Both teams went into this match desperately hoping for a victory; after two straight defeats, the Saints knew that if they were to stand any chance of surviving in the second division they had to win. Worcester, on the other hand, were coming off the back of a drubbing by Magdalen and needed the points to restart their season and avoid being dragged into a relegation dogfight.
However, it was the Saints, who took to the field sporting a new kit, that struck the first blow. From the kick-off they pressured Worcester at the breakdown, forcing mistakes and gaining territory. After driving the ball deep into the Worcester half, stand-in fly half Evans-Young switched the direction of play down the blind side and crashed over the line. The subsequent conversion fell just short, in what was to be the start of a poor display of place kicking. With their two first choice kickers out injured, the Saints will be glad that on the day it wasn’t close enough for these missed opportunities to matter.
However, it was clear that Worcester were not going to lie down and let the fast pace set by the Saints intimidate them. The inspiration they were looking for came from their own fly-half, with his brand of powerful running and elusive side-step, borne of his time spent playing Blues rugby league. But his team mates were unable to capitalise on the holes he punched in the Saints back line, whilst the usually temperamental kicking boot of Evans-Young allowed his team to get out of trouble and play the game in the Worcester half. Having survived a period of pressure, they created a second try, with a well worked scrum resulting in Jonathan Ward crossing to make the game 10-0.
Although both teams seemed quite evenly matched it was becoming clear that the clinical finishing of the Saints when presented with chances was the difference between the two. As conditions deteriorated, and handling became more difficult, the scrum became more of a factor. The experience of Oliver Adams at tight head against the seemingly inexperienced front row of Worcester led to several being wheeled in the Saints’ favour. However, with several players out of position in the back row, scrum half Henry Fraser was given no protection allowing the Worcester scrum half AJ Campbell to torment him throughout the game, constantly disrupting Fraser’s service from the set piece.
As half time approached, the previously reliable Saints defence fell asleep from a lost line out, causing a dog leg in defence which was taken advantage of by the quick hands of the Worcester backs, sending their winger over in the corner.
Clearly angry at having allowed Worcester back into the game, the Saints immediately replied after half time. A well worked switch in midfield gave livewire centre Ben Butterfield the space he had been craving as he left three defenders standing in his wake before diving over. However, they were unable to capitalise, as they insisted on giving penalty after penalty away, before Worcester finally took advantage of poor Saints defence around the fringes, and scored from short range.
Despite having seen their lead diminish, the Saints seemed galvanised by the try. The break in play also saw the introduction of a number of late arrivals in the Saints line-up, with outside centre Josh Stone making the most obvious impact with some crunching tackles in midfield. As the fresh legs of the Saints began to make a difference, second row Johnny Crockett finally started to make his height tell and dominated the lineout, both offensively and defensively. It was from one of these set pieces that the next try came, a disciplined maul from the Saints allowing number eight Charles Steward to touch down.
The final nail in the coffin came in the form of a try by Saints winger Balakrishnan, quiet until that moment, who cut a good line from another blindside move. All that was left to do was for Steward to claim his second of the day from another maul, putting the game beyond reasonable doubt.
With their first win of the season, the Saints have made things interesting at the bottom of division two, with both of today’s teams, plus Christ Church, all contenders for the drop. It will be a nail-biting end to the season as all three of them attempt to secure survival, and the Saints will hope that they can maintain this form into next week’s game against Magdalen.
ANNE’S/JOHN’S 32
WORCESTER 10
