OFF TO A FLYER
Majestic Edinburgh stun Sarries and make winning start to Euro campaign Saracens 18 Edinburgh 21
THE Challenge Cup might represent the second tier of European club rugby, but here was a performance and result worthy of top billing from Edinburgh.
In what surely ranks as one of the greatest victories in the club’s history, they entered the lair of the once-mighty Saracens and went toe-to-toe with the three-time European champions.
Delivering a performance which oozed class, poise and composure, Mike Blair’s men got their European campaign off to a flying start.
Victory was built on a solid defence and set-piece, but was also decorated with a moment of brilliance from young fly-half Charlie Savala.
Making just his sixth start for the club, it was 21-year-old Savala’s vision and inch-perfect cross-field kick which set Ramiro Moyano free to score Edinburgh’s opening try midway through the first half.
Veteran prop WP Nel got their second with just 13 minutes remaining, adding to 11 points from the boot of the outstanding Emiliano Boffelli.
It was a nervy finish, though, as Sarries thought they had scored a last-gasp try of their own to win the tie, only for the TMO to rule it out.
While Sarries are not quite the force of old, they are no pushovers. They sit second in this season’s English Premiership and look capable of challenging once again.
They didn’t have the likes of Owen Farrell or Jamie George yesterday, but they did still have Maro Itoje, Alex Goode, Elliot Daly, Alex Lozowski the Vunipola brothers Billy and Mako, as well as their cousin Manu.
So this was by no means a secondstring Sarries side. It should be noted that Edinburgh had some high-profile absentees of their own — Jamie Ritchie, Bill Mata, Darcy Graham and Blair Kinghorn.
But they produced a magnificent win which will send shockwaves across Europe. ‘I said last week about entertaining — but that game was not one for entertaining but just winning,’ said Blair. ,
‘We had some excellent gamemanagement and there was great heart, attitude and commitment. That’s what we want at this club, to buy into the pride playing for the club and the history.
‘That attitude got us through the game. The guys put their bodies on the line and got us over the winning line. Not many teams come here and win, so it’s right up there with the past results. Hopefully, we can build on this win and go as far as we can in the competition.’
Edinburgh were certainly well worth their 13-12 half-time lead, having dominated their hosts in terms of physicality.
The scrum was powerful, while half-backs Savala and Ben Vellacott gave their backs smooth and swift service to feed off.
They made light work of the rain and slippery surface in the first half, and could easily have held a bigger advantage with other tryscoring chances but were denied by some last-ditch Sarries defence.
Full-back Boffelli kicked the visitors into an early lead after Saracens were penalised at a ruck but the hosts soon went ahead with heavy pressure on the visitors’ line eventually leading to the ball being swept out to the left wing and Goode took Ben Earl’s pass in his stride to dive over.
Saracens were struggling to cope with Edinburgh’s pace and ingenuity when Billy Vunipola was helped off the field after being hurt in a
collision. The big No 8 needed treatment and extra strapping on his left knee while he was left lying on the artificial surface clearly in discomfort. The 30-year-old England star looks set for another spell on the sidelines.
Jackson Wray replaced him and the home side soon needed to make another major change, losing hooker Kapeli Pifeleti to an HIA after a nasty knock to the head. The Tongan was carried off, with Ethan Lewis replacing him.
Edinburgh took full advantage of Sarries’ disruption and a perfectly weighted cross-field kick from Savala was caught by winger Moyano who strolled over untouched for his side’s first try.
Boffelli converted and Saracens needed a quick response. They got one via exciting young forward Andy Christie, who used his strength and guile to twist and force his way over. Manu Vunipola converted.
Vunipola then kicked his side in front with an early second-half penalty but the lead swung back to Edinburgh courtesy of another superb penalty from Boffelli. This time he sent a long-range effort from the halfway line straight and true through the posts.
Vunipola replied with another penalty as pouring rain thwarted attempts at running rugby and both sides began to get bogged down in midfield.
Boffelli’s boot finally failed when, attempting one of the easier penalties of the day as he hooked the ball wide of target.
The visitors’ hopes of an upset rose when Sarries were reduced to 14 men temporarily as replacement prop Eroni Mawi was sin-binned for collapsing a scrum.
Edinburgh quickly made the superior numbers tell, with Nel rising to claim the try after a driving maul pushed Sarries back across their own line.
It set up a tense final 15 minutes and there was drama at the end when French referee Tual Trainini awarded Saracens a penalty.
They chose to kick for territory in an attempt go for the decisive try and seemed to have won the day when a line-out maul powered over.
But, after a series of replays, the referee ruled it out for an earlier infringement and Edinburgh’s players celebrated wildly.
SCORERS; SARACENS — Tries: Goode, Christie. Con: Vunipola. Pens: Vunipola (2).
EDINBURGH — Tries: Moyano, Nel. Con: Bofelli. Pens: Boffelli (3).