Saracens hit back with big win over Jersey
REJUVENATED Saracens put last week’s shock defeat in Cornwall firmly behind them with a dominant win over Jersey.
They had the bonus point secured by half-time – Alex Lewington with a brace, plus scores from the lively Elliott Obatoyinbo and Duncan Taylor – before consolidating their dominance after the interval.
Obatoyinbo added his second, before Rotimi Segun got in on the act, first by taking a perfectly weighted short pass from man of the match Aled Davies, and then teeing up captain Jackson Wray from 30 metres.
“It felt more like us today,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall. “There was a different mentality from the playing group. Senior guys took charge, like Jackson Wray, who was magnificent.
“Our scrum still needs work – it wasn’t great in that first 15 minutes – but there were no strong words this week. We played with a different intensity than last week, and that’s where we want to be all the time.”
The Reds, playing their first competitive game in over a year, struggled to match the pace of a Saracens back division which punched holes and found space at will, but did claim a consolation try early in the second period.
Replacement hooker Jack Macfarlane was the quickest to react to the loose ball following Sean O’Connor’s charge down, but the hosts always had an extra gear.
Jersey boss Harvey Biljon said: “I’m really proud of the players. Coming away to Saracens for your first game of the season when they’re going to be pretty ramped up, I thought we acquitted ourselves really well.
“We had a couple of moments when but for the luck of the bounce of a ball or a slightly better scrum we missed an opportunity, but they showed their class.
“That’s a physicality that our players will not have been used to over the past 12 months, but they didn’t stop for 80 minutes.”
After the reverse at Pirates, McCall was after a fast start but it was Jersey who came out firing. Brendan Cope stroked over a penalty after 90 seconds which set the tone for a fast start from the islanders.
Hooker TJ Harris was electric, offering himself as a willing ball carrier at every opportunity, as was the abrasive Max Argyle, who was relentless in his desire to play on the front foot. But, as they so often do, Saracens exploited the first real Jersey mistake.
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