365 Sporting Days

The first home game of the season saw me at my Summer happy place, Essex Cricket, where I saw 3 Essex Centuries. My first time without a season ticket, I’m aiming to buy as I go along and will be at the next 2 home games at least. Thanks to Discovery Plus I can watch the match back, I’m writing knowing what the score was and how things progress thanks to Sofa Score alerts during the game.

The commentators reminded us that Sharks were the only team to beat Saracens at home in the Premiership last season. Sharks were all dressed in orange, I quite like it unlike the commentators. The music as the teams came on seemed to be stupidly loud as it so often is. On to the rugby! The first line out after a kick up field from Ivan van Zyl went straight to Sharks hands, the first penalty also went to them after Tobias Elliot tackled a man without the ball. George Ford put 3 points on the board with his kick in the 3rd minute.

Sharks walked the ball to halfway, with Saracens holding them ups and moving them into touch, Theo Dan found Maro Itoje but Ben Earl was penalised for holding the ball, after a strong tackle by Ben Curry. Ford took the kick from within the Sharks half, the kick went wide and she seemed to injure himself as he kicked. He went down for treatment a couple of moves later and sadly had to leave the pitch, in the 7th minute that was a big blow for Sharks. Rob du Preez took his place from 12, he’s no slouch!

Saracens went on the attack after a great pick up by Tom Willis from the floor, play was stopped as Jean Luck du Preez was down injured, he too had to leave the fiel, but for an HIA (which he subsequently failed). Saracens came away with the ball from the first scrum but won a penalty in the ruck. I’ve enjoyed not listening to Austin Healey for a couple of matches, I’m not enjoying listening to him in this one, he so often gives the impression he doesn’t want Saracens to do well ! David Flatman on the other hand is very refreshing and adds a good deal of humour. Interestingly Alex Lozowski kicked the penalty, a very decent kick that took the score to 3 apiece.

Sharks did well to win a penalty at the line out after the kick off, but then Rob du Preez kicked the back straight out giving Saracens the scrum put in just in their own half. They came away with the ball but Sharks knocked on. We then had some handbags as Gus Warr decided he’d shove Elliot Daly after he’d pushed Ben Curry, all a bit daft! Saracens again came away with the ball, Tobias Elliot showed his dancing feet as they progressed, the end result was a van Zyl box kick. R du Preez kick a high ball and Nick Tompkins stood in the way of, tripped Roebuck, another Sharks penalty in the Saracens half, it was right in front of Sir! Th ball was kicked to touch, giving Sharks good field position, they gave away a penalty in the line out however.

With teams exchanged some possession on the middle of the pitch before Sharks benefited from a loose ball after Daly had fumbled it close to the side line. Sale scored the first try of the game after some great work from R du Preez, Sam Bedlow passed up to Warr who scored, a good try for the visitors and Sharks first try of the season. R du Preez aded the extras and Sharks had a 7 point lead.

Saracens won a penalty on the halfway line as Joe Carpenter jumped over the ruck, the penalty was just inside the Sharks half and this time Daly stepped up to kick and add the points, he has a huge boot, it sailed through the posts, wind or not Austin! Saracens at last had a running attack, after Itoje seemed to take a ball just as he was tying this laces, the ball made it’s way out to Tobias Elliot who went with some speed and chipped, then taking Tom O’Flaherty into touch. Playing with a penalty in their pocket the ball ended in touch. Still no Fergus Burke for the kick, Lozowski added the 3 points to take Saracens within 1.

Paul Deacon came on the mic as play went on, it’s always great to hear a Wigan/rugby league accent around this game, Sharks Head Coach he was a very fine player for Bradford Bulls. Saracens were awarded a penalty on the 32nd minute and we had Austin moaning about it being awarded, do give over Austin! Lozowski missed with this one.

Burke had been fairly quiet but had a good run from a R du Preez high kick, Saracens were awarded a penalty, Daly kicked the ball to touch. Sam Dugdale put a shoulder into Ben Earl’s jaw . it was a nasty high tackle. clear contact, clear foul play, but not a high degree of danger, so a yellow card was brandished. Lozowski kicked this one to put Saracens in the lead for the first time in the game. However a Sharks penalty in the 42nd minute, converted by R du Preez saw them take a 1 point lead back. The teams went in at half time with the score on Saracens 12 Sale Sharks 13.

