THE GOODE LIFE
No10 fires Saracens into European Cup semi-finals
BACK in black, the English had no time for a Scottish surge here.
Whacked, walloped and waved goodbye, the Warriors of Glasgow were dumped spectacularly out of Europe by super Saracens.
There would be no Twickenhamtype turnaround from these Scots, no collapse from the home side.
Similar men in different shirts but an entirely different result.
And Saracens’ brutal stampede into the semi-finals was achieved without Owen Farrell. The England captain withdrew before kick-off to attend the birth of his first child.
In his absence, Alex Goode seamlessly stepped into fly-half, as Alex Lozowski took the kicking duties and hauled 21 points. David Strettle came on to the wing and scored twice in a seven-try rout, as did Liam Williams, who moved from wing to full-back and was typically outstanding.
These Saracens are by no means mentally frail or rocked by setbacks. It all went their way. And they now prepare for a sixth semifinal in seven seasons, against Munster in April.
‘Alex Goode came in and did a magnificent job,’ said director of rugby Mark McCall. ‘ He hadn’t trained at fly-half all week, although he has played there for the last four weeks. To play with the control he did was outstanding. We looked really powerful and dominant.’
Dave Rennie, the Glasgow boss, had tried to rile Saracens, accusing them of dirty tricks and happyclappy antics to influence the referee. It totally backfired.
‘He has had a bit to say about us this week,’ said McCall. ‘To beat a team with 57 points in a European quarter-final says you’re not a bad team. Take away the first and last minutes, they don’t have many points at all.’
In the thrashing, Jamie George was stupendous too. The hooker had a try and an assist — not something many others who wear No2 often do. Two weeks after that crazy Calcutta Cup clash — when England were 31-0 up and drew 38 apiece — there could have been apprehension amid those returning Sarries internationals. Glasgow continued where Scotland had left off by scoring from their first attack. It was lovely stuff, Stuart Hogg put his foot down on the left, flicked to Rory Hughes on the outside, who went away before finding Ali Price inside. The scrum-half scored and a large section of mad Weegies — some with specially made tartan fez hats — in the grandstand went for it.
Their joy was shortlived. First Goode hung up a tantalising kick, with penalty advantage meaning he could try a trick, towards the posts. Williams out-leapt all around and scored. Lozowski converted.
The two Alexs were into the heart of the action filling the hole left by Farrell.
A Lozowski penalty put Saracens ahead before their next try, George playing scrum-half on the blindside to fire a ball to Strettle — the winger trotting in down the right.
Then the third, Brad Barritt and Billy Vunipola crashed on to make space wider out, George linked with Goode who found Lozowski coming through.
The centre delayed his pass to Barritt beautifully, the captain scoring with ease.
Lozowski converted that one, having missed the first, before Glasgow chipped away at that lead. Two Adam Hastings penalties brought them closer, but they could not find a second try to make it tight.
After the interval, Saracens ran riot. Vunipola, from his first prominent second-half carry, found an opening for a pass, George skipped down the right and Ben Spencer sent Williams charging through prop Oliver Kebble on a short line, touching down with a big smile.
Lozowski added the conversion and a penalty to an earlier threepointer and this tie was over.
That was confirmed when Strettle picked off an errant Stafford McDowall popped pass and ran in.
Next, George was at the bottom of a rolling maul to take his try which capped his fine afternoon.
George Horne did race away for a consolation try, but Nick Tompkins replied — Lozowski adding his eighth kick. Matt Fagerson scored with the clock in the red, and Hastings knocked over the last strike, but Rennie was distraught.
‘That was hugely disappointing,’ said Glasgow’s boss. ‘We got a hiding from a team that choked us.’