Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth bags late treble in rout of London Welsh

No comfort and joy for London Welsh. It wasn’t quite a turkey shoot in north London and Welsh were always defiant but the gap between these clubs, one embroiled in a row about how much money they should be allowed to spend and one still searching for a first win, was pretty stark.

Saracens were ruthless, scoring 11 tries and Owen Farrell kicking 23 points. Welsh hearts sank at the sight of Saracens bringing four England internationals off the bench in the second half. Saracens were by no means at full strength but this was far too easy and Welsh continue to look out of their depth in this league.

It was their worst defeat of the season. Welsh, anchored at the bottom of the Premiership, had tried to pep things up by changing their midfield, with Olly Barkley moved to inside-centre and Piri Weepu to fly-half. But the changes are academic if your forwards do not get the ball and the signs were ominous as early as early as the third minute when George Kruis took a lineout and the Saracens pack rumbled forwards to drive Mako Vunipola over the line.

When Brett Sharman emerged from under a pile of bodies after a quarter of an hour to claim another score, the hooker’s first for the club, the game looked as good as over.

The Welsh No8 Opeti Fonua reminded Saracens that there were two sides out there with a couple of robust charges but Vunipola has been impressive on his return from injury this month, which is good news for England, and the visitors’ scrum was soon retreating backwards. Kruis broke Weepu’s tackle to score beneath the posts and Vunipola’s second try wrapped up a try bonus point before the interval, before Saracens’ backs snatched a little bit of the spotlight from their forwards.

Farrell made a smart blindside and gave Chris Ashton the chance to click through his gears with a touchline run that outflanked Welsh. Welsh then scored a try out of the blue. Peter Browne’s pass to Elliot Kear looked a trifle forward but only Scrooges among the home supporters would have begrudged the wing his try.

Browne, though, had a less heroic role after the break when the lock was sent to the sin-bin for killing the ball and, reduced to 14 men, the Welsh pack could not prevent Jackson Wray crashing over for another try for Saracens at the end of a week in which the flanker became a father. The replacement prop Richard Barrington dived over a pile of bodies to score the seventh try. Browne’s sin-binning proved costly and he never returned to the field.

Richard Wigglesworth, one of those England replacements, then found a gap to break through a demoralised Welsh defence before Ben Ransom and Wigglesworth with two more carved up the remains.