Saracens given kicking by metronomic Mills
RYAN Mills kicked eight penalties from nine attempts to send Saracens crashing to a surprise defeat at Sixways.
His 24 points was an individual record for Warriors in a Premiership match but inspired performances from him and Francois Hougaard ensured that victory was no fluke as the final scoreline was a flattering one for out of sorts, Saracens.
Worcester new director of rugby Gary Gold said: “Francois and Ryan were the generals out there as our objective was to not let them have opportunities in our own half.
“Severe discipline from them kept Saracens in the right areas of the field as Hougaard has world-class ability and is pivotal to us as he has a strong influence on the squad and I’m not surprised that opposition target him.”
Worcester’s captain, Donncha O’Callaghan agreed: “Francois is the type of character you need for he is a quality player and when he comes in, he gives us a lot of confidence.
“His standards are sky high and he makes other guys stretch themselves.”
In only his second game for the club this season, Hougaard illustrated just how much he has been missed with an all-action display of commitment and judgment.
He was at the centre of a hugely impressive effort from Warriors as he brought ever-keen ballcarriers, Chris Vui and Alafoti Faosiliva, into play with some superbly-timed passing to keep Saracens at bay.
The scrum-half and his partner, Mills, alternated this with some accurate kicking, which wasn’t pretty but stopped their error-ridden opponents from getting a foothold in the game.
Rarely can Saracens have played so poorly as they were beaten at their own game with Alex Lozowski and Richard Wigglesworth’s kicking lacking its customary accuracy.
Their set-piece surprisingly failed to function as they conceded frequent penalties at the scrum and Schalk Brits’ lineout throws in the first half went badly astray.
Without an attacking platform, Chris Ashton did not receive a single pass with Mike Ellery and Matt Gallagher both performing poorly with a series of unforced errors.
Mills began by missing a long-range penalty but he made amends with an easier chance after Schalk Burger was penalised for a high tackle on Vui.
Warriors dominated the opening quarter and were rewarded with a second penalty from Mills before the visitors suffered a further setback when Ellery was yellow carded for a dangerous late challenge on Hougaard, which left the scrum-half in a crumpled heap and needing medical attention.
Ellery was perhaps fortunate that the card was not red but Mills kicked the resulting penalty before Saracens reached the home 22 for the first time in the 35th minute and were immediately rewarded with the first try of the game.
A clever kick through from Wigglesworth saw Ashton narrowly win the race for the touchdown. Lozowski converted but a fourth penalty from Mills gave his side a deserved 12-7 half-time lead.
Mills and Lozowski exchanged penalties as Saracens were more competitive in the third quarter but two further penalties from Mills kept Worcester 21-10 ahead at the end of it.
Saracens became increasingly frustrated and conceded an eighth penalty before Brits finished off a driving lineout for a consolation try with Ben Spencer’s last minute penalty giving Saracens an undeserved bonus point.
