Blues’ Euro hopes end at soggy Arms Park
... but streetwise Saracens weather the Cardiff storm to reign in the rain:
CARDIFF Blues are all but out of the Champions Cup after losing to Saracens in a soggy Welsh capital, surrendering a half-time lead for the second week running.
Their defeat and Glasgow’s win over Lyon sees them trail the Scots by 10 points, meaning they’d need the maximum from their remaining pool matches and Glasgow to get nothing from theirs, as well as overturning a points deficit.
The first half started ominously as Sarries took control of proceedings and took the crowd out of the game.
A sold-out Arms Park was quiet as the English side dominated in terms of territory and possession. A largely attritional opening quarter gave the impression that there would only be one winner.
Scotland international Sean Maitland got the opener. A bouncing ball was gathered as Owen Farrell looked for width and Maitland took advantage of some weak defending to sprint over in the corner, leaving Blaine Scully, Rey Lee-Lo and Samu Manoa in his wake. Farrell nailed the conversion on nine minutes and you feared the worst.
England star Farrell banged over another penalty eight minutes later and the visitors were well worth their 10-0 lead.
The hosts had enjoyed little possession and even less territory but they made good use of what they got when Rey Lee-Lo grabbed their opening try.
Penalties had given them field position and their bold call to go for a scrum – minutes after it had been hammered – in the shadow of the posts paid off, with Lee-Lo dancing around some surprisingly weak Saracens defence to score.
Farrell knocked over a penalty after Nick Williams was pinged for tackling a man without the ball, but his opposite number was coming into his own.
Wales fly-half Anscombe’s neat chip over the blitzing defence was gathered by wing Garyn Smith and he drew full-back Alex Goode before popping inside to Dan Fish.
The returning Blues full-back, playing only his fourth game of the season, cantered in from 40 metres out, with Anscombe’s conversion giving the home side a 14-13 lead heading into the break.
John Mulvihill’s side came out firing in the second half, looking to avoid a repeat of last week, but Farrell chipped over a three-pointer 14 minutes into the second period as the visitors retook the lead.
Midway through the second half, the game really broke up, which suited the likes of Willis Halaholo and Fish, who were causing some problems.
Farrell then showed his class as he scrambled to sweep up a kick in behind and then throw an offload out the back of his hand to Alex Goode just metres from his line with four defenders closing in.
But the Blues’ forwards then came into the game as the hosts turned down a shot at goal, that would have given them the lead, and kicked to the corner instead.
They mauled well and when Saracens second row Will Skelton was sin binned for coming in the side of a maul, the game was there to be won for the Welsh side. But, despite their one-man advantage, the maul that followed was held up and Saracens secured the scrum before clearing their lines.
The English juggernauts then managed that 10-minute period expertly, controlling possession as scrums were reset and the clock ticked away.
When they were back up to their full complement, Farrell banged over a difficult penalty in awful conditions to extend the lead to five points.
The Blues, who were much improved compared to last week, pushed to get themselves back ahead as game meandered into the final stages, but had got themselves on the wrong side of referee Jerome Garces, who gave only a penalty for an aerial challenge on Garyn Smith by Maitland as the crowd bayed for another yellow.
Farrell kicked a penalty to the corner late on and Jamie George was deemed to have grounded the ball despite handy work from Olly Robinson after a powerful driving maul.