Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall

Heineken Cup Pool 5: Saracens 20 Biarritz Olympique 16

In a tensely fought and thoroughly absorbing Heineken Cup match at Vicarage Road, Saracens did enough in the first half to scrape away with a victory against Biarritz Olympique to put them atop Pool 5 in the competition.

There was a sense of culmination in the Saracens victory with the players showing genuine spirit and grit in defence. One could clearly hear ‘Trust the D’ chanted by Sarries players, suggesting not only the importance of defence, but faith in teammates.

“The two and a half years we have had leading up to this match have been important. We have had a number of knock-out games a number of big games and those experiences are of benefit,” remarked a relieved Saracens Director of Coaching Mark McCall at the post-match press conference.

After dominating possession and territory in the first half to be up 14-6, Sarries failed to take the initiative and put the French team away, with Biarritz coming within one point in the second half of stealing an away win.

The tone of the first half was set at the first scrum when Sarries screwed Biarritz right around but it was the French team who got on the scoreboard first through scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili’s boot at nine minutes with a penalty goal.

Saracens’ outside centre Owen Farrell replied three minutes later with a penalty goal, only for Yachvili to put his team back in front 14 minutes into the game.

On halfway, Owen Farrell kicked through a Biarritz dropped ball which was snapped up winger David Strettle who flung it to Number 8 Ernst Joubert and opposite winger Chris Wyles. Cover defence brought Wyles down, but scrum-half Ben Spencer darted out from the back of the ruck to scurry over for the first try.

Farrell missed the conversion and at 17 minutes the scores were 8-6 to the home team.

While the only other scores in the first half were two Farrell penalty goals, it was more exciting than that may suggest with both teams showing attacking flare. Sarries lock Mouritz Botha enjoyed a 20 metre break on the back of an intercept, fullback Alex Goode made a jinking line break through the midfield and Biarritz winger Taku Ngwenya kicked and chased threateningly.

Biarritz replaced prop Fabien Barcella and hooker Roman Terrain with Sylvain Marconnet and Arnaud Heguy Marconnet respectively, early in the second half and immediately the scrum stabilised. This signalled a second half controlled by the Basque team.

Biarritz came out with more confidence and Saracens lost the speed and width in attack, which troubled Biarritz in the first half.

Deep in their own half Saracens replacement scrum-half Peter Stringer attempted a clearance from the ruck, only to find his loose forwards sleeping, allowing an enterprising Yachvili to charge his kick down, regain the ball and score a try at the end of the third quarter.

This try was converted and put the teams within one point of one another, with Sarries leading 14-13.

Farrell and Yachvili traded penalties again, to still only be separated by one point with 13 minutes remaining.

The Saracens defence held on tooth and nail in the face of a French barrage in the last ten minutes. The French, however, could not break a Saracens defence showing Teutonic organisation.

At 77 minutes, on one of the rare occasions Sarries were in Biarritz territory in the second half, they drew a penalty for Biarritz players leaving their feet at the ruck, and Farrell landed the goal from 45 metres out.

There the scores remained and Saracens, while no doubt happy with the victory, will be aware that the game was there for the taking at half time.

McCall expressed a sense of frustration that it wasn’t more simple, at the end of the game.

“At 14-6 we had an opportunity to pull away from them and break them,” he said.

“Nonetheless he expressed pride in the effort to keep the lead in the second half.

“The last 20 minutes characterised everything we are about in the club, the work ethic, the discipline.

“We have got a good habit of closing games out, getting the job done, and not panicking. There was good composure from the team, and I think that shone through today.”

Saracens travel to Italy to play their final Heineken Cup game against Treviso next week, yet to have statistically won the pool. However, it would seem probable they will progress into the knock-out stages, banishing the painful memories from the competition last year.

Saracens

Tries: Spencer (17)

Cons:

Pens: Farrell (12, 28, 35, 62, 77)

15 Alex Goode; 14 David Strettle; 13 Owen Farrell, 12 Brad Barritt; 11 Chris Wyles; 10 Charlie Hodgson; 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Ryhs Gill; 2 John Smit; 3 Carlos Nieto; 4 Steve Borthwick (c); 5 Mouritz Botha; 6 Kelly Brown; 7 Andy Saull; 8 Ernst Joubert

Res: 16 Jamie George; 17 Petrus Du Pleissis; 18 Matt Stevens; 19 George Kruis; 20 Jackson Wray; 21 Peter Stringer; 22 Adam Powell; 23 James Short

Biarritz

Tries: Yachvili (58)

Cons: Yachvili (59)

Pens: (9, 14, 67)

15 Iain Balshaw; 14 Taku Ngwenya; 13 Charles Gimenez; 12 Damien Traille (c); 11 Ilikena Bolakoro; 10 Marcelo Bosch; 9 Dimitri Yachvili; 1 Fabien Barcella; 2 Roman Terrain; 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela; 4 Jermome Thion; 5 Pelu Taela; Wenceslas Lauret; 7 Benoit Guyot; 8 Florian Faure

Res: 16 Arnaud Heguy; 17 Sylvain Marconnet; 18 Eusebio Guinazu; 19 Manuel Carizza; 20 Jean-Baptiste Roidot; 21 Jean Peyrelongue; 22 Benoit Baby; 23 Dane Haylett-Petty