MATCH REACTION | Alex Austerberry (AC Final)

Director of Rugby Alex Austerberry couldn’t hide his pride, as Saracens Women overturned a half-time deficit to secure Allianz Cup glory against Bristol Bears.

In a pulsating encounter, Saracens pulled away in the last twenty minutes to secure the victory and Austerberry paid tribute to the efforts of his side, whilst also crediting the performance of the Bears.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the team did in the second half. Credit to Bristol, the way they defended made it incredibly tough. It was two very good teams going at it and to come out with the win is something we’re immensely proud of. It was a fantastic occasion and a great way to finish the cup with a game of that quality.”

When pressed on what messages he’d given to the group at half-time, Austerberry explained that he and his coaching staff had told the players to put in a performance that they would remember for a long time to come.

“We thought we were a little off the pace in the first half. We’ve been burnt by Bristol recently when we weren’t 100%. A few times we got caught on the edges so there were some fixups there, but ultimately, we said to the group that we had 40 minutes to go and make a memory and we did a pretty good job of that!”

At a packed out Shaftesbury Park, there was a big Saracens following, with Austerberry praising the fans for the support they had given to his side.

“It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. They travelled a good few hours to make it and some of them made a weekend of it after watching the boys on Friday night as well. These are the things you remember and it’s truly special. We want to say thank you to them too. It’s scenes like the ones at full-time that you remember, and we thank the fans for their incredible support.”