Saracens v Bristol Bears
Another quite astonishing game in Round 11.
What was the last time Sarries went 0-26 down in the first half hour?
Bears were totally in command from the start, belying their lowly league position. They moved the ball smoothly around, guided by the calm Ruahei Demant.
Millie David scored first, running into the left corner from a full metre out.
Christiana Balogun was just one of the less celebrated players to create havoc in Sarries’ defences.
Demant added to home supporters’ concerns with a try, before Sarah Bern helped herself to a couple more.
Bristol were happy to have Meryl Smith restored to the strength. With Emna Orr looking particularly dangerous as her centre partner, that raises Scottish hopes another notch.
Our two wise commentators, Nick Heath and Kat Merchant, kept warning the innocent viewer against assuming the match was over. But surely..?
It took Sarries till just short of the interval to make their presence felt. Kelsey Clifford added to the praise being heaped on her by scoring twice.
Till then, the mournful male voice that insists on chorusing “SAR-RIES!” in a minor key, had echoed the thoughts of all the local fans in the east stand.
Half-time: 12-26
Alex Austerberry had been prowling around upstairs like a caged lion, but his words in private to his team worked once more.
But only just.
The pack got to work, Marlie Packer as combative as ever. And it helps when you can bring on Poppy Cleall as an afterthought.
Even more so Liv Apps, just back from more 7s exploits. She scored a wonderful try, after May Campbell had added her eighth of the season.
Most of the current PWR matches parade a cross-section of international stars; this was a prize example.
We are left wondering how the table would look if England adopted an approach similar to America’s draft system. If Apps, Julia Omokhuale and Pam Buisa, for example, had been ‘invited’ to join Leicester Tigers’ squad, would we still have one club so far adrift at the bottom of the table?
Back to the game: Keira Bevan converted her own try to bring the scores level. More heart-in-mouth time.
One of Sarries’ famed strengths is playing a full 80- minute game. Now it was put to a severe test.
With a minute on the clock they extracted a penalty from the referee. Zoe Harrison was invited to convert it from what, to most of us, might have seemed like their own 22-metre line.
Of course it cleared the bar.
So a distraught Bears’ side failed once more to clinch victory. It’s ridiculous to think that they lie six places and 30 points below Sarries.
Result: Saracens 36 Bristol Bears 33
Teams
Sarries: 15 BREACH 14 GREGSON 13 HARDY 12 BRIDGER 11 SHARP 10 HARRISON 9 SELLORS 1 CLIFFORD 2 CAMPBELL 3 ROSE 4 McMILLAN 5 VERGHESE 6 EVANS 7 M. PACKER 8 OMOKHUALE
16 FIELD 17 CRAKE 18 TREMELLIING 19 SENFT 20 P. CLEALL 21 APPS 22 McDOUGALL 23 WILLS
Bears: 15 DANIELS 14 JOYCE 13 ORR 12 M. SMITH 11 DAVID 10 DEMANT 9 BEVAN 1 M. DAVIES 2 SKELDON 3 BERN 4 CUNNINGHAM 5 BALOGUN 6 SHORT 7 BUISA 8 E. GALLAGHER
16 DALE 17 JAH 18 E. CLARKE 19 BURNS 20 HOPKINS 21 RYALL 22 DE VERA 23 LOVIBOND
In the other match Exeter Chiefs beat Loughborough Lightning 26- 5. It leaves the simplified table looking like: this:
1. Gloucester-Hartpury 50 points
2. Saracens 45
3. Exeter Chiefs 35
4. Harlequins 32
5. Trailfinders 27
6. Loughborough Lightning 22
7. Sale Sharks 19
8. Bristol Bears 15
9. Leicester Tigers 1
Lightning and Tigers have played 9 matches, the rest 10.
Sharks’ great win brings them closer to contention for a play-off place.
Afterthoughts
This StoneX game was further confirmation of how tight the competition is. Glos-pury go on winning, despite an unfancied side like Trailfinders coming within a point of them away from home. Today Bears returned westward pretty upset, despite claiming two points in London Town.
Does it all come down to forward strength after all?
