WORLD CUP ROUND UP | Weekend of joy and heartbreak for Sarries Stars
THE RUGBY WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINALS REALLY DIDN’T DISAPPOINT AND NEITHER DID YOUR SARACENS OUT IN FRANCE IN WHAT WAS A THRILLING WEEKEND.
Saturday saw Nick Tompkins go up against his new teammates Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti, as Wales and Argentina met in the first quarter-final in Marseille.
Although Wales dominated the first half, Argentina stuck in the fight and eventually prospered – a late Nicolas Sanchez intercept score sealing a 29-17 victory.
They will meet New Zealand in the first semi-final after the All Blacks secured a pulsating victory against the world’s number one ranked side Ireland in Paris.
We were back in Marseille again on Sunday as England locked horns with Fiji for the right to face either hosts France or World Champions South Africa in the last four.
No less than eight Saracens were named across both squads and this proved to be yet another dramatic match which went down to the final moments.
Man-of-the-match Owen Farrell steered the ship superbly from fly-half and had helped England to a 14-point lead with roughly a quarter of an hour left to play.
But Eroni Mawi and his Fijian side hit back with two converted tries to level the match at 24-24 and set up a grandstand finish.
It was then though that the big game experience of two Saracens stars in particular shone through to help England over the line.
Firstly, Farrell made a smart call to take a drop goal and edge his side in front with England having got to within 10 metres of the Fijian line.
And then Ben Earl produced a stunning break from inside his own half to give England brilliant field position and eventually earn a penalty that Farrell would easily slot for a 30-24 lead.
There were notable contributions from Jamie George, who controlled things brilliantly at the set-piece and Maro Itoje, who was a menace at the line-out and the breakdown throughout to help England secure a repeat of the 2019 final next Saturday.
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