This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/20/london-irish-saracens-premiership-match-report

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Billy Vunipola breaks London Irish hearts in last-gasp Saracens victory Billy Vunipola breaks London Irish hearts in last-gasp Saracens victory
(about 1 hour later)
They could not have left it any later. This was a last-gasp win for Saracens, not their first even this early in the season, but it was the nerveless manner in which they took it that impressed. Most teams, when awarded a kickable penalty at a scrum with a minute to go would surely have gone for the draw, but Andy Goode, mysteriously handed the kicking duties ahead of Owen Farrell in the second half, had missed a couple of similar kicks. Charlie Hodgson, now on for Farrell, could have had a go, but he went for the corner, and after a devastating lineout and drive, Billy Vunipola scored a try to break London Irish hearts, even if the hosts take two well-deserved bonus points from the contest, having recovered from a shaky start to look every inch the worthy winners. They could not have left it any later. This was a last-gasp win for Saracens, not their first even this early in the season, but it was the nerveless manner in which they took it that impressed. Most teams, when awarded a kickable penalty with a minute to go and trailing by three would go for the draw. The reaction of the Saracens coaching panel to the subsequent decision suggests they would too. But Brad Barritt, captain for the day, instructed Charlie Hodgson to go for the corner – and the lineout and drive that followed was so devastating it made Barritt’s decision suddenly seem the only one, even for those coaches.
It has been an encouraging start to the English season, if you like your players sharp and reactive, if you like your tries. Sure enough, there was something to cheer a mere 51 seconds in. And if you like your sharp, reactive players to be English, you were quite ecstatic, in this the week the benefits of union prevailed. Billy Vunipola, who had enjoyed a typically robust outing, finished it off for a try that denied London Irish a win they would have been worthy of, having recovered from a 20-7 deficit midway through the first half. It was cruel, not least because that final penalty was one of those unsatisfactory ones at a scrum that neither side seemed to dominate. “If you want me to give you a headline on the referee,” said Brian Smith, Irish’s director of rugby, when invited to comment, “I’m going to disappoint you today. Some calls go your way, some don’t. Saracens still had to convert the pressure. We’ll cop it on the chin.”
Vunipola ran the first kick of the match back with some gusto, Richard Wigglesworth developed matters further with some quick feet, then had a go, before Farrell sent Tim Streather over, past a bemused home defence. A robust scrum a few minutes later, featuring the England-qualified Kieran Longbottom, won Saracens a second penalty from two scrums, and the visitors were leading 10-0 in as many minutes. Luke Pearce, the referee, was booed from the pitch, but there is much about the Exiles, who were well worth their two bonus points, that augurs well. A hat-trick for Alex Lewington on his 23rd birthday supplemented a fine early score from Blair Cowan. All four tries came directly or indirectly from little chips behind the famous line speed of the Saracens defence, so tactical acuity is not the least of the qualities they showed here.
So far, nothing that was not to be expected, but Irish were not going to be cast adrift at their own party. They developed a penchant for the little chip in behind, which caused Saracens all kinds of bother – and the first instance followed a minute later. Shane Geraghty’s chip over the top had Scott Steele haring for the posts. He was cut down short, but a couple of phases later, Geraghty’s lovely pass created a try for Blair Cowan. Shane Geraghty supplied the chip that paved the way for the first of their tries, and his sweet pass put Cowan away to finish it. There has been much talk lately of Danny Cipriani as a brilliant former England fly-half now matured and offering himself as a viable contender. Geraghty ought not to be excluded from such conversations. His place-kicking was largely accurate, if a little ambitious at times, his range of skills extensive. Inside-centre, where he is playing these days, is not exactly a nailed-down position in the England set-up
There has been much talk lately of Danny Cipriani as a brilliant former England fly-half now matured and offering himself as a viable contender. Geraghty ought not to be excluded from such conversations. He appears to have found himself again. His place-kicking was largely accurate, if a little ambitious at times, his range of skills extensive. Inside-centre, where he is playing these days, is not exactly a nailed-down position in the England set-up. Owen Farrell was making his first start of the season and looked in fine form early on. His was one of many pairs of English hands and dancing feet that paved the way for Saracens’ first try, a mere 51 seconds into the contest, finished by Tim Streather. Then Richard Wigglesworth’s smart break for Saracens’ second opened up that 20-7 lead.
Wigglesworth was next on the score sheet, streaking clear from a ruck after Chris Ashton had run back a punt downfield to open up a 20-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Irish had more tricks to brandish. Chris Noakes, a Kiwi signed from Auckland, sent over a wicked cross-kick, which Lewington plucked from the sky, cutting inside Longbottom and Goode for Irish’s second on the half-hour. Then it was Steele dinking a grubber kick behind the defence, which sat up for Lewington’s second. Farrell’s kicking game looked in good order too, but Alex Goode took over off the tee in the second half, because of a minor groin strain that saw Farrell finally replaced with 10 to go. Goode proved less reliable, as the game turned into a kicking contest between him and Geraghty. Lewington’s third try, early in the second half, had earned Irish the lead for the first time, but Goode’s two penalties levelled the score in the 56th minute, before Geraghty landed a penalty from halfway to take Irish in front with 15 to go.
His hat-trick – and the lead for Irish – came a few minutes into the second half, after Geraghty’s penalty a few seconds in had brought them back to within a point. It was Steele again who put in the obligatory kick behind Saracens’ lines, and Lewington was on to it, streaking clear of the despairing defenders with no little amount of pace. That penalty came at a scrum. It seemed Irish’s reserve props had turned the tables on those of Saracens, who had dominated the set piece in the first half. Then came that fateful last scrum, which was not obviously anyone’s. A cruel way to end the game for Irish, but they emerged more heartened than otherwise. For Saracens, the record will say they won again.
The final half-hour become a nervy but enthralling contest from the tee between Geraghty and Goode. Two from the latter pulled Saracens level in the 55th minute, but a mighty kick from the halfway line, off centre, by Geraghty pulled Irish clear again early in the third quarter. By now the Irish’s replacement props seemed to have turned the tide against Saracens, but the referee, Luke Pearce, booed from the pitch for his troubles at half-time and full-time, for some reason found otherwise for last penalty Saracens kicked to the corner.
It had been a fine game in which scrum interpretations had played perhaps too big a role. Never more so than at the death.