Saracens Have Too Much Artillery for UKAF

Fresh from their European Champions Cup victory over Racing 92, Saracens demonstrated how strong the depth of their squad is with a convincing 52-10 victory over UKAF at the Honourable Artillery Company’s ground in the heart of the City of London.  Nils Mordt’s team were able to control possession for long periods but were also dangerous from deep when looking to counter attack and four tries in each half were fair reward for their play.  For UKAF it was a hard night, particularly at the breakdown, but they were rewarded by their persistence with a late try from skipper Tom Rock.  Ultimately though the side who only game together on Monday could not match the cohesion of the Saracens team.

It was a new venture for Tom Rock and UKAF as the team played Saracens in the heart of the City of London’s financial district at the atmospheric and historic Honourable Artillery Company’s ground.  Their opponents, Saracens, were a club buoyed by their first ever European Champions Cup and the new silverware glistened on display in some late evening sunshine before the skies turned grey at the kick off.

From the kick off it was UKAF who made the most of their possession and field position with a strong rolling maul forcing the penalty advantage. When Mat Tichias was stopped in midfield the referee returned for the penalty and Tom Rock had no hesitation in asking James Dixon, a late replacement at fullback, to go for goal.  3-0 with barely 5 minutes gone but it was to prove a false dawn for the UKAF side.

For the rest of the half UKAF were forced to man the barricades and defend as Saracens dominated the breakdown and the scrum and were solid at the lineout.  They are probably the most accomplished club in the Aviva Premiership at squeezing an opposition into errors and then capitalising on them.  It has proved a difficult enough challenge for teams who are well used to playing alongside each other, but for the representative UKAF side with unfamiliar combinations, it was to prove too much as eventually their defensive alignment was lost and Saracens could exploit the space. First half tries from Anthony Maka, Nick Tomkins and two from George Perkins, Saracens England U20 winger, were a fair reflection of Saracens play but also the work rate of a UKAF side whose tackle count was rising quickly as they ensured that the flood gates did not open.  With Nils Mordt landing 3 conversion Saracens turned around with a 26-3 half time lead.

The second half started in much the same vein as the first finished.  When UKAF were able to get hold of some possession the suffocating Saracens defence often forced the quick from which the Saracens back three of Perkins, Mike Ellery and Ben Ransom were always looking to counter attack from.  Their enterprise from deep and Ransom’s eye for space was rewarded with three more tries in the second half which included two where Ransom started the counter attack his own 22m area and former England Sevens star, Mike Ellery finished the moves with well taken tries.  The lead had now extended to 45-3 and there was still just under a quarter of the match to go.

It showed much for the UKAF spirit and determination that though the game was lost they never relented on their work rate.  They were finally rewarded with some continuity of possession from which they could exert some pressure.  A sniping break from debutant scrum half Gareth Rees put the Saracens defence on the back foot and with the ever industrious Jarrard Hayler on hand to continue the move UKAF were able to force the penalty from the Saracens.  A quick tap and it was fitting that skipper Tom Rock was on hand to cut back and grab a well deserved try at the base of the right hand post.  James Dixon had the easiest of conversions and UKAF had broken in to double figures.

In their eagerness to get a second try they probably played a little too loose and Saracens, as they had for most of the evening, punished them from turnover possession for a final try with the last play of the game  As Nil Mordt’s conversion went over the referee blew for full time and a 52-10 Saracens win.  A long break for the UKAF side before they next come together in November when both the Men’s XV and Women’s XV will be playing in their respective Remembrance Matches.