A hastily re-scheduled pre-season friendly saw Sarries make the short trip along the Claverton down Road to visit Oldfield Old Boys second XV for their first outing of the season.
Sarries knew in advance that this would be a stern test, however with a good squad of players available, it was a great opportunity to put in a good performance ahead of their first league fixture next weekend.
The squad included Sarries debutants Abdullah Rafie and Hamish Donnelly, and also Max Hemmings who was returning after suffering a serious knee injury a few seasons back.
With the pitch and conditions perfect and a good turn out on the touch line, the game got underway. Oldfield enjoyed some good early possession and soon took the lead with a couple of tries. Sarries then hit back with their first try, Max Hemmings touching down after some good work from Paddy Thomas.
As the first half progressed both sides settled into their rhythm and Sarries defence worked hard to hold off some strong Oldfield ball carriers. The constant pressure eventually paid off and Oldfield increased their lead with 2 further tries. Despite falling behind Sarries continued to keep their shape and some great pressure from their defensive line saw left wing Ben Johns pounce on a loose ball near his own 22 metre line. After breaking the initial tackle he showed the Oldfield defence a clean pair of heels for a superb individual try.
The second half saw Oldfield out of the blocks first and they quickly added a further score. From the restart Sarries gained the territorial advantage and this led to a long spell of pressure deep in the Oldfield half. This eventually led to a yellow card for an Oldfield player and after further pressure, Paddy Thomas finally crossed the line for Sarries third try, putting them back within touching distance.
With the clock ticking down a couple of minor injuries forced some re-shuffling and Sarries were unable to add any further points. Oldfield took full advantage and ran in three unanswered tries in the closing minutes.
Whilst not being able to kick off the season with a win, Sarries were left to reflect on an encouraging performance which sets them up nicely for their first league outing at Warminster next weekend. It was great to see plenty of new and old faces on the pitch and on the touch line, and a big thanks to Oldfield for hosting the last minute change of fixture and providing the excellent facilities and after match hospitality!
