Friday evening much to my daughter’s delight we got back to the hotel to find Saracen players everywhere! They looked relaxed, a card school going, using computers, chatting and several watching the Rugby League on the bar TV! They all seemed approachable chatting to the locals and having a laugh.

The morning before the match we headed into town in beautiful sunshine but the taxi driver warning a storm on the way and boy was he right! At about 2pm the heavens opened and it rained for almost 2 hours but clearing before we made our way to the ground turning to sunshine. The ground is on a hill and one end at least quite exposed and as usual for Galway a very strong wind was blowing. Apparently on Santana’s rugby coverage last season they opened with a shot of a kick crossing the bar and being blown back into the field of play, we were assured it was awarded!!

Connacht’s ground is a conundrum! The playing surface looked good. We were asked by several Connacht supporters where Sarries played and pulling faces explained we shared with Watford with them laughing at us as they pointed out they shared their ground with a greyhound track! You couldn’t watch from either of the ends (WD would be happy) and one side of the ground had two bus shelter like dugouts and a couple of small concrete ledges for people to stand on. The main stand had seating behind a glass enclosure, which didn’t seemed to be used and a bank of concrete shelves with railings where the main crowd gathered getting very cosy as the crowd built!  That said the bar and food were great! A few hundred thousand and some planning permission could turn it into a top class ground but the locals explained that they had a constant battle just to survive with the IRFU seemingly wanting to send the club go the way of the Celtic Warriors and Border Reivers. There was a particular worry with the 2 Italian teams joining the Magners.

So to the rugby. The locals said the Connacht team was about 3/4s their top team and I would say Sarries was the same without Borthwick, Saull, Strettle and Nieto. The match started in bright sunshine but almost immediately the heavens opened; there was a lovely rainbow, with the ball becoming very slippery. Sarries definitely had the better of the opening exchanges alternating attacking running with kicks but Connacht defence held out. Connacht had lost to Quins 7-44 the previous week and apparently it was typical that they suffered a heavy loss and then but in a dogged performance. The referee was featuring heavily with his whistle seemingly favouring Saracens although worryingly Sarries were penalised at the first scrum for early engagement something that had happened several times in the Bedford match. A couple of typical Schalk breaks enlivened proceedings how does he find such room in the heavy traffic?

The only score of the first half came when a strong catch and drive resulted in Richard Skuse going over. Houggard missed the conversion, first of several kicks missed, which seemed relatively straight forward but it was difficult to know the effect the wind was having. Sarries were strong in the scrum but not dominating and but for the Connacht fly half, Nikora, missing two kicks they would have been behind at half time!

The main incident of the first half was an injury to Alex Goode. Totally unchallenged he went high into the air to catch a kick in the Sarries 22 and landed badly. For a worrying long time he lay prone on the touchline whilst play continued but fortunately the stretcher was not needed and Alex walked away. I understand that a scan will be needed to establish the full damage but it is hopefully not as bad as first thought. Rodd Penney replaced Alex going onto the wing with Chris Wyles going to full back.

Sarries started the second half having made substitutions with Wiggy replacing De Kock (or Mr Knock as the local announcer kept saying), Gill on for Carstens who’d had a solid first trot, Kameli for Powell. Use of the extended subs was made as the half progressed with Reynekke, Mordt, Du Plesis, Smith, Kruis, Melck, Barrell  et al joined the frey in all I think 11 subs. It didn’t seem to overly affect the Sarries effort showing Sarries overall depth of squad this season.

Sarries started the second half strongly and after considerable pressure Wiggy appeared to go over. However, the try was not awarded after a “what happened next” moment when the ref skipping around the ruck landed on his derriere and was unsighted. A series of 5m scrums were awarded and Sarries seemed to be gaining dominance with the ref awarding a penalty try maybe covering his own embarrassment. DH converted the try for Sarries to lead 0 -12.

Connacht bounced back strongly regaining the ball from the kick off and then resulted one of the longest periods without one side touching the ball, other than to hand it back when a penalty was awarded, I can remember. The home team attacked and attacked and as Sarries defence held out tempers rose and George Kruis was yellow carded after a bout of fisticuffs. Finally with Sarries down to 14 Connacht went over with Flavin scoring an unconverted try much to the delight of the locals

Almost straight from the restart Sarries regained the ball and a great break by Wiggy saw the ball make its way to Kameli who crossed unchallenged for an unconverted try.

Sarries continued to press and as the match drew to an end there was a second “what happened next” moment. A 5m lineout was won by Connacht and the usual maul ensued everybody having a nice cuddle awaiting the clearing kick when Kelly Brown shot out of the melee as if he’d been dragged by a Connacht player but he had the ball and scored. One wag in the crowd shouted “check their pockets ref there must be 2 balls out there!!”

Final score 5 – 22. Four tries by Saracens and a much harder run out that Bedford or Esher. The free kicks at the scrum were worrying but the line out worked well except for the odd overthrow or not straight in the wind! Personally I thought we kicked away too much possession! Brown was probably my man of the match and Wiggy looked very good. I think the new boys may really add to the squad.

I have to say the Connacht supporters are the nicest I have ever come across. We were invited to the bar, a birthday party, to watch the greyhound racing and into town. We went to the bar chatted to a few of the 30 or so Sarries supporters who had made the trip and watched the first dog race a first for me!

Finally I understand the lads had a very good night out in Galway but as the saying goes “what happens on tour stays on tour”!!!

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