Hero Aki’s last-minute try saves Connacht
Sarah Rendell takes a weekly look at some important women players
CONNACHT assistant coach Nigel Carolan hailed Bundee Aki’s experience and drive for snatching victory in the final play in Treviso.
Connacht looked set for a shock defeat when Aki, left out of the Ireland squad for Rome, coughed up a penalty in front of his own posts which Edoardo Padovani converted three minutes from time and looked set to give them their first win of the season.
But Connacht hit back and Aki won the first of two penalties to the right corner before he drove over for the winner in the dying moments to break Benetton hearts.
“That’s Bundee all over. He was there to finish it off when it mattered most,” said Carolan. “They displayed great composure to get the drive and win the game.
Connacht, with head coach Andy Friend monitoring matters back home in Galway after being unable to travel to Italy after picking up a knee injury at the Sportsground, struggled to impose themselves after failing to build on a promising start.
Connacht dominated the opening quarter but only had a try from tighthead Finlay Bealham for their efforts when he squeezed over after a sustained attack on the home line after 17 minutes, with Conor Fitzgerald converting.
But Benetton hit back and built the phases, with Connacht hooker Shane Delahunt binned five minutes from the break for a dangerous tackle as the Italians piled on the pressure.
And the Treviso side made them pay, with former Italy U20 flanker Davide Ruggeri getting over beside the posts. Then a poor kick from Fitzgerald and slack defending from Peter Sullivan and Aki led to a try from distance from former Italian winger Leonardo Sarto to lead 14-7 at the interval.
Connacht upped the ante after the restart and got back on level terms inside two minutes despite being still down a man but they drove at the Benetton line and loosehead Paddy McAllister got over for his first Connacht try.
Benetton, having been pipped by Munster in their last home game, enjoyed plenty of possession and looked set for the win when Padovani kicked the late penalty, but Aki’s first try since the opening day of the season secured a record fifth league away win in a row.
WHEN Saracens were last relegated in 1993, they lost half their first-team squad and it took two seasons to regain top-flight status.
This time it doesn’t feel like a rebuilding exercise, just a season of inconvenience sat on English rugby’s naughty step – otherwise known as the RFU Championship – as penance for their salary cap misdemeanours.
Bookmakers Paddy Power make them 1/5 favourites ahead of Ealing (7/2) and it’s 25/1 bar the rest, to take the title.
Leading lights like Ben Earl and Max Malins have gone on loan, captain courageous Brad Barritt has retired and Alex Goode and George Kruis are overseas in Japan, but much talent remains for head coach Mark McCall.
Despite the gulf in finances between Sarries and the rest of the division, and the presence of Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Maro Itoje et al available after the Six Nations, it might not be the procession that everyone thinks.
The shortened ten-round format, and the reintroduction of the play-off final – badly missed in the last few years – leaves little margin for error.
After participating in the Trailfinders Cup alongside winners Ealing and Doncaster, the two strongest full-time clubs in the division, Saracens will be confident they won’t be caught cold. But Cornish Pirates away first up is potentially as uncomfortable as a Covid nasal test. Sarries will do well not to turn their noses up at a side that have earned the respect of other relegated Premiership sides over the years, particularly on their own patch.
In previous seasons, they ran Newcastle close (9-18 in 2019/20) and Bristol (29-31 in 2017/18).
Tony Diprose, right, was a member of the last Sarries team to win promotion out of the old Second Division and was also at
Harlequins when they were the team to beat in the Championship in 2005/06, then known as National One. The ten-cap England forward says this season will take Saracens’ next generation of players out of their comfort zone and stand them in good stead.
“It is a great opportunity for good young players to develop in a competitive league alongside some older players,” he said.
“People have different views on the Championship, whether it should be supported more or less, but one thing you can’t argue against is it is part of the pathway that has developed players over the past decade at least.
“First time around with Saracens, I remember the Moseley game because I got to play against Mike Teague, and that was a hell of a challenge. I also got to play at lots of different grounds and clubs, some, like Wakefield, that don’t even exist anymore.
“With Quins, young players like Chris Robshaw and Jordan Turner-Hall were blooded. It’s fair to say the grass at Otley was on the longish side; you couldn’t see your boots!”
Having been at clubs everyone else wants to beat, Diprose is well-placed to comment on the week in, week out battles Saracens will face.
He says the ten-game format comes with added pressure: “It’s not as if you can allow yourself a few losses, you need to be winning all of your games to be sure of making the final. So, yeah, it is going to be a challenge.
“All the teams will look at games against Saracens and Ealing as their big game. Those will be the fixtures they really get up for. “With the quality of players they have, Sarries are hot favourites, but you also have to look at Ealing and what they have managed to achieve. They are going to be very, very competitive.”
THIS WEEK... BETH STAFFORD SALE SHARKS NO.8
When Beth Stafford’s club, Firwood Waterloo, failed to re-tender in the Premier 15s last April she questioned whether she wanted to keep playing rugby at all.
But then the 26-yearold was contacted by Sale Sharks and it was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down.
“It was a difficult one,” the No.8 said. “It was the decision did I still want to do this once Waterloo was gone? Naturally I was just investigating Sale because that was a really big thing for me.
“They were a massive club when I was younger and I would often do warm-ups with my girls’ team in Sale Sharks men’s matches. So when I saw they had won the bid and then spoke to Darren (Lamon, head coach) it was a bit of a no-brainer. I thought I can’t stop, I have to play for this club.”
Since signing back in June she has made history at the club as the first captain for the women’s team.
Stafford, who is an analytical chemist outside of rugby, said that being given the title is a dream come true.
“Yeah it’s a major honour. When I was younger doing warmups at half-time at men’s matches I never imagined a club like that would have a women’s team, never mind being the captain.
“I have immense pride putting on the shirt whenever I get the chance and leading a team of absolute quality players has just been such a dream for me.”
The squad Stafford leads is full of star players including Rugby World Cup winner Katy Daley-Mclean. Stafford said she is learning a lot from the former England international.
“It’s amazing. She’s a player-coach so she brings such quality to the side.
“It’s great playing alongside her and, for me personally, she helps me a lot with leadership. She is really someone we can all learn from which is great.”
As well as having a close-knit team, Stafford said Sale have a oneclub mentality and so the women’s team have links to the men.
This was shown when men’s players such as Manu Tuilagi wrote their support for the women’s team on social media when they made their debut in the Premier 15s back in October.
She said: “Everyone is very involved. From the men’s side and even the owners they have made it all about us being one club.
“When I found out I was captain I got a phone call from Jono Ross (captain of the men’s side) which was absolutely class and it’s such a great club to be a part of. “(When I got the call from Jono) I was like ‘oh my god he’s calling me and I’ve missed the call!’ That was a nightmare. I’m looking forward to when we can catch up and get together properly.”