6:10pm Sunday 14th February 2010
By Tom Guest
BATTLE-hardened Saracens subjected gutsy Worcester Warriors to some capital punishment with a 25-20 Guinness Premiership success in front of more than 40,000 fans at Wembley.
The men from Sixways were more than a match for their high-flying opponents for the best part of an hour, but a length-of-the-field breakaway try, finished off by Sarries scrum-half Neil de Kock, was the deciding factor.
When that score was converted by Glen Jackson, the men in black led for the first time and they never looked back.
The build-up to kick-off was all about glitz and glamour as Saracens continue their marketing assault on a potentially huge London fan-base.
However, Warriors clearly hadn’t read the script and when the game started Willie Walker looked to launch an early counter-attack with a run from deep following Alex Goode’s clearance, but his flat pass was too hot for wing Chris Pennell, who knocked-on. However, several Sarries players were off-side and Kiwi goal-kicker Walker drilled the ball through the posts.
Worcester threatened again from the re-start with Sammy Tuitupou and Pat Sanderson making in-roads into the Saracens’ 22, before Pennell was halted just short of the line and also hit for not releasing.
Warriors’ forward momentum was rewarded with another penalty, this time for the tackler not letting go, and Walker again split the uprights.
With another penalty in the bank, Jackson tried a dink over the defence, but it came to nothing and play went back for the hosts’ kicker to open his side’s account, via the post. A Worcester transgression on the floor right in front of the posts on 18 minutes saw the reliable boot of Jackson level the score.
Worcester surged back into the lead, though, when Pennell’s intelligent grubber-kick gave Sarries a line-out a metre from their own line. Hooker Schalk Brits over-threw and, although the hosts managed to tap it back, de Kock’s hurried clearance was charged down by number eight Kai Horst-mann and Tom Wood dived on the loose ball for the opening try, which Walker improved.
The away side’s indiscipline meant Sara-cens were able to stay in touch as Tuitupou was hit for not releasing the ball in the tackle and Jackson again punished Worcester to the tune of three points. Soon after the second-half kicked-off, Worcester went off-side straight in front of the posts, 40 metres out, and Jackson reduced his team's deficit to just one point.
Warriors roared back, though, with a scintillating break down the short side by pacy winger Benjamin, who snaked around several defenders and crashed over the line. However, a scrambling Sarries defender got a hand underneath the ball to prevent the try.
From the five-metre scrum, the Worcester pack forced three penalties through sheer power - the third of which saw referee Dave Pearson lose patience with replacement Carlos Nieto, who’d only been on the field a few minutes, and show him the yellow card.
Flanker Andy Saull went off while Nieto was in the bin to facilitate the return of subbed prop Richard Skuse and Warriors scrummed again. Sarries once more resorted to foul means to deny the visitors and this time the penalty try was awarded and Walker added the simple extras.
Having scored a try, Worcester once again allowed their hosts to relieve the pressure immediately, by handing Jackson another simple penalty chance, which he accepted.
Sarries then hit Warriors with a hammer blow, which the visitors would never recover from. Under pressure in his own 22, excellent full-back Goode spotted space in behind Worcester and set off after his kick.
The England Saxon got to the ball first before off-loading left wing Chris Wyles, who popped the ball for the supporting de Kock to dive over beneath the posts. Jackson added the extras to give Sarries the lead for the first time in the game.
There was a long delay as Nieto was stretchered off with a suspected fractured ankle, while fellow front-rower, Warriors’ Tevita Taumopeau, also hobbled out.
Worcester struggled to get any decent possession and Mike Ruddock’s men conceded another penalty out wide for not rolling away. Unfazed by the tight angle, Jackson stroked the ball home.
With just under four minutes left on the clock, Worcester finally managed to put a few phases together and were rewarded with a penalty which replacement number 10 Matt Jones kicked to the corner, Warriors won the line-out, but a potentially match-winning drive by the home pack disrupted the move and forced a turn-over. A melee ensued and Greg Rawlinson was sent to the bin for his part in it.
It would have been harsh on Worcester if they’d left Wembley empty-handed, and justice was done when Jackson finally missed a shot at goal with less than a minute to go.
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