Heineken hopes blown away in Dublin
Emergency Ward 10
By Darragh Girl
January 18 2011
There is a time to hold your hand up and say “They were better than us”, “They wanted it more”, “They deserved to win”. That time came in Dublin on Saturday, (please note fixture secretary SARACENS DON’T DO SATURDAYS), when a strong Irish wind blew Sarries’ slim Heineken hopes away.
In all honesty, our chances of progressing were slim from the day last summer when we landed in the group of death with 3 of Europe’s form teams. The writing was on the wall when we could have won in Clermont and should have won at Wembley. A brief revival in Paris meant that mathematically at least we could still qualify but with 12 minutes gone in Dublin that too had blown away.
But Dublin is a fabulous place full of paradoxes. A city that thinks it’s a village, where everyone knows everyone. A city on its knees financially with a full bar on every corner. A city where everything is expensive yet you can go to Galway and back on the train (that’s 5 ½ hours) for €1. A city where complete strangers give you your tram fare, find the handbag you left on the transfer bus and give you a free ride home. A rugby shirt is a passport to as much Guinness as you can drink and a friend for life. The Heineken poster says “Welcome to Rugby Country” and this is indeed the land of the odd-shaped ball. On Saturday, Dublin went rugby crazy. Overnight, Guinness bars were erected on the pavements, large inflatable balls appeared on street corners and every pub showing the match (and let’s face it, it was hard to find one that wasn’t) had a rugby post over its doorway. It was the hottest ticket in town with touts aplenty and everyone heading for the game. (So popular was it that the ticket office sold our seats twice but that’s another story. Apologies to the guys who also thought they had bought those seats but we got there first and anyway, possession is nine tenths of the law.)
The Saracen’s team needed all the class it could muster and the omission of Goode and Burger, two of our classiest players, with “minor knocks” suggested that the white flag was being hitched to the flag pole. Leinster were without Jamie Heaslip but his replacement, Sean O’Brien proved a more than adequate replacement and Gordon D’Arcy was also missing.
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) was founded in 1731 "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". (No mention of rugby then). The arena was developed to host the Royal Dublin Horse Show and in 2007 was extended to become home to Leinster. It gave us a glimpse of our future home at Copthall with 3 temporary stands (only 1 under cover), warm Bushmills for sale and dodgy plumbing.
Leinster kicked off with a strong wind at their backs. They had scored 2 tries before the ball got anywhere near their own 22. The early exchanges resulted in 2 messy scrums before Nacewa’s pass out to Richardt Strauss on the left wing (which did look a tiny bit forward) set O’Brien free to score in the corner. Sexton missed a difficult conversion but it was to be his only miss on an afternoon that was a kicker’s lottery. 4 minutes later, Leinster scored again, this time Horgan found Nacewa who passed to O’Brien out on that left wing again and he put Dominic Ryan in to score in almost the same place. There was a suspicion that James Short had been pulled back off the ball and couldn’t get his tackle in but it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. This time Sexton judged the wind perfectly and Leinster led 12-0 in as many minutes. It was looking like a very long afternoon for Sarries’ fans.
Sarries finally found the Leister 22 with breaks from Barritt and Saull but they came to nothing. There was an amusing moment when O’Brien seemed to think the touch judge was a member of the Leinster team and passed the ball straight to him.
Perhaps Leinster took their foot off the accelerator a bit. A long kick from Farrell was fielded by Luke Fitzgerald (who had a day he’d rather forget). His pass was intercepted by Short who backed himself to beat Nacewa and score under the posts. Farrell converted despite the gusty wind and at 12-7 Sarries were back in the game. A penalty at the scrum allowed Sexton to stretch the lead to 15-7 but Sarries began to attack with some conviction and a lovely move saw Brits and Strettle set Saull and then Kelly Brown free on the right to score in the corner. Farrell’s conversion seemed to be heading for the posts until a leprechaun blew it back the other way. Still 15-12 just before half time and the game was there to win.
Tagicakibau limped off to allow Dubliners a sight of Mr Henson but I doubt if they were impressed. On a day when he needed to stand up and be counted he sat on his chair. He had scarcely laced his boots before O’Brien wriggled through 2 half hearted tackles and was 1 on 1 with Mordt. Mordt made the tackle but O’Brien off loaded to Sexton whose long pass out to Jennings sent Ryan over for his second score which Sexton converted. Leinster went in for the interval 22-12 ahead and left us with the distinct feeling they had yet to get out of second gear.
