MATCH REPORT | Leicester Tigers 36-28 Saracens Men
Saracens Men suffered a dent to their PREM play-off hopes as they were beaten 36-28 by Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
In freezing cold conditions with ice being cleared from the pitch in the build up, it was the Tigers who brought the heat as they ensured that the Original Club of North London would leave with just one point.
Sarries started with good early intensity and Rhys Carre got over the ball at the breakdown within the first minute to provide a chance for the first points, but the penalty dragged wide of the uprights.
They were punished just two minutes later as Leicester were the ones to open the scoring. Adam Radwan’s break down the right gave them momentum, and then after changing the point of the attack a neat grubber in behind allowed Freddie Steward to dot down for the first try of the afternoon. Billy Searle’s conversion made it 7-0 with five minutes on the clock.
Leicester were well on top and had all of the momentum which saw them extend the lead. Searle thought he had stepped over for try number two but it was disallowed as he was held up, however from the following attack they would double their advantage.
A scrum deep in the 22 gave them the ball right by the line, and then Olly Cracknell carried over from just a metre out to send the home fans wild. Searle’s conversion made it 14-0.
Sarries desperately needed to wrestle back some momentum and had the chance when a penalty in the Tigers half was kicked to the corner, but after going from left to right Rotimi Segun was dragged in to touch as he entered the red zone.
They did hit back with 22 minutes gone though to get themselves right back in to contention. A string of penalties took them up to the line, and then Theo McFarland crashed over from a strong carry to open Saracens’ account for the day. Fergus Burke’s conversion cut the deficit to seven.
Jamie George then charged down a kick as he looked to drag his side level, but his chip ahead bounced past the dead ball line and the Tigers survived.
Out of nothing though Leicester retook control of the game with a length of the field try. Searle dummied and then grubbered ahead, and Radwan used all of his pace to acrobatically finish in the corner. Elliot Daly was then shown a yellow card for a late tackle in the build up as the visitors were reduced to 14 men.
Leicester then had the bit between their teeth again and looked to have gone over for their fourth, but some incredible last ditch defence from Tom Willis held Isaias Perese up over the line.
Sarries thought they had got away with no further damage until the break, but Joe Heyes had other ideas as he went over from close range right on the stroke of half time as the challenge got steeper for the visitors who would need to overturn a 26-7 deficit in the second half.
It looked as if the challenge for even steeper in the opening minute of the second half as Radwan spotted a gap and raced clear under the posts, but to the relief of everyone in North London there was a knock on in the build up.
Sarries had to score next, and they duly obliged as Carre thundered over from a quickly taken penalty with 30 minutes to go to give the travelling fans some hope. The conversion from Burke cut the gap to 12, but then a Searle penalty shortly after made it 29-14 as we headed towards the final quarter.
The result was put beyond any doubt though on the 60 minute mark, as with Sarries on the attack a zipped pass was intercepted by Radwan and he was never going to be caught with free grass ahead of him and he raced clear. The touchline conversion made it 36-14.
Juan Martin Gonzalez had other ideas though, as he refused to lie down and dotted the ball over the line from just a metre out to give another glimmer of hope.
That glimmer almost got bigger two minutes later as Gonzalez’s strong carry and then offload to Max Malins looked to have put the winger away in the corner, but after a TMO check a knock on was deemed.
A fiery final 10 minutes threatened to boil over with both sides coming face to face on multiple occasions, and Searle was sent to the sin bin which gave Sarries one last chance.
They knew one more try would get them a bonus point, and they did exactly that when Malins broke in to the 22 and then released Charlie Bracken who ran clear under the posts to ensure they wouldn’t leave empty handed.
They then chased another point in the final play to get within seven but proceedings came to a close and it was Leicester who would celebrate the victory in the race for the top four.
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