Saracens, LV Cup champions
Ben Spencer kicked a last-ditch penalty to win the LV Cup for Saracens.
After a pulsating second half which saw 5 tries scored, Spencer had the kick with the scores at 20 / 20 with time up on the clock and the scrumhalf kept his nerve to win the trophy for the 1st time in the club’s history.
Saracens were 6 / 3 behind at the interval but 2 second half tries from David Strettle and a Nick de Jager score had given them a 20 / 6 lead. But the Chiefs hit back with 2 converted tries to level the scores before Spencer’s heroics.
Spencer opened the scoring with a penalty from 35m after excellent work from the Saracens pack forced the kick.
Minutes later, Exeter were back in the game after Chiefs wing Tom James tore down the left flank to within inches of the try line. The Sarries defence scrambled to hold firm but an earlier offence allowed Ceri Sweeney to level the scores.
Sweeney missed the chance to extend the lead when his penalty hit the upright midway through the half and then he missed a far easier kick minutes later just 20m from goal.
However, from another break, Sweeney did extend the lead after Ben Spencer was penalised for not rolling away on the 22. Spencer earned a Yellow Card and Sweeney gave his side the lead.
After a fine opening start in the second half, Sarries pressure and patience paid off when David Strettle picked off a loose pass inside the Chiefs half and raced away to score.
Strettle crossed again on 50 minutes with a beautifully worked try. After powering through the middle of the Chiefs defence, Spencer spotted men over and changed the angle of attack and, spotting Strettle in acres of space, he delivered a perfect crossfield kick and the Sarries wing didn’t even have to break stride to catch and touch down.
Sarries scored a 3rd going into the final quarter. A terrific break from the break of the scrum saw Spencer take play deep into the Chiefs 22 and after the forwards went through at least 10 phases, Nick de Jager powered over from close range. Spencer added the conversion to make the lead 20 / 6 with 18 minutes left on the clock.
But the Chiefs didn’t back down and immediately went on the attack from the restart. They powered deep into Sarries territory using their forward pack to full effect. It ended with the Chiefs held up over the Sarries line, but from the resulting 5m scrum, they forced 2 penalties with saw replacement hooker Scott Spurling sent to the sin bin.
Eventually the pressure told as the Chiefs worked the ball wide and Max Bodily touched down in the corner. Gareth Steenson’s conversion went in off the upright to put the Chiefs back to within a score with 10 minutes left on the clock.
The Chiefs kept on going and they levelled the scores when Bodilly went over for his 2nd of the game with just 2 minutes on the clock. Steenson levelled and it was all to play for.
Sarries went upfield and pressured the Chiefs line again and they earned a penalty on the 22m line and Spencer stepped up to win the LV Cup.
Final score: Saracens 23 / 20 Exeter Chiefs
Coach Joe Shaw praised the never-say-die attitude of the Saracens team as they won the LV Cup 23 / 20 with Ben Spencer’s last kick of the game.
Speaking after the game, an ecstatic Shaw said: “Today showed what this team has been about all year, this is a special group that never stops fighting and has always found a way.
“We did that again today despite creating a few hurdles for ourselves, I thought that the last 10 minutes the way we battled with 14 men to keep going and keep going just shows what this club is all about.
“Exeter are very similar to us and clawed it back and I’m just pleased we had that little bit more to win in the end.”
Spencer showed his ice-cool head to win the trophy with the penalty with time up on the clock, but Shaw admitted his focus was on what the team would need to do if the game went to extra time.
“I was concentrating on what we would do if the kick was missed and we would go into extra time,” he explained. “Lucky for us we have a kicker like Ben Spencer who has been brilliant for us throughout the tournament.
“He’s the best kicker in the country, if not the world, out of hand and from the tee, he just finished the game on a brilliant note for us and I’m just so pleased for the boys.”
And after seeing the rest of the Saracens squad in the changing room after the game celebrating, Shaw is hoping this result will serve as added impetus for the rest of the season.
He added: “This isn’t the first time that the rest of the squad have supported this group. They’ve been there throughout the games and it just shows the character of the club and what we are all about. We just have to push on now in the Premiership and Europe – it’s just been a great day.”
Saracens: 15 Ben Ransom, 14 Mike Ellery, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Tim Streather, 11 David Strettle, 10 Nils Mordt, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Matt Hankin, 6 Nick de Jager, 5 Hayden Smith, 4 Maro Itoje Captain), 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Jared Saunders, 1 Richard Barrington
Replacements: 16 Scott Spurling, 17 Titi Lamositele, 18 Biyi Alo, 19 George Kruis, 20 Kelly Brown, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Alex Goode, 23 Catalin Fercu.
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