Fez Boys
Irish Too Good for Saracens
Fez Boys
By Griff
October 1 2006
The EDF Cup started with a hum-dinger of a game, if a curious one at the Madejski Stadium today. Saracens came with plans to show what they can really do - with a certain League legend finally fit - and left, I imagine, slightly concerned.
Fez Boys
October 1 2006
The EDF Cup started with a hum-dinger of a game, if a curious one at the Madejski Stadium today. Saracens came with plans to show what they can really do - with a certain League legend finally fit - and left, I imagine, slightly concerned.
First of all, before I start, I have to confess, and whinge. My only task as an Ed on the Craic is to recruit a match reporter, I failed to do so for the first time this week. Admittedly I didn't moan as much as I have previously but, frankly, it's getting a bit tiresome. As you're about to discover, writing a match report takes little effort, all we want is a flavour of the game from someone who saw it for the many who couldn't. This site is run by supporters for supporters which means every now and again we all have to put a bit of effort in. Enough said, please be a bit more forthcoming chaps.
To the game. A brisk start came to nothing, it was clear from early on that the Irish forwards had been told in no uncertain terms that their performance against Bristol was not to be repeated. They were abrasive and in Saracens' faces from the off. Such endeavours can be overdone and lead to indiscipline, initially this did seem possible - Glen Jackson kicked a penalty at first time of asking - but was quickly reined back to a good level of control.
This control was evident after the penalty as Irish made good ground and eventually picked up a five-metre scrum. Anyone worried by Dodge's enforced absence quickly breathed a sigh of relief as newboy Richie Rees showed his class. Picking up off the base Richie made to go right and the Saracens defence bought the move leaving a huge gap for the scrum-half to jink and wriggle through for a score on his home debut.
Barry brought a few worried glances as his conversion attempt, from a position you'd normally bet your house on him getting, bounced off the post but we were 5 -3 to the good and looking capable of scoring tries at long last.
From here we took a bit of a dip as the home support was then treated to 20 or so minutes of foot-off-the-gas Irish. They weren't bad per se but the stair-rod rain had made the ball slippy (both sides guilty of spilling the soap-bar pill) and Saracens made good use of their lions-share of the possession by drawing a penalty and kicking it. They managed three, mostly from around the half-way. The offences by Irish, though, were not of a particularly worrying kind, all were (from my one-eye) 50/50 calls from a referee who was, if I must be charitable, "inconsistent".
I'm not going to bang on about the ref, I found him bizarre, my favourite of the three penalties awarded to Sarries was out towards the west-stand where Mr Robertson called Early Release from the Bind... in open play. The offence may have been something else but that, ladies and gentlemen, is what he signaled. As I say, bizarre, I'll try not to mention him again (but I'm afraid I'm going to).
With Sarries 7 points clear from little territorial advantage we were beginning to look a tad worried. They were certainly playing the cleverer game and we seemed unable to hold onto the ball long enough to make our ambitious running-game stick. Either the ball dried out or the boys got their acts together as it all began to click.
Michael Horak made a bid to oust young Master Armitage from his shirt. Orak had a good solid game at 15 and this move showed him back at his scintillating best. The ever-fantastic Juan Leguizamon made a great break through the centre, putting Sarrries defence on the back-foot, Rees got the ball away quickly and the mid-field continued the move to the wing where Michael had no space at all. The full-back showed he's not a spent force by dodging one tackle and breaking another before making a sprint for the line. Superb stuff. Barry helped calm everyone down by slotting the kick to tie the score.
Juan was obviously upset that one of the backs finished off the move he so carefully crafted as he then joined Horak on the score-sheet with a lovely break off the back of a scrum. Geezer does seem to love running centre's lines and crashed through to put Irish ahead at the break. Barry added the extras too.
At half-time I was reasonably confident. 19 -12 up and looking to be firing at long-last. The forwards were really firing, securing the breakdown, line-outs were only going one-way and towards the end of the first half Saracens' scrum was really beginning to creak.
Right from the restart Irish showed they weren't repeating their second-half absence against Bristol. I have to admit I missed the build-up, Baz's wife Janet came to see me, it was lovely to see both of them at the game, and in chatting I missed the build-up. I looked up to see Richie Rees, in amongst the desperate Sarries defenders, dropping onto a ball. Try! Must have taken about 15 seconds from the K.O. Barry added the conversion.
