Aber lose tactical battle (From Free Press Series)

Aber lose tactical battle

Newport Saracens 22 Abergavenny 7

Abergavenny came to regret not using their first half advantage and fell victim to the Saracens tactical play, with the home team out scoring the visitors three tries to one.

The Saracens were the first to score following a penalty miss by Abergaveny's outside half James Didcot.

The home side secured the scrum in their opposition's 22, and quick ball from the base was spread wide to fullback Matthew Evans who was waiting on the wing to score in the corner.

Abergavenny hit back almost immediately as they stole possession when the Saracens tried to clear their lines and fullback Mark Robertson scored a superb break away try under the posts, which Didcot converted, to give them a two point lead.

Despite a howling wind against them the Saracens kept the ball close and worked their way up field throughout the first half giving the visitors little possession to work with.

Abergavenny failed to use the conditions to their full potential, a simple chip down field would have seen the ball travel yards, they would have been on the offensive leaving the home team little option than to run the ball back at them, but the second half saw the Saracens do just that.

Saracens outside half Gary Williams put them back in the lead just after the restart and converted a try from another solid scrum that saw Matthew Evans chip the ball ahead with it landing tantalisingly over the try line for winger Peter Hoole to out pace the retreating defence and score.

Abergavenny found themselves camped in their own half as the Saracens exerted further pressure, they sucked in the visitors defence with a ruck metres from the line, quick thinking second row David Snell collected the ball and dashed over for the touchdown, and Williams made it 22 points.

Abergavenny Manager Steve Hamer was disappointed that his team did not use their first half advantage, but praised the Saracens tactics. "It was a hard game, we should have put more points on them in the first half, but we didn't, they played well, tactically the right game and won."