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Saracens Academy side were beaten 17-36 by their counterparts from Western Force at Old Albanians on Tuesday night.
Ahead of the first team clash between the two teams on Friday night, it was the turn of the youngsters to take centre stage along with a selection of experienced heads from both outfits.
Saracens included the likes of Cobus Visagie, Dan Scarbrough and Adam Powell in their line-up while Western Force complimented their side with Super 14 regulars including Tai McIsaac, Junior Pelesasa and new signing Caleb Brown.
Despite coming under early pressure from the visitors, Saracens took the lead in the game with a well worked try for James Short. After making the most of a turnover on halfway, scrum half Mickey Wilson brushed off two tackles before releasing the Saracens wing to race home from 30 metres. Fly half Jake Sharp added the extra points.
However, within minutes the Force has crossed the line for a score of their own. After going through the phases inside the Saracens 22 and working their way from one side of the pitch to the other, it created a gap for centre Haig Sare to crash over the line from 5 metres. Scott Daruda's touchline conversion drifted wide.
Although the early scores made it a bright start to the game, both teams struggled to keep their own possession in the first half with numerous turnovers and that wasn't helped when a torrential rain storm unleashed itself on St Albans.
However, as the clouds cleared, Caleb Brown marked his debut for the Perth-based side with a try. Brown joined the Force from Queensland Reds during the summer and the wing looked sharp throughout the game and he was on hand to collect a pass from Dion Berryman after the visitors back three had worked an overlap out wide. Darruda added the extra points and when the fly half struck a penalty five minutes later, it gave the Australian side a 15-7 advantage at the half time interval.
Bright sunshine greeted the teams as they ran out for the second period and Sharp reduced the arrears with a penalty on 50 minutes after good work from Scarbrough saw the full back race 40 metres downfield.
But it was the visitors who earned the next score after a series of penaltes conceded by Saracens took them into the home side's 22. It was from another one of those penalties that Force captain Matt Hodgson took a quick tap and went over the line. Daruda converted. The visitors scored another try on the hour and this time Brown turned provider as he broke through the defensive line and released Sare to score his second of the match and Daruda extended the lead with the conversion.
Saracens reduced the deficit with the try of the game on 70 minutes. Another turnover saw Powell burst through the midfield and offload to Sharp who kicked ahead. It was then a foot race between Saracens replacement Dan Caprice and Berryman and it was Caprice who got their first to touch down after the ball had bounced over the line. Sharp converted.
But it was the visitors who had the final word of the evening when from a 5m scrum, Daruda received possession and his clever kick through allowed Pelesasa to score and the successful conversion signalled the last action of an entertaining match that will whet the appetitie ahead of Friday's clash between the sides.
Saracens 17
Tries: Short, Caprice
Cons: Sharp
Pen: Sharp
Western Force 36
Tries: Sare (2), Brown, Hodgson, Pelesasa
Cons: Daruda (4)
Pen: Daruda
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Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
