Cardiff gave Welsh rugby a huge boost with a comprehensive and unexpected
victory over a sub-standard Saracens side at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon,
throwing Group Three of the Heineken Cup wide open.
They outplayed Saracens in every department of the game as the North London
club were out-fought and out-thought throughout.
The Cardiff pack outmuscled the Saracens eight all game, providing their
dangerous three-quarter line with a stream of quality possession.
Springbok centre Pieter Muller was particularly effective, especially going
forward, and he was justly awarded the man-of-the-match award.
The home side launched a comeback deep into the second half but there was no
way they could fight their way back from a half-time 27-9 deficit.
Their efforts to do just that were admirable but Cardiff's defence was
too-well organised to suffer any late collapse.
Saracens display in the first 40 minutes was shocking and had they not stepped
up their game after the break, they would have received a hiding.
Cardiff went on the attack from the start and their early pressure forced
Saracens to concede a penalty right in front of the posts which outside half
Neil Jenkins slotted over.
The home side were dealt a blow in the fourth minute when French star Thomas
Castaignede was shown a yellow card for a professional foul but Jenkins could
not add the ensuing penalty.
Kyran Bracken's men put the loss behind them as they went on an offensive of
their own, resulting in a successful penalty from Duncan McRae to level the
score at 3-3.
Muller was looking very dangerous and his 11th-minute charge down the left of
the pitch led to a penalty which Jenkins converted.
Tempers boiled over in the 14th minute as a brawl erupted between the two
packs and just as Castaignede was returning to the pitch, Saracens' Robbie
Williams and Cardiff's Craig Quinnell departed for 10 minutes in the sin bin.
Some good work at the lineout in the 21st minute saw Cardiff string together
several phases of possession with prop Andrew Lewis ending the attack by
crashing over for a try which was improved by Jenkins.
Castaignede almost breached the Cardiff line in the 31st minute only to be
denied by some last-gasp defending. The move came to nothing as Saracens
conceded a penalty as they looked to recycle the ball and Scott Murray was sent
to the sin bin.
McRae kicked a penalty for the home side in the 36th minute and Castaignede
added another a minute later to reduce the deficit to 13-9.
But Cardiff skipper rounded the Saracens defence out wide on the left just
seconds later to touch down for a five-pointer which Jenkins converted to take
their lead to 20-9.
And Quinnell added to the home side's misery in the 40th minute when he
charged over for a try improved by Jenkins.
Saracens looked a different team in the early stages of the second half as
they battled on equal terms for possession of the ball.
But Cardiff still appeared more threatening in attack, especially in the backs
where they looked particularly dangerous.
And it was some fluent work by the visiting three-quarters that almost saw
left wing Gareth Thomas score in the left corner but he was hauled down just
short of the line by the Saracens' cover defence.
Some quick line-out ball saw Saracens lay siege to the visitors' try line but
they could not break through and a penalty was awarded.
Instead of going for goal, Saracens kicked for line-out possession but Cardiff
held out and were awarded scrum to take them out of danger.
Jenkins tried a drop goal from the halfway line in the 26th minute but the
kick dropped short of the target.
Seconds later Muller touched down following some excellent handling from the
Cardiff forwards for a 32-9 lead. Jenkins missed the conversion.
Despite trailing by 22 points, Saracens had not given up as they launched a
late comeback.
Kevin Sorrell and Bracken scored tries in the 32nd and 37th minutes
respectively, both converted by Castaignede, to take the score to 32-23 but it
was too little too late.
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