365 Sporting Days

A 10 team Premiership league was meant to mean key games, and most games are that, are played with full teams. However England took their players to Girona after Round 5; counting out all, but one, of those players from this and other matches in Round 6. Saracens were without Theo Dan, Jamie George, Ben Earl, Maro Itoje, Nick Isiekwe, Elliot Daly and Alex Lozowski, Tigers lost Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, George Martin, Freddie Steward and Jack van Poortvliet. Sadly news came during the game that Chessum had picked up a knee injury that will keep him out for 3 months. Saracens lost Alex Goode in the warm up, which meant Tim Swiel, who was announced as injury cover during the week, started and played the full 80- minutes. His opposite number was World Cup winner Handre Pollard.

While Steve Borthwick was safe in the knowledge that his players would stay intact leading to the match next weekend, there were plenty of international players on the pitch. including 3 players in the Wales squad.

Tom Willis received the ball from the kick off, how he isn’t in the England squad is a mystery! Saracens won an early penalty in their own half, giving Swiel an early kick to touch. Saracens won the ball but knocked on after Rotimi Segun received a pass that was slightly in front of him. Tigers won a penalty in the first scrum. They won their line out but Ivan van Zyl intercepted a pass from Pollard. He made good ground but was hauled down by Tom Whiteley.

Mike Brown looking as cool as ever under the high ball took a great catch as Saracens kicked forward moments later, he’s a player who loves playing against Saracens. Pollard put a kick over to the wing, but it went into touch. Kapeli Pifileti throw wasn’t straight giving Tigers another scrum put in. Tigers moved the ball quickly from the scrum, but knocked on as they progressed. Mike Brown ‘headed’ van Zyl’s box kick this Time round. The next kick was touched in flight giving Saracens a line out throw, th throw went wide but was taken by Saracens, who were then penalised in the ruck.

Tigers knocked on again as they attacked from the line out, the whistle went for the scrum this time, van Zyl kicked after taking a pass from Willis, Brown travelled back with the ball. There were another couple of knock ons, Saracens then Tigers. Looking at the build up Willis was very unlucky not to be awarded a turnover. Tigers won another scrum penalty and then another for offside. Pollard kicked the 3 points in the 14th minute of the game.

Tigers played through another Saracens knock on, before knocking on themselves. Willis showed his strength as Saracens attacked after a successful scrum, he was involved twice in the build up to Saracens first try, scored by Nick Tompkins ,putting a lovely pass up to Tompkins as he was falling to the ground, Swiel’s kick was good.

Tigers struck back quickly through Ollie Haskell-Collins out on the wing, he benefited from a lovely kick through by Joe Woodward, Pollard’s kick sailed through the posts. Brown took the ball from the kick off and Saracens were penalised for being offside, Theo McFarland had been warned by the referee. Izaia Perese stretched the Tigers lead after Anthony Watson had taken a great catch from a Tigers box kick. Watson muscled his way through 2 Saracens defenders before Toby Knight took him down. The ball was recycled out to the other wing and Perese, a name I know from Rugby League, showed his strength to score as he went through Tobias Elliot. The kick missed but Tigers had an 8 point lead.

This match was end to end and Swiel got his name on the team sheet next. After a great break by Juan Martin Gonzalez, who put in a simple pass to Swiel who scored under the posts. His conversion was an easy one. Closing the gap to 1. Swiel had very nearly dropped the ball, but just about kept hold of it! The next points also went the way of Saracens with a penalty converted by Swiel, that gave them a slender 2 point lead with half time approaching.

Playing in red after the 40 minutes were up Saracens were penalised for offside after a Tigers line out, their next line out being on the 5 metre line. In a huge blow for Saracens Tigers were awarded a penalty try and Saracens were awarded a yellow card for Alex Clarey. The teams went in at half time with the score on Saracens 17 Leicester Tigers 22.

Tigers made the extra man tell 6 minutes into the second half, with captain Julian Montoya taking the ball over the line at the back of a very efficient rolling maul, that was their 4th and bonus point try. Pollard added the extras to take Tigers to 29. After so many dropped balls in the first half Saracens managed to avoid a scrum while they were a prop down.

Hassell-Collins thought he’d scored again, but from where I was sitting it was quite obvious that the ball had been knocked on, as was shown by the TMO. The player picking the ball up was offside, giving Saracens a penalty to go deep into the Tigers half. Going close to the Tigers line we had the first scrum of the half as there was an accidental offside by Saracens. That coincided with Clarey coming back on and James Hadfield replacing Pifileti. Saracens were awarded a penalty in the scrum and van Zyl went quickly, but not from the right point. They drove from the line out but Hugh Tizard lost the ball as he went over. Saracens had some good territory in the Tigers half but had no joy. Pollard had an attempt at a drop goal, that went awry. But, it was Tigers who were awarded a penalty on 57 minutes, Pollard stretching their lead further, to 15 points.

Both teams had made a raft of substitutions with Ben Youngs coming on for Tigers, not a bad replacement! Saracens went through 10 phases in attack before Willis emerged to storm through and go within inches of scoring, Gonzalez was there to touch down, Swierl’s kick went wide but the gap was closed to 10.

Josh Hallett had a lovely kick forwards after taking a pass from Brandon Jackson, he gathered the ball and got it back to Tom Parton who was hauled down. Tigers gave away a penalty as the Saracens Forwards went through the phases. Swiel kicked to the 5 metre line and that man Willis saved the ball after it went loose from the line out. A second penalty gave Saracens another line out on the 5 metre line, this time the ball was secured and Hadfield went over after the Fords had battered the Tigers line. The try was checked and found to be good. Swiel added the extras to close the gap to 3.

In spite of the comeback by Saracens there were no further points in the last 10 minutes and the game finished with the score on Saracens 29 Leicester Tigers 32. 2 points for Saracens and the full 5 for Tigers. A highly entertaining game of rugby, many of the players included will be in their country’s shirts next week, others will be playing in the Premiership Cup.