Charlie Hodgson tries to stop Phil MacKenzie
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Saracens fly-half Charlie Hodgson was his team's hero as he notched all their points in their 28-23 win over London Welsh at the Kassam Stadium on Sunday.
Hodgson scored a try, conversion and four penalties in the first half while Henson was also impressive with the boot, kicking eight points in the opening period to go alongside Phil Mackenzie's early touchdown.
The visiting stand-off kicked two further three-pointers after the interval before the hosts fought back through a Henson penalty and Tom Arscott's try, but Hodgson sealed the win late on.
Welsh have so far defied the critics who have insisted they were set for an imminent return to the Championship.
Instead, two well-deserved victories, including one away at Sale, have seen the Oxford-based outfit start the season in fine style.
But in the 2011 Premiership champions, they faced yet another difficult challenge and the hosts found themselves down to 14 men after Jon Mills was sin-binned.
It didn't seem to affect them, however, as they took the lead after seven minutes when Mackenzie capitalised on a loose pass from Hodgson.
The winger then kicked through and collected for an easy score under the posts, handing Henson a simple conversion for his first points in Welsh colours.
Sarries' response was immediate when Hodgson kicked a penalty before the same player touched down for a converted try.
The respective stand-offs traded three-pointers to the take the encounter to 13-10 in the visitors' favour, but that lead was extended by their former England international who added two more from the tee.
Henson reduced the arrears to 19-13 at the break, but it was Saracens who looked the most dangerous.
Hodgson continued where he left off and added successive penalties in the second period to take their advantage out to 12 points.
However, the home side's number 10 immediately responded with one of his own and then helped instigate a superb try which was finished off by Arscott.
Hodgson kicked a final three-pointer to confirm the win despite a late onslaught from the hosts.
For London Welsh:
Tries: MacKenzie, Arscott
Cons: Henson 2
Pens: Henson 3
For Saracens:
Try: Hodgson
Con: Hodgson 4
Pens: Hodgson 7
London Welsh: 15 Tom Arscott, 14 Phil MacKenzie, 13 James Lewis, 12 Hudson Tonga'uiha, 11 Nick Scott, 10 Gavin Henson, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Ed Jackson, 7 Mike Denbee, 6 Daniel Browne, 5 Matt Corker, 4 Jonathan Mills (capt), 3 Paulica Ion, 2 Dan George, 1 Frank Montanella.
Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Tom Bristow, 18 Arthur Joly, 19 Kirill Kulemin, Alfie To'oala, 21 Nick Runciman, 22 Ryan Davis, 23 Seb Jewell.
Saracens: 15 Chris Wyles, 14 David Strettle, 13 Joel Tomkins, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 James Short, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Jackson Wray, 7 Andy Saull, 6 Will Fraser, 5 George Kruis, 4 Steve Borthwick (c), 3 Matt Stevens, 2 John Smit, 1 Rhys Gill.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Carlos Nieto, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Nick Fenton-Wells, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Kameli Ratuvou, 23 Duncan Taylor.
Referee: Luke Pearce
Comments
makemehappy says...
@RobinBrown - glad someone else spotted the most significant issue of the game. I trust the ref will be held to account - quite possibly we won't see him referee at that level for some time - or perhaps that would have been likely if he'd stopped the 'big' team from winning!
Posted 16:02 12th October 2012
craigsman says...
And I think you are deliberately over simplifying to make your point.
Posted 07:06 09th October 2012
porridge_time says...
No the point is that all teams rotate players at sometime or another, but the PRL have pointed the finger at the Pro12 teams highlighting that they are better prepared for the HC because they don't take the Celtic League allows them to rotate and rest players. Smells of hypocrisy to me.
Posted 01:29 09th October 2012
craigsman says...
Porridge_time - I think your comment re player rotation is slightly disingenuous. Rotation within a competition is deemed fine. Rotation to prioritize a competition over another is not.
Also, I notice that only Sarries games are commented on for being boring. Wasps vs Worcester was low scoring but no comments. Exeter vs Quinns was high scoring but no comments relating to that. Instead only Sarries games seem to typify the premiership apparently.
Criticism is generally more relevant when it is consistent IMO.
Posted 15:01 08th October 2012
GoWalesGo says...
Sincero
You obviously didn't watch Cardiff v Glasgow then...
Posted 14:14 08th October 2012
porridge_time says...
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall:
"We are round about where we want to be in the Premiership.
"We have rotated the squad sensibly in the first six games and we are fresh."
Player rotation in the PL something that the Pro12 clubs have been vilified for. Suppose it's okay if you one of the top sides with a massive budget and player pool.
Posted 12:00 08th October 2012
porridge_time says...
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall:
"We are round about where we want to be in the Premiership.
"We have rotated the squad sensibly in the first six games and we are fresh."
Player rotation in the PL something that the Pro12 clubs have been vilified for. Suppose it's okay if you one of the top sides with a massive budget and player pool.
Posted 11:59 08th October 2012
RobinBrown says...
The match should not have ended when the ref reset the scrum. The has to be completed and a reset scrum is not completed.
Posted 11:42 08th October 2012
porridge_time says...
Lancaster will have come back from Johannesburg after watching the SA v AB match and handed in his notice;-)
Posted 09:48 08th October 2012
GoWalesGo says...
Go on Gav
Posted 06:28 08th October 2012
cuw3100 says...
Saracens were very lucky in the last stanza when the LW were pushing for a try. They were off side for most part which the ref seemed to ignore and were deliberately killing the ball. Given that LW had been camped on the 5m line for around 5 minutes looking for the equalizer, a more experienced ref would have binned a player. For example the other night Dagg got a yellow because where the play took place; around 15m from AB try line. Infact the SA commentators too admitted that had it been on the other side of the pitch, it was not an yellow offense.
Posted 05:08 08th October 2012
Sincero says...
It's shocking rugby.
You want more of these teams in the European Cup? More? Sit down. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Posted 00:08 08th October 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Henson for Lions tour. I just wanted to be the first to say it! please no.
Posted 20:35 07th October 2012
Jediboy says...
Looks like the penalty count finished off Welsh. But fair play to them, they are doing better than expected this season.
Posted 18:12 07th October 2012
LondonWasp says...
this is what Guscott from BBC says about Sarries:
"Hi guys, I do find it fairly boring to watch Saracens play their brand of rugby but winning, as they did against Harlequins at the weekend with a last-minute penalty, is so, so important, and Sarries boss Mark McCall and his squad would appear to be happy with how things are going. Their philosophy is to kick, chase, defend, concede fewer tries than most and kick their penalties - and that seems to be as far-reaching a gameplan as Sarries want to have.
It will win games and the occasional one-off big match, but it's certainly not the future of rugby and you just have to look at the best teams in the world recently, and those winning leagues and cups, to see that. New Zealand, Leinster and Harlequins all take a more more creative approach.
Farrell was back to his best from the kicking tee against Quins after a rocky few weeks
I'm not a fan of Sarries' play. I understand winning is what it's all about but I believe they will suffer in the long run if they don't change and adapt. They need to develop their players in the more creative and attacking direction the game is moving. "
I am very pleased that London Welsh are proving to be no push over. the score would suggest they made Sarries sweat a fair bit!
Posted 17:56 07th October 2012