This fan arrived at Watford at 4.30pm and met other Falcons in the Red Lion opposite Vicarage Road, to learn that our team was the following: Matt Burke, Tom May, Mathew Tait, Jamie Noon, Joe Shaw, Mark Wilkinson, James Grindal, Ian Peel ©, Andy Long, Micky Ward, Luke Gross, Stuart Grimes, Mike McCarthy, Cory Harris and Phil Dowson. Our pack looked very strong, however, despite his performance against Newport, Mark Wilkinson’s selection at fly-half was a big risk away from home against an attacking side like Saracens.

We took the kick-off, but Saracens came straight onto the attack and Glen Jackson scored two penalties around one reply from Matt Burke, but the hosts were putting all the pressure on. They threatened to score straight away, Tevita Vaikona looking particularly dangerous on the right, and we just couldn’t clear. The Sarries crossed first through Taine Randell, Jackson converting the try, followed soon by Kris Chesney for an unconverted score. Burke’s second penalty reduced the half time deficit to 18-6, but we were playing dreadfully, our only headway looking to be from the centres, although Tom May did touch down from a 20-metre run but was brought back for an infringement.

The second half was even worse, as we didn’t even look like attacking until the final minutes. Hugh Vyvyan finished off a steaming run with Saracens’ third try, and then Ben Russell sealed the bonus point, Jackson and then Nicky Little converting. 32-6, after all the optimism going into the game! We made a host of replacements, including bringing on Ollie Phillips and Lee Dickson for their Premiership debuts. And Phillips provided the one bright spot of the evening, scoring our consolation try in the final minutes, which May converted. However, after a terrible Newcastle performance it was actually no consolation at all.

One never really knows what to say after a performance and result like this. Clearly the club’s idea of training once this week and doing little in the way of tactics didn’t work, and the latter is even more unbelievable when we consider that we had no game last weekend! Why not give the lads a week off after Newport, then refocus on this game? Speaking of which, we fans have talked about little else but Paris for the last two weeks, it is possible that the squad lost focus on the league for a bit. Whilst this may be true, it is unacceptable as there are five more league matches until then and we have put ourselves in with a real chance of making the Championship play-offs, or at least re-qualifying for the European Cup through the league. Every game is a must-win.

The defeat means we drop to sixth in the Premiership after Bath and Gloucester’s victories, and that we are now further behind third-placed Sale after their win over Northampton.

It is amazing how often we fall back to Earth bumpily after a heroic victory, such as that two weeks ago.

We must not get carried away thinking we’re now a terrible team, however, once these new ‘coaching’ ideas have been binned, we have a lot to think about before hosting European Champions Wasps next week.

Continuing to Friday night’s events, post-match I headed back to the pub with TracyWilko and we had a couple of beers with some Saracens fans, before I missed my train to London. D’oh! This meant I had to wait 6 hours in Paddington station for the next one to Bristol, whereas I’d previously intended to just spend 1.30-5.30 in Bristol station and get back to Somerset at 6.30 - I got home at 9.30am!

The things we do for this team!

One more thing, many Falcons, me included, headed straight out of Vicarage Road at full-time, and so I don’t know whether the players returned to the field afterwards to applaud the supporters.  (Mark H's note - they did, even though it seemed like there was only me and Lom left.  They were also very quiet in the player's lounge after the game too).  However, as I have said before, this isn’t just them applauding us, it is a chance for us to thank them for their efforts during the game too, win or lose. But on Friday neither the players nor us fans deserved this recognition. As poorly as the team performed, the noise from us Geordies in the stands was pathetic as well. This must be corrected for next week.