10. Lydney 0-40 Saracens; Regentsholme, 31 January 1999

Back in the days when we still had David v Goliath cup ties, Saracens drew a tricky one away in the Forest of Dean and it was a memorable day for many reasons.

First, after a stop in a pub a few miles from our destination, the supporters’ bus received a police escort into Regentsholme which was a novel experience.

Next was the reassuring sight of our Nige queuing patiently in the rain and mud with the rest of us waiting to give his £10 ticket to the old geezer on the gate.

The match itself kicked off at 3pm and by 3.01 it had kicked off again, albeit in the “other”sense. The home pack decided to get its retaliation in first and a fractious 80 minutes ensued, although Sarries won with ease.

Most memorable of all was Paddy Johns being on the receiving end of some home hostility, not only from the players, but from an element the local support – some of whom were wearing upturned flower pots painted black and white in homage to the Sarries fez -as the scrap hit the barriers surrounding the pitch. Pricesless.

Chris Hewett describes the match itself better than I ever could, and the link is below, courtesy of Bboonie who dug it out for me.

Team: Johnson; Lea, Constable, Ravenscroft, Daniel; Penaud (capt), Bracken; A Olver, Chuter, Reidy; Johns, Chesney; Pienaar, Hill, Diprose.

Replacements: Grau,  Botterman, Ogilvie, Cole, Olsen, Singer, Thirlby.

 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-forest-fire-snuffed-out-by-steel-of-saracens-1068088.html

9. AS Montferrand 26 –10 Saracens; Stade Marcel Michelin, 25 January 2004.

“I know, monsieur, a bottle of Champagne and 13 beers...” said the Eurostar steward when we had ran out of yet another 13 beers and polished off yet another bottle of Champagne.

The intrepid Fez à Treize let the train take the strain for the first leg of this Parker Pen Shield (remember that?) quarter final and paying the extra for first class seats was definitely worthwhile as our train was stuck in Kent for the best part of two hours; meaning that we had complimentary grog while the plebs in standard had to make do with a pay bar and, presumably, long queues.

The weekend got more and more messy, so I shall spare you the details apart from Le Diplomat acquired his nickname after a run-in with a couple of French internationals (ask him next time you see him), I lost my phone (nothing new there, apart from I found it again) and our complexions on the way back Monday afternoon were as green as the French countryside through which we were travelling.

This was one of the truly legendary European trips. So much so I can’t remember a thing about the game itself apart from referee Iain Ramage being the subject of a tirade of verbal from a female Saracens supporter (who shall remain nameless) and the ASM band playing God Save the Queen afterwards. Before insisting I shove a load of pastis down my neck. Ouch.

Scorers: Try - Raiwalui. Coversion Castsignède. Penalty – Castsignède.

 Team: Haughton; Cech, Bailey, Johnston, O’Mahony; Castsignède, Williams;  Sparks, Ibanez, Broster; Railwalui (c), Codling; Skirving, B.T. Russell, Randell.

Replacements: R.Russell, Marsters, Yandell, Chesney, Bracken, Little, Sorrell

Report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2004/jan/26/rugbyunion.saracens

8. Saracens 19-10 Ospreys; Vicarage Road, 6 April 2008.

What a day. What a hangover the next day. After being stuffed by what was nearly all of the Welsh team just a couple of weeks before in the Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final, Sarries stunned the Ospreys and the entire rugby establishment by winning this return Heineken Cup quarter-final tie.

Glen Jackson’s wobbly drop goal two minutes from the end sealed a win that came from incredible hard work, notably from the legendary Hilly, and what could be construed as a fortunate try by Frank Leonelli. A kick ahead was touched in flight and Adam Powell, in front of the kicker and the ball, realised he was then onside before offloading to Frank who galloped in from half way.

Though the glamour boys pulled back a try near the end, Jacko’s field goal was the cue for the mother of all celebrations. We were into the semi-finals. Nobody gave us a prayer, yet we proved that, on our day, we were capable of beating the best. It's just a shame that those days are all to few and far between.

Video: http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/erc_rugby_tv.php?medid=1513

7. Dinamo Bucuresti 12-75 Saracens; Tei Stadium, 6 October 2001

Let’s be honest here and say that this result was never going to be in doubt, although with the team’s kit ending up in Budapest instead of Bucharest courtesy of a geographically-challenged member of staff at Heathrow, it was a bit  touch and go whether there would be a game at all.

A mad scramble to find Khalid Benazzi a pair of size 14 boots before the match started while the rest of the team had to put up with BA’s refreshment packs made especially for ladies while their luggage went AWOL were two things that made us laugh and we still wonder what they did with the feminine hygiene products?

Losing one’s mind on the risibly cheap beer (35p per half litre or thereabouts) and then one’s shirt on cowboy taxi drivers (that’s the last time I ever get into a cab sans metre) was the order of this weekend.

After seeing the colour disappear from resident veggie Stringfellow’s cheeks in the Dracula restaurant when he clocked a couple of dozen hunting trophies on the walls we, the Fez, and the team descended upon what was allegedly the most happening nightclub in the Romanian capital; Planters.

Between Adey Winnan getting a little, er, squiffy, Matt Cairns being bounced out of the ladies loo by (presumably) the national women’s discus and hammer champs after a perfectly innocent wrong turn and everyone else not realising what time it was, things were somewhat blurred for the rest of the weekend. Luckily by staying until the Monday I managed to take in a wonderful trip to Sinaia (thanks, Bboonie) and in doing so missed the rather bumpy, vomit-inducing Sunday flight back to Heathrow during whichNick Walshe was, allegedely, more than a little unwell.

I can’t wait to go back one day. Next season perhaps?

Tries: Sparg (2), Haughton (2), Sorrell (2), O’Mahony (2), K.Benazzi, Arasa, Roche

Conversions: Smith (7), Sorrell, Cole (2)

Team: Sparg; Haughton, Horan, Sorrell, O’Mahony; Smith, Bracken; Harbut, Cairns, Phillips; K.Benazzi, Murray; Cheesbrough, Hill, Cole.

Replacements: Arasa, Roche, Russell, Walshe, Halsey, Parkes

Report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7323314.stm

6. Northampton 8-32 Saracens; Franklin’s Gardens, 9 October 1999.

Even though Ben Cole was sent off after 26 minutes and, IIRC, Francois Pienaar was binned too Saracens still hammered a dismal Northampton on my first visit to the old, pre-facelift Gardens. Saints scored after three minutes with an Ali Hepher penalty but had to wait 75 minutes for their next points from a Mark Tucker Try.

By then, short-handed Sarries were out of sight with a brace of second half tries from Ryan Constable and one from Ben Johnston adding to Thierry Laxroix’s four first half goals which made it 12-3 at the interval, and a fifth plus one conversion in the second half.

This was one of the great Saracens performances in the Premiership and the debut of that green sweater as worn (but not recently) by yours truly.

Tries: Constable 2, Johnston. Cons: Lacroix. Pens: Lacroix 5

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