Sharks lose to Saracens in pre-season hit out

Willem Alberts of Sharks attacks during the friendly match between Saracens and Natal Cell C Sharks. Photo /Getty

Saracens 23 Sharks 15
It may have been only a pre-season friendly for the Sharks but these northern v southern hemisphere contests are likely to become more regular in the future according to their director of rugby Jake White, South Africa's World Cup-winning coach of 2007.

White began his new career with Durban-based outfit with defeat by a well-organised Saracens side but he was quick to appreciate the value of such fixtures for South African sides, despite the foul English weather.

The Sharks travel further and have to contend with jet lag on a regular basis on their Super Rugby trips to Australia and New Zealand so a 12 hour flight to England with only an hour's time difference had obvious appeal.

"Maybe this is the sign of things to come. It's an overnight flight, and we'll be back at work on Monday afternoon after playing a team in England."

"Maybe the long haul flights to Australia and New Zealand need to be looked at, obviously we are probably a little bit selfish in that because we are so close to the Northern Hemisphere," White said.

"Australia and New Zealand will be inclined to keep the Super Rugby competition going. I have no doubt that even if it [a competition involving Northern Hemisphere and South African teams] doesn't become a fully-fledged tournament that more and more of these games will take place."

Saracens have twice been forced to scrap plans to stage a Heineken Cup home match in Cape Town but their links with the Sharks have been strengthened by the appointment of John Smit, the former Springbok hooker who ended his career at Allianz Park last summer, as their chief executive.

Smit was back in London along with a large contingent of South African supporters in a healthy 9,200 crowd. The result did not really matter but it proved a competitive affair in which Charlie Hodgson steered Saracens to victory with two moments of opportunism in the first half.

The former England fly-half caught the Sharks napping when he tapped an ran a penalty that the South Africans expected him to kick and David Strettle nipped in for the opening try.

Hodgson then intercepted a floated pass from Sharks fly-half Tim Swiel and raced over from the 10 metres line in first half injury time. Surprisingly Saracens, who had nine front line players on international duty, failed to score when Sharks were reduced to 13 men for eight minutes when both of their locks, Etienne Oosthuizen and Pieter-Steph du Toit, were sin binned.

But Sharks were more clinical when former England prop Matt Stevens was yellow carded in the second half and scored both of their tries from centre Andre Esterhuizen and replacement wing Heimar Williams, while Saracens were down to 14 men.