With the worst possible start to the half, when they needed a big one you can forgive Saracens heads dropping a little. The next try from Riki must have rocked them to their boots. From the restart the visitors applied a fair bit of pressure and tried hard to work the ball through, first with their forwards and then to the backs. A wayward final pass to the wing - forced, perhaps, by a rushing Riki Flutey - looked to be going into touch but the Kiwi wasn't finished. Running the long way around his man Riki kicked the ball forward and the chase was on. Delon managed to get his foot to it just as a diving defender got his hands to it. The result was that Delon went down and tangled with the defender leaving Riki behind him to chip the ball into the in-goal and drop onto it. Delight for the home team, despair for the visitors. Again Barry added the 2.
Ten minutes into the half and the game was surely ours! 33 - 12 up and causing problems everywhere but, of course, this is Irish. We've all seen bigger leads than this thrown away...
As ever from the boys in green a big lead led to a tiny bit of taking a breather and the visitors were allowed a good few overlaps, some quite alarming and one leading to a fine try. The Saracens backs seemed to have discovered an open hole in the Irish pattern and ran through it repeatedly. Finally the three-on-one was too much for Michael Horak who did his level best to stop the inevitable but Kameli Ratuvou made the score. Jackson, however missed the conversion.
Spurred on by the try Sarries pushed very hard indeed and caused a lot of discomfort for our boys. The penalties they were generating now were being taken as scrums - three pointers weren't enough and the idea that Sarries would ever win a lineout was, at this point, unlikely. The visitors tried their hardest but were held back ably by the thin green line. One penalty taken as a scrum was awarded a penalty try much to the amazement of everyone in the stadium.
For people who witnessed our games against Leeds and Worcester in previous years when we've seen defences kill the ball again and again with guys being shown yellow-cards and STILL not seeing a penalty try given it was a little confusing to see one given to a team from an isolated scrum, for collapsing it, when it was still moving, and the attacking scrum-half had the ball in his hands.
Let's be clear here - the law is:
If a player would probably have scored a try but for foul play by an opponent, a penalty try is awarded between the goal posts.
That's it, so all we can say is that Mr Robertson thought a try would probably have been scored. I can see his point, I'm absolutely sure he was right that we were trying to kill it but a penalty try was a very unexpected decision at that point. For something that sure I'd have expected a yellow card too. Perhaps he was actually doing us a favour. It didn't feel like it though. The extras were a given.
It was beginning to look like we were going to buckle, it must have looked that way on the pitch too as fingers were, collectively, pulled-out. Irish began to play a more circumspect game, keeping Sarries in their half, kicking deep for territory and trying to break through their lines again.
One such attempt saw Sarries tight-head Ben Broster leave the field for a shoulder barge off the ball on Delon who was (surprise!) chipping and chasing. It was actually a good chance and Delon was definitely taken out (no Oscar was required this time). Barry took the points and the scoring was finished.
Full time was called, eventually, and Irish had won 36 - 24. Take away the penalty try and I'd call that a fair score, We'd dominated most aspects of the game for much of the match and taken the chances when they were offered.
Final word, I guess, has to be about the much anticipated Andy Farrell. As you can see he doesn't get much of a mention above. So he gets one here.
To the game. A brisk start came to nothing, it was clear from early on that the Irish forwards had been told in no uncertain terms that their performance against Bristol was not to be repeated. They were abrasive and in Saracens' faces from the off. Such endeavours can be overdone and lead to indiscipline, initially this did seem possible - Glen Jackson kicked a penalty at first time of asking - but was quickly reined back to a good level of control.
This control was evident after the penalty as Irish made good ground and eventually picked up a five-metre scrum. Anyone worried by Dodge's enforced absence quickly breathed a sigh of relief as newboy Richie Rees showed his class. Picking up off the base Richie made to go right and the Saracens defence bought the move leaving a huge gap for the scrum-half to jink and wriggle through for a score on his home debut.
Barry brought a few worried glances as his conversion attempt, from a position you'd normally bet your house on him getting, bounced off the post but we were 5 -3 to the good and looking capable of scoring tries at long last.
From here we took a bit of a dip as the home support was then treated to 20 or so minutes of foot-off-the-gas Irish. They weren't bad per se but the stair-rod rain had made the ball slippy (both sides guilty of spilling the soap-bar pill) and Saracens made good use of their lions-share of the possession by drawing a penalty and kicking it. They managed three, mostly from around the half-way. The offences by Irish, though, were not of a particularly worrying kind, all were (from my one-eye) 50/50 calls from a referee who was, if I must be charitable, "inconsistent".
I'm not going to bang on about the ref, I found him bizarre, my favourite of the three penalties awarded to Sarries was out towards the west-stand where Mr Robertson called Early Release from the Bind... in open play. The offence may have been something else but that, ladies and gentlemen, is what he signaled. As I say, bizarre, I'll try not to mention him again (but I'm afraid I'm going to).
