Euro stars Saracens turn on the style to down Ospreys
If the impact of their crippling salarycap sanctions has forced Saracens to prioritise Premiership survival ahead of the defence of their Champions Cup title, there was little evidence on show as this six-try victory kept their European campaign firmly alive.
There may have been an almost eerily muted start to the contest, Saracens’ first appearance at Allianz Park since the club opted not to contest the 35-point deduction and £5.36 million fine by Premiership Rugby for breaching the salary cap in each of the last three seasons.
And yet by the final quarter, it was as if the controversy had never happened as Mark McCall’s side powered to a crushing bonus-point victory in a party atmosphere, a result that all but ended the Ospreys’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
McCall insisted his side had not given up hope of a record third successive Champions Cup triumph, even if their dire predicament in the league – they are on -22 points, 26 behind Leicester Tigers in 11th place – had forced a major rethink over the deployment of their England contingent following their return from the World Cup in Japan.
“If we get through to the quarterfinals we’ve got a chance, a good chance,” said McCall who hinted that Owen Farrell, Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje – who have been rested since their return from Tokyo – could be in line for a return for Saracens’ Premiership match against Bath on Friday.
“My experience with this team in knockout rugby is pretty good. I just feel that if we get through to the quarter-finals we’ll deal with that, if we don’t, we don’t.
“This year was going to be different [from last] regardless because we have a bunch of players that had been away from the club for five months. We haven’t seen them for five months. That’s unusual. In the last World Cup England were knocked out in the pool stages so we got the players back for some Premiership games before Europe. So this week’s been unique.
“And the decisions we’ve taken around who does and doesn’t play had nothing to do with the salary-cap issue and everything to do with how they are.
“We were determined regardless to make decisions with them, not for them about when is the appropriate time for them to return, when they’re physically ready and emotionally ready. We’re getting to the stage where the three that didn’t play today are pretty keen to get back, which is exactly what we want.”
It was an impressive debut for another of Saracens’ World Cup finalists, with Elliot Daly delivering a man-ofthe-match display at full-back, including setting up two tries for rookie winger Rotimi Segun.
Segun, the former England Under-20 who clocked 11.03sec for the 100 metres in his schooldays, scored once in each half as Saracens took control after an edgy first quarter.
Jack Singleton and Alex Lewington also crossed for tries in the first half, with Daly and Manu Vunipola also kicking penalties to put Saracens in complete control at half-time.
The Ospreys, missing four of their Wales internationals – Alun Wyn Jones, Gareth Anscombe, Justin Tipuric and George North – because of injury only had a James Hook penalty to show for their efforts, despite making a number of breaks.
Segun wrapped up the bonus point as early as the 47th minute, with Daly showing a wonderful turn of pace before delivering an out-the-back-door pass to the wing, while a penalty try and a further score by Richard Barrington completed the rout.
Daly insisted he had no regrets about leaving Wasps to join the club this season despite the crisis caused by their salary cap breaches.
“No, definitely not,” said Daly. “I needed a new challenge and coming to a club like this and having that opportunity is something you are never going to turn down. Everyone here is moving in the right direction and is going to push me in the right direction.
“For me it’s brilliant to come into a club now, we know what we need to do, we need to win every game. But that hasn’t changed from what I’ve heard the Sarries’ mindset is.
“We go into every game trying to win every game. We don’t change anything we do now, I’m just trying to add to this team in any way I can. I’ve just enjoyed this week and I’ll try to enjoy the next four or five weeks and see where it takes us.”
Daly’s first experience of his new club was a social night out last Monday, which McCall felt was necessary following their heavy defeat by Racing 92 last Sunday.
“We decided this week we would come back from Racing and have a slightly different week with some social time together on Monday and Wednesday and Thursday we had two good training sessions,” said McCall.
A few beers in St Albans might have been an unusual introduction to a new club for Daly, but he said it had helped fast-track his integration into the squad.
“Everyone at the club has welcomed me with open arms, which is exactly what you want as a new player and I am just trying to learn how Sarries play but it is not so different to how I played before. The quality of the players, the training session on Wednesday was brilliant – to be that competitive on a Wednesday it showed today with how good we were in the second half.
“You want to play as many games for your new club and try to put your best foot forward. To play today was brilliant, to get a game under my belt going into an important Premiership game.”
‘This year was going to be different because we have players who have been away for five months’
Scores 3-0 Daly pen; 6-0 Manu Vunipola pen; 6-3 Hook pen; 11-3 Singleton try; 16-3 Segun try; 21-3 Lewington try; 23-3 Vunipola con; 28-3 Segun try; 30-3 Vunipola con; 37-3 pen try; 42-3 Barrington try; 44-3 Vunipola con. Saracens E Daly (M Gallagher 62); R Segun, D Taylor, B Barritt (A Lozowski 48), A Lewington; Manu Vunipola, T Whiteley (R Wigglesworth 50); Mako Vunipola (R Barrington 47), J Singleton (J George 48), T Lamositele, W Skelton (J Kpoku 53), G Kruis, N Isiekwe, B Earl, J Wray. Replacements J Ibuanokpe, A Christie. Ospreys C Evans (S Venter 51); H Dirksen, O Watkin, K Williams (T Thomas-Wheeler 51), T Williams; J Hook (L Price 71), A Davies; N Smith, S Otten (I Phillips 48), M Fia (T Botha 48), A Beard, B Davies, M Orie (S Cross 45), O Cracknell, M Morris. Replacements G Thomas, L Ashley. Referee Mathieu Raynal (France).