Sarries young guns carry too much fire for Dragons

ACADEMY coach Adam Powell praised his young guns for damping down the Dragons fire and keeping alive Sarries’Anglo Welsh Cup hopes.

Powell was delighted to see the team bounce back from two previous losses with a six-try bonus-point victory over their Welsh rivals at Allianz Park.

Sarries now have to win at Exeter next weekend and hope both Northampton and Worcester slip up in their final games in order to qualify for the semifinals.

Powell insisted: “I’m really proud of the lads because they bounced back from recent results in the competition and that gives us a chance.

“There were plenty of good individual performances. Rotimi Segun on the wing was very good and Sione Vailanu carried the ball well and gave us momentum.”

The hosts never looked back after clawing their way to a 20-7 half-time lead after Dragons had cancelled out Max Malins early penalty with a converted try from captain and flanker Harrison Keddie.

Three tries in eight minutes before the interval proved decisive for Saracens. First, impressive wing Segun fed lock Mark Flanagan to cross for the first try.

Centre Nick Tompkins showed real pace to burst through the Ospreys defence from the half way line and leave his pursuers chasing in vain for the second try.

The speedy Segun crossed for another on the stroke of half-time when Sarries’ forwards got the push on an Ospreys scrum and the ball was picked up and passed to the wing to dart over.

Full-back Matt Gallagher surged over for the fourth just a minute into the second half following a strong, decisive break from the powerful No.8 Sione Vailanu.

Ospreys attempted a fight back with hooker Liam Belcher rising from a heap of bodies to claim a try after the visitors mauled their way over.

But their defence was breeched again by Sarries replacement Sean Reffell from a rolling maul and then again when scrumhalf Tom Whiteley finished off a flowing move.

Ospreys’ replacement prop Lloyd Fairbrother grabbed a third consolation try for his side but it was far too little too late.

Ospreys’ new interim boss Allen Clarke said: “We gave them at least four of their tries and made life hard for ourselves.”