Saracens ease past limited Lyon
On a day on which an all-Gallagher Premiership match failed to establish an English winner, Saracens demonstrated why they remain the country’s standard bearers in the Heineken Champions Cup with the most routine of victories.
They left it late, however, to confirm the bonus point against a limited, loose Lyon side. Having racked up three tries by 46 minutes, Saracens scored their fourth with three minutes left, replacement wing Alex Lewington picking a gorgeous line to go over in the corner.
“It was a scratchy, patchy performance for us but we got the job done,” Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, said. “That’s the important thing. We got off to a flier last year in this competition and were unbelievable against Northampton and Ospreys. But you have to play your best rugby at the end and not start of the competition. We’re unbeaten and have played some good rugby but today was a reminder we have to get better.”
There was a sigh of relief all round, with England head coach Eddie Jones receiving a clean bill of health after last week’s damaging Glasgow encounter, and encouraging report cards for Owen Farrell, who kicked exquisitely, and Maro Itoje, who capped an effervescent performance with a strip-sack try.
Look after the ball and the ball will look after you. Saracens did and Lyon, conspicuously, did not in an opening 20 minutes that more or less decided the outcome. After Farrell kicked a third-minute penalty, Lyon second row Etienne Oosthuizen carried into conthey tact only to be stripped off the ball by Itoje. Having demonstrated that feat of strength, the England lock displayed a neat turn of pace to outsprint JeanMarc Doussain from the halfway line.
Worse was to follow for Doussain. With Saracens sniffing around the 22, Alex Goode attempted a grubber past the Lyon defensive line. Sweeping round, Doussain read the play but failed to read the bounce on the artificial pitch, spilling the ball to Sean Maitland who accepted a gift-wrapped try.
Lionel Beauxis got Lyon on the scoreboard with a penalty before, early in the second half, Saracens brought up their 100th try in the competition. Itoje claimed a close-range line-out and Barritt emerged from the maul to score. Lyon raised their game and, with 10 minutes to go, Doussain’s quick tap penalty allowed replacement Virgile Lacombe to plunge over.
Scores 3-0 Farrell pen; 8-0 Itoje try; 10-0 Farrell con; 15-0 Maitland try; 17-0 Farrell con; 17-3 Beauxis pen; 22-3 Barritt try; 24-3 Farrell con; 24-8 Lacombe try; 24-10 Beauxis con; 29-10 Lewington try. Saracens A Goode; L Williams, N Tompkins (M Bosch 71), B Barritt, S Maitland (A Lewington 59); O Farrell, B Spencer (R Wigglesworth 56); R Barrington (H Thompson-Stringer 71), J George (C Tolofua 61), V Koch (T Lamositele 61), W Skelton (S Burger 51), G Kruis, M Itoje, M Rhodes (B Earl 68), J Wray. Lyon J-M Buttin; T Arnold, R Wulf (PL Barassi 63), A Seguert, A Palisson; L Beauxis, J-M Doussain (Q Delord75); H Kaabeche (A Buckle 49), J Maurouard (V Lacombe 49), C Ric (R Choirat 49-75), F Lambey, E Oosthuizen (F van der Merwe 70), D Cretin, P Sobela, D Fourie (C Fearns 56). Referee G Clancy.