Vyvyan, who took a knock on his ankle early in the first half, didn’t reappear and was replaced by Hayden Smith. Sarries won a penalty on half way but a quick tap petered out when a kick (with the wind behind) might have been a better option. A long kick from Henson missed touch and Leinster, barely impeded by the Sarries’ defence, ran the ball all the way to the Sarries’ try line via Sexton, O’Driscoll and Strauss for McFadden to score under the posts to give Sexton an easy conversion despite the wind. 29-12. Melck replaced Saull and de Kock replaced Wiggy and briefly Sarries’ fortunes improved. Farrell kept his cool when the ball fell over in the strong wind (shouldn’t someone have held it for him?) and with Borthwick’s help kicked a penalty for 29-15. Sarries were just about in touch.
But it didn’t last. Sexton and O’Driscoll combined to allow Nacewa to find a gap as wide as the Irish Sea for the 5th try which Sexton, judging the wind perfectly, converted. 36-15. Into the final quarter and Leinster made a raft of substitutions while du Plessis replaced Nieto. A long kick from Sarries propelled by the wind went dead and from the resulting scrum back Leinster’s substitute winger O’Malley received the pass from Reddan and ran through the Saracens defence as if they were the terracotta army to score a 6th try. Inevitably Sexton converted and it was “Good Night Saracens” at 43-15.
Worse still, Strettle went off with what looked like a shoulder injury. Mordt, who had a reasonable first half, looked increasingly flakey as the game progressed culminating in a butter-fingered juggle over his head which eventually resulted in a Leinster penalty. Four more replacements for Leinster and Jamie George replaced Brits (who was sadly the 2nd best hooker on show today).
With 10 minutes left Gavin departed. The uncharitable might say that it was raining and the fake tan was going streaky although I understand it was a calf injury which will keep him out for 3 weeks (these tans can be exceedingly tiresome to top up!). With no backs left on the bench he was replaced by reserve prop Jared Saunders who can hardly have expected to make his Heineken cup debut as an outside centre! In the end Joubert went to the wing and Short became our latest (but by no means least) makeshift 13.
Sarries finished the game in good heart. A series of penalties gave them plenty of territory but the Leinster defence held firm. Toner departed with a yellow card which was just as well as Borthwick was forced to leave the field with what looked like a dead arm and Sarries too were down to 14. One final push as the clock ticked on to 80 minutes. Sarries won a penalty in front of the post. With 3 props on the field and an extra forward they sensibly chose the scrum option. For once they secured clean ball and de Kock got the ball out to Mordt who scored in the corner to give the score some semblance of respectability at 43-20 even though Farrell couldn’t land the conversion.
There were some positives. It was an enjoyable game with both sides prepared to attack. It was great to see the legendary Brian O’Driscoll in the flesh. When did we last score 3 tries? Farrell looked composed and confident in this company (I won’t hold the kicks against him in that wind) and Joubert was immense. On the downside we lost Strettle, Tagi, Gavin, Vyvyan and Borthwick with what could be potentially serious injuries. The fallout from this game could be somewhat greater than a heavy defeat. It’s a good job Friday’s game is effectively a dead rubber because we are going to struggle to field a team.
So our Heineken Cup adventure is over for another year. Unlike Leinster, who effectively qualify for this competition by right every year and therefore have a wealth of experience at this level, Sarries must rely on a top 6 finish again to reignite our European dream. But the squad will have learned a lot and if we can maintain our Premiership form and our place at Europe’s top table, there is no reason why, in time, we too can’t become the European giants that are Leinster. I look forward to next season’s draw with hope and expectation. I wouldn’t say no to another trip to Dublin. I would just love to make that Leinster announcer ( LEINSTER FORTY THREE Saracens twenty) eat his words.
Leinster
Nacewa, Horgan (O’Malley), O’Driscoll, McFadden, Fitzgerald, Sexton (Madigan), Reddan (Boss), Healey (Van der Merwe), Strauss, Ross (Newland), Cullen ©, Hines (Toner), Ryan, Jennings (McLaughlin), O’Brien
Saracens
Mordt, Strettle (Cato), Tagicakibau (Henson) (Saunders), Barritt, Short, Farrell, Wigglesworth (De Kock), Gill, Brits (George), Nieto (Du Plessis), Borthwick ©, Vyvyan (Smith), Brown, Saull (Melck), Joubert.
Scores (Leinster first)
5-0 12-0 12-7 15-7 15-12 22-12(H-T) 29-12 29-15 36-15 43-15 43-20
Scorers
Leinster: Tries: Ryan (2) McFadden, O’Brien, Nacewa, O’Malley. Conv: Sexton (5) Pen: sexton
Saracens: Tries: Short, Brown, Mordt, Conv: Farrell, Pen: Farrell
Referee; Romain Poite
Attendance: 18,500 (and presumably the extra 9 who also had our seats!)
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:02:02:11:33:08 by TonyTaff.
Thank you, DG.
Great report, many thanks
