By Darraghgirl
October 30 2006

Glen Jackson's injury time interception try netted Sarries a bonus point in Narbonne, but it wasn't that easy for them as the home side ran them close right up until five minutes from time. The South of France is a great place to watch rugby. We spent a balmy sunny day enjoying fois gras and cassoulet al fresco, debating whether the Corbiere was better than the Minervois and whether it was possible to get from Perpignan after the Wasps game in time to reach Narbonne for a 7.30 kick-off – probably not (a few Wasps fans fancied swelling the crowd). Never mind we persuaded a few of the Oirish to join us before their trip to Toulouse.

And so to the Park des Sports & Amitie. First pleasant surprise – you could park outside for nothing. Second pleasant surprise – they do enormous chip butties. Third less pleasant not surprise, all the sarries fans were bunched up in the left hand corner. Report writing wasn’t helped by the lack of a programme or a visible scoreboard and all the announcements in French.

Sarries took the field in their dashing new away kit greeted by a huge cheer from their travelling fans (who made up about a third of the crowd). Narbonne almost crept on apologetically to barely a whimper wearing black with orange trim. Mr Clancy, the Irish referee was appropriately in green.

Within 4 minutes Sarries had a penalty 35m out towards the left touch-line. We were confident. Jackson has been kicking these in his sleep. But not today, the ball went wide. Within 5 minutes Sarries had their first try. They managed to wheel the Narbonne scrum and force a free kick from which de Kock was able to score under the posts. Jackson converted for 7-0.

From the restart Sarries gave away a penalty which Ruiz kicked for 7-3. Shortly afterwards the fisticuffs started when Ryder was taken out by Uys. The referee awarded a penalty again wide on the left but on the 22. This time Jackson converted. 10-3. A few minutes later Sarries showed their leaky defence again when Tomiki raced through and shook off a despairing tackle by Jackson to score. Ruiz converted for 10-10.

Now the punch up began in earnest as Ongaro got upset with Tournaire when he was held on the floor. They both went to the sin-bin but Sarries were awarded the penalty and Jackson scored. 13-10. Shortly afterwards an attempted drop-goal from Jackson missed then the moment we were waiting for – a scrum and on came Mullet at the expense of Dave Seymour. We needn’t have worried, Sarries secured the ball and Vyvyan got the ball out to Vaikona who passed the ball to de Kock. He then ran 2/3 of the length of the field, schimmied around a despairing Narbonne defender and scored. Jackson converted for 20-10.

Shortly after Mullet appeared at scrum half after de Kock got buried but Ratuvou couldn’t hang on to the pass when a try was on down the left wing. Minutes later a Sarries line out. Mullet had the ball in his hands. We held our breath but just in time Ongaro returned to the pitch and the line out was won.

5 minutes before half time Sarries were down to 14 men when Ryder was sin-binned for a late tackle and Ruiz scored from the penalty. 20-13. Now some of the refereeing was getting dodgy. Sarries, by far the superior scrummagers even without Ryder were penalised when they appeared to have won good ball. Ruiz missed the kick from the half way line. Sarries fans sang out “You’re not very good” although whether they were referring to Ruiz or the Referee was unclear.

Half-time. Sarries led by 20-13. The half-time entertainment consisted of a large number of bats flying around in the flood lights.

Into the second half, still a man down and Sarries were beginning to concede a number of increasingly dubious penalties. Strong defence was called on deep in their 22 when Narbonne won a succession of line-outs on the Sarries’ 5m line (despite them being far from straight. I know, I was right in line!). Eventually Jackson cleared the ball upfield. We held our breath again as the number board flashed up “2” and “16”. Surely it wasn’t Mullet time already? We breathed again as Narbonne swapped their hookers.

Sarries now back at full strength began to pressurise Narbonne once more. A Seymour steal from a Narbonne lineout gave Jackson the chance for a Drop Goal. 23-13. Now the Mighty Ches, sole survivor of Saracens’ last venture to Narbonne, took the field for Skirving. Narbonne managed to pass the ball downfield then Ruiz ran through the Sarries defence as if they were the line of Roman columns that line the road outside the stadium. He converted his own try and now Narbonne were back within 3 points. 23-20.

Sarries began piling on the pressure but again and again were being penalised for going over the top. Perhaps as a result of frustration, the Sarries scrum got an enormous heave on and pushed Narbonne almost over the try line but the ball somehow came out to Narbonne and Noutary cleared. Sarries conceded yet another penalty, this one within range. It looked like 23 all but somehow Ruiz missed. Meanwhile de Kock, who had a superb game, took a kick to the head and was replaced by Dickens.

Tevita almost scored but was pulled down just short of the try line. Minutes later he was almost there again this time forcing a 5m scrum. Narbonne pulled it down – penalty and another scrum. Again Narbonne offended – another scrum. Narbonne offended for the third time. Surely that must be a penalty try. Oh for Tim Hayes!!! The 4th scrum got the ball over the line but was held up. The 5th scrum came down again and finally the referee went under the posts. Jackson converted for 30-20.

Farrell crept on almost unnoticed. With only 1 minute left, surely the game was safe. Even the sight of Mullet on for Ongaro couldn’t be too bad could it? Mullet threw in – straight, but to Narbonne! But all was not lost, Jackson intercepted the pass and scored under the posts. He converted with the last kick of the match for a well deserved 37-20 victory and a bonus point.

According to the Narbonne guide book, in 739, the French threw the Saracens out of Narbonne. In 2006 the Saracens finally got their revenge !


Scorers: Saracens; tries de Kock (2) 9, 24, Penalty try 76, Jackson 82;
Coversions Jackson 4, Penalties Jackson 2; Drop goals Jackson 1
Narbonne: tries Tomiki 15 Ruiz 54, Conversions 2 Ruiz, Penalties 2, Ruiz

Scoring sequence (Sarries first) 7-0, 7-3, 10-3, 10-10, 13-10, 20-10, 20-13 (HT) 23-13, 23-20, 30-20, 37-20)

Saracens; Scarborough, Vaikona, Sorrell, Johnston, Ratuvou, Jackson, de Kock (Dickens 70), Yates, Ongaro (Byrne 75), Visagie, Ryder, Raiwalui (c), Vyvyan (Farrell 78), Seymour, Skirving (Chesney 53)

RCNM: Noutary (Nadal), Negre-Guthier (Plante 62), Benassis, Mazars, Candelon (Nadal), Ruiz, Seron (Balue 62), Ducalcon, Algret (Rofes 47), Tournaire, Michaux, Uys (Eksteen 62), Tomiki (Beaux 54/75), Bisaro (c), Haare

Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)

Attendance 5,000 (RCNM website – I rather doubt it)