365 Sporting Days

Sararcens travelled South with a win against an under strength Gloucester under their belts, Bath had beaten Exeter at Sandy Park for the first time in a fair few years. With Bath sitting 2nd and Saracens 3rd this was a huge match! As lovely as it looks Bath isn’t a trip I wanted to make again, so this is a from my sofa report. Happily the weatehr was kind, well dry at least, it’s no fun sitting in the open stand in the rain. Former Saracens player Ben Spencer led his Bath team out to face his former team mates. Luke Pearce was the man in charge.

Owen Farrell started things off and we had teh 1st Spencer box kick, Farrell was charged down as he aimed to get the ball into the Bath half. The ball was knocked on however and we had the 1st scrum. Aled Davies came away with the ball and Elliot Daly kicked the ball into the Bath half, the ball was returned into touch by Spencer. We had a spell of kicking tennis before Farrell kicke d the ball into touch.

I’m 4 minutes in and Lawrence Dallaglio is already trying my patience. Bath made good progress from the line out, but Spencer after picking up a loose ball threw it into touch.

Bath were looking very lively with the ball in hand and a good kick from Orlando Bailey saw Daly kick to touch, Bath chose the kicking option as they attacked, with Matt Gallagher putting his boot to the ball. Farrell went for a 50/22 but Will Muir caught the ball and sliced it, the throw was long by Jamie George and it went to Bath hands.

Saracens were the 1st on the score board, playing with a penalty advantage, Farrell put a lovely short pass in to Nick Tompkins and Tompkins put in a lovely long pass in to Tom Parton on the wing, he ran in to score. I’d judge that pretty much every Saracens player was involved in the try.The conversion missed.

A stat from the TV, we’d had 25 kicks within the 1st 19 minutes, another saw a penalty awarded to Bath as Juan Martin Gonzalez was off-side after Daky had knocked on. Bailey kicked deep into Saracens half, giving bath a great attacking position. A poor line out throw went to Saracens hands after Bath knocked it on.

The first 27 minutes wasn’t entertaining stuff it has to be said, and it was often on the TV. Maro Itoje went very quickly to tackle Alfie Barbeary, he was very upright and it took a while for the tMO to see it, but it was head on head so a yellow card for Itoje. The right decision, but a concern again that Austin Healey had picked it up before the TMO and that he carried on questioning the colour of the card once it’d been shown,. Farrell had a few words with a couple of Bath players, somewhat losing his cool. The referee explained his decision making clearly to Ben Spencer. Perhaps having the extra man would see Bath play some more expansive rugby.

Healey then wanted a yellow card for Rotimi Segun as he was involved in a collision, the referee saw just a penalty. A word fro Ollie Lawrence, he really has been a great signing for Bath, he’s such an exciting, dynamic player. he made a great break, but Spencer then made an error that gave Saracens a scrum put in.

Bath did play with ball in hand and Lawrence was again involved in an exciting attack with the ball again being knocked on, Saracens were awarded a free kick in the scrum. Saracens had a go with ball in hands as Tom Willis made a break after a lovely pass from Eroni Mawi, his pass to Juan Martin Gonzalez was a good one, but he didn’t quite have the speed, Will Muir got the tackle in Sam Underhill got the turnover. The ball was cleared and Segun broke after the line out, he was stopped that time, but Saracens kept possession and Farrell put a lovely kick in for Segun who wouldn’t be stopped from close to the line. The kick was good this time and Saracens went in with a lead of 12. Having not conceded while Itoje was on the naughty step.

Itoje was back for the 2nd half. It took a great intervention from Cockanasiga to stop Tom Parton at full speed after he made a great break after taking a pass from Davies after a ruck, it was a try saving tap tackle by the big man.

A lovely chip over by Bailey saw a good bounce for Will Muir, I feel that he;s really learnt from Finn Russell this year. The ball was ultimately passed forwards. Farrell kicked high from the Scrum, and Cockanasiga knocked on, Saracens broke again through Segun, but Lawrence showing a good impression of a flanker stole the ball on the ground, unfairly according to Healey.

Ben Spencer went down after a Daly tackle, but in spite of looking to be in agony he carried on. Both teams had gone with a 6 Forwards/2 Backs bench, making losing a Back a difficult prospect.

Bath won a penalty in the scrum with their young Welsh prop, Archie Griffin against Mako Vunipola, both on from the bench. Saracens went offside as Bath attacked from the line out, the penalty was put into play and Bath went for a 5 metre line out. They took the ball cleanly and Ojomoh took the ball forwards in the maul, Bath were held up, but Ben Earl had collapsed the maul, back for another penalty. This time Bath went for a quick tap and Thomas du Toit went over to score. after a couple of his fellow forwards had failed to the ball down Spencer kicked the conversion wide.

Itoje gave away a penalty and a great kick saw Bath storm over to score from the line out, Cameron Redpath was somehow in possession of the ball as the maul went over. The conversion went straight through the middle of the posts and the scores were even at 12 apiece.

Bath has a strong spell of attacking through their forwards but were repelled by a solid Saracens defence, Segun came away eith the ball after it was turned over. Play was stopped after poor Orlando Bailey was prone on the ground after he was caught by Segun’s boot as he tackled him, it was a nasty knock and he rightly went off.

Farrell put in a high kick that was taken by Schreuder on the wing, Farrell got back to save the day and he passed the ball out the back of his hand to Tompkins. Theo Dan was on hand to take the pass from Tompkins and he soared up the pitch in winger style! The ball was taken over the line by Bath giving Saracens an attacking scrum, a Bath knock on gave them another. Billy Vunipola came away with the ball and Bath gave away a penalty as Saracens attacked. Farrell took the penalty option with less than 3 minutes on the clock. He took his time as was his right, to many boo’s from the crowd. He took the kick with 1 second on the shot clock.

Saracens didn;t secure the ball from the kick off, but Bath lost the ball, then Saracens lost the ball, then Bath lost the ball with a knock on, Farrell took the option to kick the ball out rather than go for a scrum. That gave Bath another chance in the Saracens half, Saracens came away with the ball in the line out however. Farrell kicked the ball out and Saracens were the winners! Some win at teh business end of the season!