracens; Madejski Stadium, 23 March 2007

If you were stuck in the Friday rush-hour traffic and missed the opening quarter hour, then you missed Sarries almost “doing a Quins” as they ran in three belting tries before Irish knew they had taken the field. Kameli on three minutes with a perfectly-executed 1^st-phase move; Thomas on 11 after Scabs booted a loose ball 60 metres up the park, and Jacko scored the third after rounding Shane Geraghty who had the mother all all mares at outside half.

Irish panicked and tried, in vain until Delon Armitage crossed in the second half, to run everything when perhaps they had been better off kicking the points on offer.

Sarries finished the job four minutes from time when Tomas De Vedia scored the bonus  point try.

Team:  Castaignède; Scarbrough, Sorrell, Powell, Ratuvou; Jackson, de Kock; Yates, Byrne, Johnston, Fullarton, Raiwalui (capt), Chesney, Hill, Skirving.
Replacements: Cairns, Mercey, Vyvyan, Seymour, Rauluni, Penney, de Vedia.

Report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6476049.stm

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