The Saracens show reel of recent times is long, but this match will not feature on it. Chris Ashton rounded it off with a try on his return from suspension, a finish in the corner, but the game had long since dwindled by then to the expected conclusion. Newcastle were worthy of a bonus point and certainly not the 15-point deficit they ended up staring at, but neither did they ever threaten to make this an absorbing contest.
Saracens win again, but this was very much one of those matches in between bigger affairs. The news dropped earlier in the day that Mako Vunipola is in danger of missing the Six Nations and the home team fielded a side that had an unfamiliar feel to it, albeit plenty stocked with caps and interest.
Newcastle themselves are creaking under an injury list that would trouble a more expensive squad. They were unable to field a fit 23 for their European fixture in Lyon a couple of weeks ago, so the injured Mark Watson had to sit on the bench in his jeans, just so they could fulfil the requirement to supply 23 names. Given the length of the journey on Christmas Eve, they might have been forgiven for not turning up for this match – in spirit at any rate.
But they are on a good run and clearly enjoying themselves. They were first off the mark, with a Joel Hodgson penalty, and they were worth more than the further penalty they picked up from a prolonged period of pressure around 10 minutes in. Sarries were never far from a threatening passage, but Niki Goneva’s liveliness of foot and wit was an ever-present threat on the counter.
Inevitably it was the home side who scored the first try. Jackson Wray and Jamie George combined down the blindside of a lineout, and Marcelo Bosch picked a line through a carelessly large hole in Newcastle’s midfield at the end of the first quarter. A Ben Spencer break, developed by Maro Itoje, threatened to extend Saracens’ lead 10 minutes later but Goneva intercepted at the crucial moment to spark another counter.
Saracens had to settle for a second Owen Farrell penalty just before the break for a 13-6 lead at half-time. Opeti Fonua came on for the Falcons early in the second half to liven up proceedings with his fearsome ball-carrying, but otherwise Christmas lethargy was setting in as the third quarter passed without points.
Saracens came alive on the hour, when a half-break and off-load by Schalk Burger had Ashton haring after his own kick ahead, but as too often the attack foundered on a careless mistake. Still, mistakes mean scrums, and with Juan Figallo now on Saracens were starting to dominate. As they had at the end of the first, the home team’s scrum earned Farrell a shot at the posts, which he converted with 10 minutes to go to put even the bonus point beyond Newcastle.
All that remained was for Ashton to supply some garnish to a match that scarcely deserved it. Alex Lozowski was well worked to within a few metres down the left, and a long pass from Farrell sent Ashton to the corner.
“It is good to have Chris back in the team and scoring tries,” said the Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall. “It wasn’t the best game for his to come back for but he got his name on the scoresheet.
“His attitude in training has been fine. He’s been waiting for this chance to play again and now he’s keen to get a couple of starts. We now just want to see more of what he’s given the club over the last four years.”
So Ashton is back, which is something to celebrate. Otherwise, it felt as if the champagne was being held over for the next day.
