Sarries' winning start
Saracens have got their 2007-08 Guinness Premiership campaign off to a flying start with a 29-19 victory against European champions Wasps.
By Michael Wise
Last Updated: 15/09/07 8:16pm
Saracens have got their 2007-08 Guinness Premiership campaign off to a flying start with a 29-19 victory against European champions Wasps.
With Twickenham a suitable venue for a London derby, Sarries ran in three tries in all, with Neil de Kock offering a man-of-the-match performance.
The scrum-half was also among their try-scorers, with Hugh Vyvyan and Adam Powell also touching down in a thoroughly deserved victory.
With both teams having key players otherwise engaged, Wasps could not offer such excuses for their own display - with only Danny Cipriani standing out amidst the general torpor.
The game's early exchanges saw Wasps struggle to gain possession, with Saracens' advantage given reward when Gordon Ross kicked them ahead with a penalty after two minutes.
Sarries continued to go through the phases with style and it was little surprise when a drive saw Vyvyan go over after 16 minutes.
Ross missed the conversion and it seemed as though the 8-0 deficit might have finally woken Wasps up when Cipriani kicked a penalty midway through the opening half.
But quick ball from Saracens saw them score again just three minutes later, with centre Powell crossing - before promptly remonstrating with Cipriani over the latter's high tackle.
Ross again missed the extras, but that hardly negated a terrific start from Saracens - although Cipriani's second penalty, a long-range effort in the 25th minute, made slight inroads.
It was cancelled out by a Ross penalty three minutes later, but Cipriani made it three out of three with another penalty just past the half hour.
The full-back then offered the promise of Wasps' improvement by making a strong break down the left-hand flank just before the interval - Cipriani beating two players with great verve, although the move eventually came to nought.
However, Saracens instead started the second half in much the same fashion, with de Kock bursting out from behind the scrum and evading two tackles before touching down, with Ross converting.
Cipriani kept Wasps in the game with his fourth penalty after 47 minutes, but, after a flowing Saracens move which involved several offloads fell just short of the line, Ross responded soon afterwards.
A long-range Ross effort then placed his side more than two converted tries ahead on the hour - with one Wasps response coming five minutes later when a drive pushed Joe Ward over.
Cipriani made no mistake, but, despite facing late pressure - and being a man down - Saracens kept their winning advantage at 10 points.
