Five-try champions back to winning ways against Ospreys
AFTER an eerily quiet opening quarter, debutant Elliot Daly sparked Saracens to herald a trademark demolition of Welsh opposition which did much to boost their spirits after a tumultuous fortnight.
Saracens haven’t lost against Welsh opponents in Europe since 2001 and were always in total control against a very limited Ospreys side much weakened by injuries this season.
During that first 20 minutes the only cheer from a subdued home crowd was when the face of owner Nigel Wray appeared on the big screen, but as their team went to work and the win became inevitable the mood lightened and by the final whistle it was all smiles.
This was an important win for all sorts of reasons, not least because it makes an unanswerable case to the EPCR over their resting or rotating players in the remainder of the tournament.
Yesterday Saracens continued to leave out England World Cup stars Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola while Jamie George played only a cameo off the bench and Liam Williams, Alex Goode and Juan Figallo have long term injuries. Yet they still obliterated Wales’ sole representative in the tournament.
Going forward therefore, if Saracens want to rest big name players in favour of them concentrating on the Premiership as they start the task of recouping that 35 point penalty, so be it. The European authorities will have no case to bring if this Saracens side can score 44 points and six unanswered tries against theoretically the strongest side in Wales.
To the possible annoyance of their detractors, it was Saracens’ homegrown cut-price products who largely produced the goods, along with their one big summer signing Daly who made an assured debut at full-back where he is likely to continue n the enforced absence of Goode and Williams.
Saracens’ stand-outs were their unheralded halfbacks Manu Vunipola and Tom Whitely, their homegrown young flier Rotimi Segun and their Academy products in the back row, Ben Earl and Nick Isiekwe.
Making a huge contribution off the bench were follow young guns Josh Ibuanokpe and Joel Kpoku. All of them seem set for some major game time over the coming months which ultimately will benefit England as much as Saracens.
At the start it was difficult to gauge whether it was the early kick-off, underwhelming opponents or a certain wariness from the crowd about their heroes that made for the funereal atmosphere. Certainly the crowd didn’t find their voice until hooker Jack Singleton crossed for the first Sarries try after 20 minutes which built on two earlier penalties, one apiece for Daly and Vunipola.
That was the catalyst and from that moment Saracens and their fans were in total harmony. The next try was a cracker from Segun, a proper speed merchant who was sent sprinting home by a nicely-timed pass from Daly.
In the build-up the move had threatened to break down when the ball was spilled in midfield but
Whitely, thinking on his feet, kicked the ball out wide to Daly rather than risk regathering and spilling.
There are some who suggested that luck might have played a part but any regulars at the Rosslyn Park Sevens when Whitely used to guide his all-conquering Millfield team will recall he
constantly came up with instinctive plays .
That put Saracens fully in control and they rammed home the advantage just before half-time with a nicely-taken try by Alex Lewington.
The game was done and dusted and after half-time Saracens garnered their try bonus before emptying the bench. They achieved the former with Segun’s second try, with the right wing again profiting from a superb Daly offload
Further scores came via a penalty try – which denied Earl who was simultaneously touching down anyway – and Richard Barrington who barrelled his way over. Normal service well and truly resumed.