Saracens win in Toulon
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:39
Saracens beat Toulon 32-27 in Toulon on Wednesday before some 9 000 spectators at Stade Félix-Mayol.
The sides felt each other out for the first quarter of an hour and then Saracens lock Harry Spencer opened the scoring with the first of two tries. Gordon Ross converted. 7-0. A penalty two minutes later put the visitors 10-0 ahead.
Edd Thrower came on for the Sarries captain, Kevin Sorrell, who went to the blood bin, but was not there long before he was sent to the sin bin for fighting. The RCT website says that the English did not know that it was a friendly match!
Toulon reduced the deficit when the pack drove lock Suta over the line for a try which Fauqué converted. 10-7 after 25 minutes.
Saimone Taumoepeau, Toulon's New Zealand prop, was sent to the sin bin at a scrum and soon afterwards Ross snapped over a drop. 13-7 after 32 minutes.
Toulon went on the attack and Fauqué goaled a penalty. The score at half-time was 13-10.
In the second half both coaches went to the bench. The first substitution was that of Ben Castle by Jérôme Filitoga.
Saracens extended their lead when Hugh Vyvyan went over for a try which, inevitably, Ross converted. 20-10 after 47 minutes.
Prop Saimone Taumoepeau scored next and again Fauqué converted. 20-17 after 52 minutes.
When Sonny Bill Williams, playing his first match for Toulon after the ending of the tug-o-war with his Australian League club, scored and the conversion was added by the Italo-Argentinian who was on for Fauqué, Toulon took the lead for the first time in the match. 24-20 after 58 minutes.
The lead was not long lasting for flank Dave Seymour scored for Sarries who then led 25-24 after 61 minutes. Three minutes later Pez kicked a penalty goal. 27-25 to Toulon.
Again Saracens came back and Spencer scored his second try. This time Ross converted. 32-27 with nine minutes to play.
That was the final score.
Apart from Thrower and Taumoepeau, Walker and Mercey also received yellow cards. The Toulon website remarked that Eddie Jones "copiously" insulted the referee who is one of France's top officials.
Scorers:
For Toulon:
Tries: Suta, Taumoepeau, Williams
Cons: Fauqué 2, Pez
Pens: Fauqué, Pez
For Saracens:
Tries: Spencer 2, Vyvyan, Seymour
Cons: Ross 3
Pen: Ross
DG: Ross
Teams
Toulon: 15 Tusi Pisi, 14 Martin Jagr, 13 Sonny Bill Williams, 12 Mafileo Kefu, 11 Marc Andreu, 10 Sébastien Fauqué, 9 Norman Jordaan, 8 Jerry Collins, 7 Thomas Sourice, 6 Soane Toevalu, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Jocelino Suta, 3 Ben Castle, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Saimone Taumoepeau.
Replacements: 16 Philip Fitzgerald, 17 Mathieu
Larrouy, 18 Jérôme Filitoga, 19 Esteban Lozada, 20 Fotunuupule Auelua, 21 Khaled Zagar, 22 Ramiro Pez, 23 Matt Henjak.
Saracens: 15 Dan Scarbrough, 14 Rodd Penney, 13 Kevin Sorrell (captain), 12 Mike Stanley, 11 Noah Cato, 10 Gordon Ross, 9 Moses Rauluni, 8 Ben Skirving, 7 Dave Seymour, 6 Don Barrell, 5 Harry Spencer, 4 Hugh Vyvyan, 3 Cobus Visagie, 2 Fabio Ongaro, 1 Matias Aguero,
Replacements: 16 Alex Walker, 17 Tom Mercey, 18 Rob Anderson, 19 Will Fraser, 20 Mickey Wilson, 21 Owen Farrell, 22 Edd Thrower
Referee: Franck Marcello (Comité de Côte d'Azur)
Touch judges: Eric Briquet Campin (Comité de Côte d'Azur), Hervé Gilard (Comité de Côte d'Azur)
