Saracens 36 Ospreys 34: Sarries pushed all the way to extend 20-match unbeaten run
Saracens extended their unbeaten run in this competition to 20 games with yet another bonus-point victory, but this was anything but a straightforward evening for the champions who were pushed all the way by an Ospreys side who were as classy as they were courageous.
If last week’s 57-13 destruction of Northampton was rated by Mark McCall, the director of rugby, as a “complete performance” this was a highly uncomfortably, unusually ragged display. Many had been expecting Saracens to rack up a cricket – or at least basketball – score with the Ospreys having just a single league victory to their name this season. If their task was not hard enough, Ospreys – who were already missing scrum half Rhys Webb – lost two more Lions in flankers Dan Lydiate and Justin Tipuric in the warm-up.
Despite their lack of form or fitness, Ospreys smothered Saracens, constantly contesting the breakdown and rushing up from the defensive line, and consistently troubled them in attack. “An unbelievable effort,” was the correct assessment of Steve Tandy, the Ospreys head coach.
Individually scrum-half Thomas Habberfield pulled off at least two try-saving tackles and collectively they knocked the Saracens metronome off its regular beat with the home side coughing up 15 turnovers or knock-ons. A pair of tries from full-back Dan Evans gave them a 17-7 first-half lead, but gradually Saracens rediscovered their old selves, inspired in no small part by the introduction of centre Nick Tompkins, who created two tries and scored one himself. The penalty try and yellow card to Evans in the 55th minute for deliberately batting down a try-bound pass for Liam Williams was also a turning point.
It would have been an injustice had Ospreys made the long trip back home with nothing to show for their efforts and they were eventually rewarded when the magnificent Sam Cross, who came in for Tipuric to make his debut, crossed with two minutes remaining to secure two bonus points. That may be immaterial in the toughest of pools and their defeat means that Wales and Scotland are highly unlikely to have any representatives in the quarter-finals.
That is a pity for the competition as a whole but, while applauding the Ospreys’ effort, McCall was more focused on his own team’s failings. “We have to give the Ospreys all the credit. They played phenomenally tonight. It was a very different game to last week. They made us struggle to get quick ball and they put us under real pressure. At times we showed some good resilience.
“That’s a snapshot of what we have been like in other games. I think we have defended more poorly today than we have in some time. There were some great bits of play out there, some good tries, but some some pretty awful stuff as well. That’s kind of where we have been all season.”
Saracens drew first blood inside seven minutes. Duncan Taylor was initially held up after some nice interplay between Owen Farrell and Liam Williams. From the resulting scrum, Saracens spread the ball from touchline to touchline through a huge Farrell miss-pass and a shorter assist from Alex Goode to put Chris Wyles over in the corner.
Ospreys struck back within three minutes. Again it came from a scrum with Cory Allen taking a great line off a Dan Biggar pass and then popping the ball up to Evans to scoot over.
Suddenly Saracens were spluttering. Concern became worry as Ospreys grabbed their second try, which on the balance of play was fully deserved. The visiting team built 15-plus phases inside the Saracens 22 before the space was finally manipulated where Mako Vunipola left too big a hole for Farrell to cover a charging Evans. Biggar converted and added a penalty after Juan Figallo was somewhat harshly penalised at the breakdown to make it 17-7.
Still that would not jolt Saracens out of their stupor. When Farrell and Mako Vunipola are committing basic knock-ons, you know that there is something off. Farrell atoned with a penalty and on the stroke of half-time they came level. The chance looked to be gone when Vunipola fumbled Farrell’s pass but with the ball going backwards, he took it forward and then Schalk Brits stepped his way past the remaining defence.
Biggar restored the lead with a penalty but then came a bad 10 minutes for Evans who first dropped the ball in diving for the line and then conceded a penalty try. Saracens seemed set to pull clear when Tompkins set up Williams with a sumptuous back-of-the-hand offload, but Ospreys hit back with a marvellous team try finished by precocious centre Owen Watkin from Sam Davies’ pass.
