Big guns starting to fire for Saracens
SARACENS delivered an ominous signal to the rest of European club rugby that reverberated far beyond the Challenge Cup as they produced a ruthless display.
Propelled by their England stars, the three-time Champions Cup winners combined power, pragmatism, brains and dashes of flair to provide a firm reality check to Gloucester.
The Cherry and Whites had dismembered Bath here only six days earlier in a 64-0 Premiership rout, but they were given a severe schooling in knockout rugby by a Saracens side that is showing signs of coming to the boil at the perfect time.
Either Toulon or London Irish will be Sarries’ opponents in the semi-final, but they won’t be the only sides jolted to attention by this uncompromising display, which saw Owen Farrell, Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje all play starring roles.
Saracens’ play-off rivals in the Premiership will also have noted that this was close to vintage stuff, with established figures gelling well with newer faces, not least the assured flanker Theo McFarland.
Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, hailed his senior players.
“Big Maro was back somewhere near his best and Owen led the team magnificently,” he said. “I thought Billy was incredible. His carrying in the opening 20 minutes was a different level.
“It was a good team performance. Most of the areas of our game were really strong and when we had our chances we generally capitalised, and we defended most of their mauls really well.”
It was Gloucester’s first loss at home to an English club in the Challenge Cup for 20 years, and the first time they have conceded more than 40 points this season.
The worrying signs were there from the off for the Cherry and Whites, with Vunipola playing like a man on a mission.
Sarries led 16-5 at halftime courtesy of a try by Aled Davies and some sumptuous kicking by Farrell, who did not miss all night. But it was the things that Sarries were doing in their own half that were just as telling, and which indicated that they had Gloucester’s number.
This was highlighted on the stroke of half-time when Itoje pinched a lineout, just when the home side and their try-scoring hooker Jack Singleton were looking well-positioned for their second.
Adam Hastings kicked a penalty to reduce the gap to 16-8 after the break, but that was as good as it got for Gloucester who were then subjected to a 28-point hurricane in 25 minutes.
Itoje, Nick Tompkins, Jamie George and Duncan Taylor all crossed for Saracens, with the horror only slightly eased for the home fans by a late Louis ReesZammit consolation.
George could consider himself fortunate to still be on the pitch after a high first-half hit on Jordy Reid was punished with just a yellow, while Gloucester had card troubles of their own with Ollie Thorley and Val Rapava-Ruskin both sin-binned.
George played up to the pantomime boos when he was replaced in the second half and left the field with an enormous grin across his face. And well he might – for this was Saracens back to their familiar trophy-winning standard.