With Sarries 7 points clear from little territorial advantage we were beginning to look a tad worried. They were certainly playing the cleverer game and we seemed unable to hold onto the ball long enough to make our ambitious running-game stick. Either the ball dried out or the boys got their acts together as it all began to click.
Michael Horak made a bid to oust young Master Armitage from his shirt. Orak had a good solid game at 15 and this move showed him back at his scintillating best. The ever-fantastic Juan Leguizamon made a great break through the centre, putting Sarrries defence on the back-foot, Rees got the ball away quickly and the mid-field continued the move to the wing where Michael had no space at all. The full-back showed he's not a spent force by dodging one tackle and breaking another before making a sprint for the line. Superb stuff. Barry helped calm everyone down by slotting the kick to tie the score.
Juan was obviously upset that one of the backs finished off the move he so carefully crafted as he then joined Horak on the score-sheet with a lovely break off the back of a scrum. Geezer does seem to love running centre's lines and crashed through to put Irish ahead at the break. Barry added the extras too.
At half-time I was reasonably confident. 19 -12 up and looking to be firing at long-last. The forwards were really firing, securing the breakdown, line-outs were only going one-way and towards the end of the first half Saracens' scrum was really beginning to creak.
Right from the restart Irish showed they weren't repeating their second-half absence against Bristol. I have to admit I missed the build-up, Baz's wife Janet came to see me, it was lovely to see both of them at the game, and in chatting I missed the build-up. I looked up to see Richie Rees, in amongst the desperate Sarries defenders, dropping onto a ball. Try! Must have taken about 15 seconds from the K.O. Barry added the conversion.
With the worst possible start to the half, when they needed a big one you can forgive Saracens heads dropping a little. The next try from Riki must have rocked them to their boots. From the restart the visitors applied a fair bit of pressure and tried hard to work the ball through, first with their forwards and then to the backs. A wayward final pass to the wing - forced, perhaps, by a rushing Riki Flutey - looked to be going into touch but the Kiwi wasn't finished. Running the long way around his man Riki kicked the ball forward and the chase was on. Delon managed to get his foot to it just as a diving defender got his hands to it. The result was that Delon went down and tangled with the defender leaving Riki behind him to chip the ball into the in-goal and drop onto it. Delight for the home team, despair for the visitors. Again Barry added the 2.
Ten minutes into the half and the game was surely ours! 33 - 12 up and causing problems everywhere but, of course, this is Irish. We've all seen bigger leads than this thrown away...
As ever from the boys in green a big lead led to a tiny bit of taking a breather and the visitors were allowed a good few overlaps, some quite alarming and one leading to a fine try. The Saracens backs seemed to have discovered an open hole in the Irish pattern and ran through it repeatedly. Finally the three-on-one was too much for Michael Horak who did his level best to stop the inevitable but Kameli Ratuvou made the score. Jackson, however missed the conversion.
Spurred on by the try Sarries pushed very hard indeed and caused a lot of discomfort for our boys. The penalties they were generating now were being taken as scrums - three pointers weren't enough and the idea that Sarries would ever win a lineout was, at this point, unlikely. The visitors tried their hardest but were held back ably by the thin green line. One penalty taken as a scrum was awarded a penalty try much to the amazement of everyone in the stadium.
For people who witnessed our games against Leeds and Worcester in previous years when we've seen defences kill the ball again and again with guys being shown yellow-cards and STILL not seeing a penalty try given it was a little confusing to see one given to a team from an isolated scrum, for collapsing it, when it was still moving, and the attacking scrum-half had the ball in his hands.
Let's be clear here - the law is:
If a player would probably have scored a try but for foul play by an opponent, a penalty try is awarded between the goal posts.
That's it, so all we can say is that Mr Robertson thought a try would probably have been scored. I can see his point, I'm absolutely sure he was right that we were trying to kill it but a penalty try was a very unexpected decision at that point. For something that sure I'd have expected a yellow card too. Perhaps he was actually doing us a favour. It didn't feel like it though. The extras were a given.
It was beginning to look like we were going to buckle, it must have looked that way on the pitch too as fingers were, collectively, pulled-out. Irish began to play a more circumspect game, keeping Sarries in their half, kicking deep for territory and trying to break through their lines again.
One such attempt saw Sarries tight-head Ben Broster leave the field for a shoulder barge off the ball on Delon who was (surprise!) chipping and chasing. It was actually a good chance and Delon was definitely taken out (no Oscar was required this time). Barry took the points and the scoring was finished.
Full time was called, eventually, and Irish had won 36 - 24. Take away the penalty try and I'd call that a fair score, We'd dominated most aspects of the game for much of the match and taken the chances when they were offered.
Final word, I guess, has to be about the much anticipated Andy Farrell. As you can see he doesn't get much of a mention above. So he gets one here.
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