Martle's Place

SARACENS V LONDON WASPS



GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP

SARACENS - THE MEN IN PINK

Saracens lost out 29-40 in an eleven-try thriller at Vicarage Road in the Guinness Premiership on Sunday after coming from behind to almost snatch an unlikely victory. Trailing 12-35 at the break despite scoring the first try of the game, Saracens crossed the line three times in the second half with Francisco Leonelli grabbing a hatrick but in the end an off day with the boot from Glen Jackson and with time running out the Men in Pink had to settle for a try bonus point.

The visitors served a warning to their championship rivals with an impressive first half performance with young Danny Cipriani at the helm helping them to five tries, but in the second period a mixture of Saracens’ desire and Wasps’ being out on their feet after three games in eight days meant for a close finish.

Saracens started brightly and put pressure on Wasps from the kick off earning Glen Jackson an early chance to trouble the scoreboard after Wasps were caught napping in midfield and were penalised for offside.

Uncharacteristically Jackson miscued his first attempt and the chance went begging but a minute later and his services were being called on again, this time to convert Francisco Leonelli’s 3rd minute try. The Argentinean winger was on the end of some great play after Adam Powell had brushed off the tackle of Cipriani before offloading to Richard Haughton, who showed good awareness, as he slipped a quick pass onto Leonelli who then beat the covering defence to the line.

With Jackson adding the conversion Saracens were 7-0 up and looking good but that’s where it ended for the Men in Pink as they suffered a disastrous 8 minutes in which they not only lost the lead but pretty much the game.

From the restart Hugh Vyvyan was unlucky to have the ball slapped from his clutches as he took the high ball and Raphael Ibanez was fortunate as the ball landed in his arms and the hooker raced towards the line with Saracens flat footed to level the scores.

A minute later and it wasn’t bad luck that cost Saracens a second try after a wayward pass meant for the easiest try Tom Voyce has ever scored as all the winger had to do was drop on the ball as it bobbled at his feet on the Saracens try line. The score was all the more annoying for the home side as they looked to have snuffed out a promising Wasps attack and had turned over the ball in their 22 with the intention of clearing their line.

The hammer blow came in the 11th minute as wave after wave of Wasps attack ended up with Saracens stretched on the half way line. Scrum half Eoin Reddan fed the ball to Cipriani who then shaped to pass before dummying Neil de Kock and slipping through the gap and passing to Dominic Waldock with the young centre speeding down the wing for a well worked try.

With Cipriani in rich form with the boot converting all three tries Wasps were 7-21 up in a frenetic opening 11 minutes and Saracens were left dazed. They did rally for 10 minutes before conceding Wasps bonus point earning fourth try.

Richard Haughton raced back to beautifully field a kick ahead by Waldock inches short of the try line and the full back even had the foresight to recycle the ball despite being under immense pressure. Unfortunately, in a carbon copy of last weekend against Gloucester, Neil de Kock’s clearance box kick failed to find touch and Cipriani sent a perfectly weighted cross-field kick to the patiently waiting Paul Sackey who walked in to score unopposed.

With Cirpiani on target again to make the score 7-28 Wasps were almost out of sight and some of Saracens’ shoulders began to drop.

Glen Jackson was charged down twice as he tried to clear his line as the fly half had noticeably lost the spring in his step and but for a back peddling Adam Powell it would have been worse as the young centre beat Lewsey to the ball as it bobbled around behind the posts.

With 10 minutes remaining Saracens finally managed to gain a bit of continuity and looked dangerous with the ball in hand. A series of phases saw Wasps stretched in midfield and when Jackson span a long pass to Haughton the full back drifted wide onto the pass handing Saracens an overlap and he committed Lewsey to put Leonelli in for his second try of the game.

Wasps, however, weren’t finished and they mounted a sustained period of pressure inside the Saracens 22 which was clinically finished by Waldock after Cipriani’s half break in midfield saw the centre run on to his flat pass to score under the posts.

As the teams headed for the changing room the signs were ominous for the home side. They were 12-35 adrift and firmly second best in the opening period. Wasps were trying to cement their place in the Play Offs, Saracens knew that their chance had gone.

Saracens needed to start the second half well if they were to have any chance of getting something out of the game but in the 46th minute Fabio Ongaro’s wayward pass was seized by Sackey and he put Reddan in for a simple score in the corner to push the score to 12-40 and the game looked to be over.

Wasps must have thought that this killer try would have seen the home side retreating back into their shells but to their credit the score signalled a remarkable fight back.

Leonelli was first to cross the line after Saracens went through repeated phases and, rather than spilling the ball when going into contact as they in the first half, they offloaded and recycled with marvellous efficiency and in the end Leonelli was on the end of Jackson’s pass to race in unopposed for his hatrick.

Jackson again couldn’t hit the target so the score remained at 17-40 but there was a sign of confidence from the home side.

A few minutes later and Matt Cairns, who was on for Ongaro, was hurtling into the Wasps 22 after a good break from Ben Skirving. He was tackled by Lewsey but the Saracens cavalry arrived and James Haskell, who had only just come on as a replacement himself, was sent to the bin for slowing the ball down.

With a man advantage Saracens made quick work of their next score as the visitors were stretched with Saracens ambitious play. Richard Haughton was on the end of a long miss pass as the visitors ran out of defenders and the full back plucked the ball from the air and touched down for a bonus point winning try.

Jackson’s poor afternoon with the boot continued and his tricky conversion attempt was well wide which meant that instead of being just a few points behind Saracens still had plenty to do at 22-40 but this didn’t dampen his side’s spirits.

With 10 minutes remaining Saracens captain Neil de Kock had the 13,000 plus crowd on their feet as he broke free of a tackle on the Wasps 22 and then ran round Lewsey to score Saracens’ fifth try under the posts. Jackson managed to land the simple conversion and amazingly Saracens were just 11 points off at 29-40.

The final few minutes of the game saw Saracens go in search of what would have been the comeback of the century but time ran out for the home side and they were left to rue a first half performance riddled with errors and poor defence.

Wasps, who would have hoped for an easier ride in the second half, left Watford with five points in the bin and now have a rest, which they’ll need after their exploits.

Saracens will at least have shown a glimmer of the character they will need to compete with Muntser in the Heineken Semi Finals, a glimmer mind you and Alan Gaffney and his charges have much to do ahead of the clash in 7 days time.

PICTURE GALLERY

All the pictures taken at the game