MATCH REPORT | Saracens U19s 50-24 Ulster Rugby U19s
Saracens Under 19s showed their enormous potential as they came out on top with a 50-24 win over Ulster at StoneX Stadium.
The young Men in Black scored eight tries in the sun to thrill the strong crowd in attendance with some excellent attacking rugby.
Sarries started like a house on fire and scored their first try with less than two minutes on the clock. Noah Caluori’s incredibly athletic take in the air gave them field position, and then a penalty was taken quickly and passed straight back to the winger who stepped past three men to dive over acrobatically in the corner to give the hosts a 5-0 lead.
The intensity that the young Sarries stars were playing with epitomised by a huge tackle from captain Asa Stewart-Harris who single handedly dragged an Ulster attack back out of the 22 and in to touch.
The visitors thought they had got level with 10 minutes on the clock as they rumbled over from a maul, but the referee deemed they had strayed offside and Sarries got the penalty.
Sarries then continued to dominate possession and looked dangerous on the counter attack, however they were punished for not converting their chances as Ulster struck with 25 minutes gone.
A penalty was kicked to the corner and then after a number of phases right on the line they stretched over to level the score. The conversion then sailed through the posts as they took a 7-5 lead.
Ulster threatened to cross for another when they kicked another penalty to the corner, but some outstanding defence ensured the deficit stayed at two points.
The hosts almost got themselves back in front just before the break when Tayo Adegbemile broke through and offloaded to Liam Giacobbi on the wing, but he was brought down just short of the line.
Their next chance came from a rolling maul which thundered over the line, but the referee deemed that Charlie Kingsford had been held up over the line and Ulster cleared.
They took their next opportunity though as a brilliant cross-field kick from Finn Keylock found Reggie Hammick on the wing who stepped inside and dotted down. The conversion went just wide, but the hosts were back in front with a 10-7 lead.
A penalty from Ulster from right in front of the posts levelled the score once again, but then Caluori took matters in to his own hands and scored a wonder try from just outside the 22 as he stepped past a number of players and dived over under the posts. The conversion went over, and Sarries had a 17-10 lead at the break.
Sarries started the second half brilliantly and scored just two minutes after the restart to take control of the match. Stewart-Harris broke in to the 22, and then the ball went wide to Giacobbi who finished strongly in the corner. Keylock’s impressive touchline conversion made it 24-10.
Stewart-Harris, who was having a storming game then intercepted and ran 80 metres showing brilliant pace to go all the way and dive under the posts as the floodgates threatened to open. The conversion extended the advantage to 21 points.
It got even better a minute later as a break from Caluori took play deep in to the 22, and then he offloaded up to Charlie West who could stroll over from just five metres out.
The tries kept on coming, and with 15 minutes left try number seven arrived with another powerful carry from the forwards which resulted in a tonne of bodies hammering over in the corner.
The eighth try arrived with 10 minutes remaining, and this time Adegbemile showed his strength to stretch over the line from close range, and Ben Morrow’s conversion brought up the half century.
Ulster did respond in the closing stages with two deserved tries after a period of dominance, but they proved to be the last notable acts of a brilliant afternoon for the academy players who all showed their quality, and they will head in to Tuesday’s game against Leinster at Harpenden Rugby Club with a real spring in their step.
