FAX HEROES MUST GRIX IT WITH THE BEST
BRADFORD HALIFAX
OWEN FARRELL and his Red Rose pals used lessons learned from England’s Six Nations collapse against Scotland to transform Saracens into double Double winners.
So believes team boss Mark McCall after seeing his north London band of invincibles come back from the sporting dead to thrillingly retain their Premiership title.
Eleven weeks after England coughed up a 31-0 Calcutta Cup lead and subbed their captain when his side completely lost their way, Farrell was back at Twickenham.
Again he was under his own posts with the game seemingly slipping away, Chiefs up by 11 points heading into the final quarter. This time he knew what to do.
“We’ve got a choice to make,” said Farrell, refocusing his team-mates. “We either roll over and die or we have a crack at this.”
Saracens won the restart, the flyhalf put the ball on a sixpence for Liam Williams – and the Welshman leapt high to spark an unanswered burst of three converted tries.
“It was our England players who led the charge,” said McCall. “They were the ones who were calm, who were like, ’Let’s properly go for it now because we have got nothing to lose’.
“We looked dead on our feet when they scored and it was 27-16. We were second best at everything. HALIFAX coach Simon Grix admitted his part-time team face the biggest challenge in rugby league after drawing St Helens in their first Challenge Cup semi-final since 1988.
James Woodburn-Hall’s superb late try saw them edge past Championship rivals Bradford in a thrilling clash. And former Warrington back- rower Exeter were phenomenal. We couldn’t control them.
“But it is amazing what your emotions do to you. The last 20 minutes we looked like we had all the energy in the world. Owen and Richard Wigglesworth were masterful in how they controlled it.”
The contrast could not have been greater in March when Scotland scored 38 points without reply to turn humiliation into a famous draw.
“The players didn’t mention that game specifically, but I know against Gloucester in last week’s semi-final it was in the back of their minds,” added McCall.
“It was definitely a factor at halftime about what we needed to do and how we were going to attack.” Those who doubted Farrell are not Grix, in just his sixth game in charge, insisted his side has little chance of upsetting the runaway Super League leaders.
He said: “We’ll be everybody’s underdogs and people will want us to go and do well.
“This will be our final. We’re not going on the day with any expectation of winning, but hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves. We’ll have so vocal now. The cream of Ireland, Scotland and England have all been made to pay. Not just by him – by Jamie George, Billy Vunipola and man-of-the-match Maro Itoje.
The biggest winners, alongside Saracens, are England, whose coach Eddie Jones voiced concern postScotland that his players were mentally weak.
Since then, Farrell has not lost a match and Sarries have bagged their second domestic and European double in four seasons.
Next stop the World Cup. EXETER – Tries: White, Ewers, J Hill, Slade, S Hill.
Cons: J Simmonds 3. Pen: J Simmonds.
SARACENS – Tries:
George 2, Spencer, L Williams, Maitland. Cons:
Farrell 3, Pens: Farrell 2. people on roofs, fitting boilers and laying bricks tomorrow – and after that we can prepare ourselves for what will be a big experience.”
Grix had an outstanding performance from rotund stand-off Scott Murrell, who later tweeted a shirtless picture of himself alongside Anthony Joshua’s conqueror Andy Ruiz saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Fax trailed 6-0 at the break after a try to Rowan Milnes before he was stretchered off with a broken leg. The lead then changed hands four times in 23 minutes, with Steve Tyrer (left, celebrating) and Scott Grix trading tries with James Webster and Matty Wildie.
Bradford were back in front with six minutes remaining before Woodburn-Hall, who was on dual registration at Hunslet last week, cut through and dummied over for the winner.
Bulls coach John Kear said: “We’re intensely disappointed. It was a huge opportunity and could have gone either way.”
Coral Challenge Cup semifinal draw: Warrington Wolves v Hull FC; St Helens v Halifax