From the Archives - Saints v Sarries 2001

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By From the Archives
September 26 2002

In our third look into the Saints v Sarries archive of yesteryear its back to the initial Zurich Championship and the quarter final stage at the Gardens in April 2001.

SUPREME SAINTS SHRED SLIPSHOD SARRIES!

Saints 45 Sarries 17

By Saint On The Spot
Date: 29/4/2001

The Saints left it late in the season but finally produced a performance that was up there with the best. The demolition of Sarries has lined up a mouthwatering Zurich Championship semi final at Leicester. What better way to finish your career than a win at Welford Road?

The game opened at hurricane speed with Saints leaking two early tries to Darragh O'Mahony and Kyran Bracken and it looked odds on they were in for a torrid afternoon.

The forwards had other ideas and took the game by the scruff of the neck and drove Sarries back utilising both ruck and maul to great effect.

The sustained pressure had the Sarries defence in all kind of problems. First the impressive Mark Soden then Allan Bateman, in his best spell for the club, were held up but at the third time of asking Luca Martin squeezed over for the score.

Sarries appeared shellshocked as the Saints moved up a further gear and again took the game back to the visitors twenty-two. Again the Sarries defence held firm as attack after attack was held up or disrupted. There appeared no way through until Matt Dawson, who along with Ben Cohen was called up by the Lions squad this week, hit a rich vein of form.

Tim Rodber, in his last game at the Gardens, took the ball deep into Saracens territory and drew in defenders by the dozen. Just as he was held in he slipped a deft ball out to Dawson who skipped round the remaining defence, including a now totally outplayed Bracken, to score by the posts.

A minute later the England scrumhalf repeated the feat. The ball popped out of the bottom of a ruck and sensing there was nothing outside Dawson chanced a re-enactment of his efforts a minute earlier. This time he weaved through the defence with a hop, sidestep and a jump to dance over the line for the score. Indeed the defence was so at sixes and sevens with Dwason that he almost had time to stop off for a pie and pint in the Sturtridge before touching down.

The Saints were clearly now in the ascendancy as the forwards took a tighter grip. Not only were they causing Sarries problems in the loose through Rodber, Andy Blowers and Soden they also dominated the set pice. Steve Thompson and the young Kelvin Todd, replacing injured Garry Pagel, were outstanding in the scrum while Olivier Brouzet had the game of his Saints career and dominated in the lineout.

Going in 21-12 up at the break the Saints certainly had the visitors there for the taking but with Tim Horan, O'Mahony and Dan Luger threatening at times to breach the Saints line there was always a chance of a Sarries fightback.

However these fears were dispelled within a minute of the restart. Clever refereeing from Chris White allowed two quick knockons to cancel each other out, both sides had adequate bites of the advantage cherry and play was waved on. The Saints pack set up the ruck on the Sarries line and just as it looked like the ball was dead a Saracens hand flipped the ball up to the waiting hands of Tim Rodber who simply had to touch down for the score.

The game was now over as a contest but the Saints were not finished yet. Despite Sarries coach (and Rivals columnist) Francois Pienaar replacing the departing Tony Diprose, to the suprise and anger of the Sarries support, and Lion Scott Murray with new blood the visitors could not stem the Gold, Black n Green tide.

Minutes later Paul Grayson spurned a kickable penalty to put the ball in the corner. Steve Thompson, who on this form is a must for Englands summer tour, threw in then moved to the back of the drive to collect the ball and bundle over for the try.

Sarries were now in disarray with players clearly just going through the motions. The Saints again took full advantage. In the move of game just about every Saints player handled the ball before both Paul Grayson and Matt Stewart threw wild passes in quick successsion. Andy Blowers stepped in to clear up the mess by taking the ball in close the spinning out of the final tackle to feed Ben Cohen who stretched to go over in the corner for his 20th try of the season.

It was the All Black Blowers turn to go over himself minutes later as again the Sarries scrum failed to handle a rampant Saints pack now bouyed by their entire set of replacements available from the bench. Indeed all seven of the substitutes were brought on in the last quarter but they just slotted in a carried on the torment of the visitors as their predecessors had.

The impressive Horan, the pick of the Sarries team, carved out a second try for O'Mahony as the game closed but the day was definitely all Saints.

The game finished with various awards on the pitch before the team came over to pay a last tribute to the Gordon Terrace. Matt Dawson even gave the GT a reverse christening with his Man Of The Match champagne. Songs were sung, people cheered, departing heroes were honoured and the odd tear was shed. Now this mini Saints rollercoaster moves lock, stock and barrel down the road to the Tigers den next week.