Cue more stupidly loud music as the teams came out after half time. 2 Sharks players went down early in the 2nd half after both attempted to tackle Tom Willis, Ben Bamber knocked Willis sideways which meant Ben Curry was hit by Wallis’s shoulder, neither actually stopped Willis. It was shown later that Curry had clashed heads with one of his own players as they went to tackel Andy Onyeama-Christie. Play was stopped as they were both down, but the ball had also been knocked on. Curry had to leave for an HIA and new Saracens captain Maro Itoje came off at the same time. He’s a noticeably quieter captain than his predecessor. Saracens were awarded a free kick in the scrum then a penalty as they attacked. Lozowski’s kick was successful to put his team ahead again.

Saracens were awarded a penalty after a van Zyl kick, many of his kicks in the Gloucester game went too far, his kicks in this game were much better. Lozowski kicked the 3 points to take Saracens to 18. It was quite amusing to hear Rob Webber, Saracens coach, talking about Jamie Grieg making sure he was in the way of the Sharks Hooker’s strike in the scrum, I’m not sure when I last saw a Hooker strike the ball in the men’s game! In that particular score, Sale came away with the ball, but were penalised as they attacked.

Lozowski made a great break from the line out, a after a great pass from Burke, he then put a lovely pass out to Tobias Elliot on the wing who ran in evading 2 defenders to score. Lozowski converted they try with a kick from close to the side line. R du Preez was given an opportunity to close the now 12 point gap with a penalty, a simple kick, it sailed through the posts. Willis put in some great work in defence when he took the ball from a long Sharks kick, pretty much shrugging off 2 players.

Sharks had been having a tough game as far as injuries went and just before the hour R du Preez also looked to be struggling. Ivan van Zyl had taken the captaincy as Itoje left the field, the intention had then been for George to take it over when he came on, there was some confusion as nobody thought to tell Sir that! Sharks had a line out close to the Saracens line and having been awarded a penalty they rolled the maul over the line to score, taking them within 4 of Saracens, the conversion was missed. We hear the ref saying George would now be captain.

Beldow dropped the ball from the Saracens kick off giving the ball to Saracens, Alex Goode had just come on and he put in a lovely kick with the outside of his boot to see Daly go in for an apparent try, the ref said on field, no try, but it very much was, spot introduction to the game for Goode! The conversion was missed but Saracens had a 9 point lead.

Burke put in a great kick after Saracens were awarded a penalty in the next scrum, Earl came away quickly with the ball from the line out, passing yeti Burke who spun free in a tackle, he didn’t have may options having done that and Sharks turned the ball over as it came out to Lozowski, with a resulting scrum, again with no sign of any involvement by the hookers, Saracens did however wheel the scrum round to win the penalty. This time it was Saracens who rolled the maul over the line, with George in possession of the ball, the conversion went to the left of the posts.

Sharks spilt an almost certain try as Beldow broke through the Saracens defence, his pass out to O’Flaherty was in front of him, the winger would have been straight in had it been catchable. the ball was kicked up field by Goode as van Zyl and Roebuck had a bit of a running spat. Saracens were awarded a penalty as play progressed on 73 minutes, duly converted by Lozowski who had 20 points to his name.

Beldow broke through again and kept hold of the ball this time, Sharks weren’t giving this game up, Saracens knocked the ball on as Sharks attacked. A lovely kick through by du Preez was knocked on over the line, meaning a goal line drop out and another chance to attack. Healey felt there were a couple of high tackles from Saracens as Sharks attacked, there was no opportunity for TNT to show them as O’Flaherty scored out on the wing. Hopefully we don’t hear more of them.

With the gong having gone the game was re-started, Saracens were after rather 4th and bonus point try. Daly went close but knocked the ball on, play went back for an offside penalty which saw Saracens attacking in the corner from a line out. A couple of backs joined them auk but it was brought down, There was a penalty and a yellow card for Dugdale, which being his second yellow turned it into a red, meaningless for this game, but ramifications for him. George took the scrum option, with Sharks a man down, the clock showed 84:55. =+Ben Earl picked the ball up from the base of the scrum, the ball found it’s way out of the forwards to Charlie Bracken and it was moved across the back line quickly to Daly who scored that bonus point try. A very satisfactory win for the home team, the kick was good and Lozowski added the extras. The final score was Saracens 45 Sale Sharks 26. It’ll be interesting to see if Alex Lozowski keeps the kicking duties.