London Welsh 23 Saracens 28: match report There were also seven of our red-shirted players going forward at that point except the one who was taken to the floor. If those putative lost points are the difference at the end of the season between London Welsh staying in the Premiership or not, then they really will have cause for grievance. The losing bonus point was the least they deserved. It was a curious finale, out-of-kilter with what had gone before. The manner in which Hodgson had flung a wild pass behind his own back line that led to an early breakaway try for London Welsh wing, Phil MacKenzie, you'd have thought it was he who had been drinking in the last chance saloon and not Henson. Hodgson sobered up pretty quickly and by the end was the hero of the Saracens" camp, toasts being raised to his match-winning tally. His try in the 18th minute was a gem, the fly-half switching direction in the build-up before slicing through a gap to score. London Welsh, though, should also have glasses charged in their honour for once again they made short shrift of their pre-season status as also-rans. Henson, the butt of so many jibes about his supposed gadabout lifestyle, was gutsy and dependable in his first match in seven months, contributing 13 points. He was just what London Welsh were looking for, an unflustered presence, capable of glimmers of genius. He set up his side's late score with an audacious pass. It almost helped bring home the bounty. Maybe, just maybe, this time, it might all just work out for perma-tanned one with a troubled past. "There's the player on the field, the player in training and the player in the clubhouse, and Gavin is ticking all those boxes," said Jones. When he threw that pass, we all wondered what the hell he was doing. Gavin's kicking game was hugely influential. To come through uninjured and to give a performance was a double bonus. We've got to give him time to grow back into it. London Welsh, gritty throughout, showed once again what a credit they are to the Aviva Premiership. They outscored their opponents, two tries to one, the first time Saracens have had their line crossed twice this season. If their last try six minutes from time, a Henson-inspired effort from deep within their own half rounded off with a flourish by full-back, Tom Arscott, was against the run of play, there was no denying the fact that they finished the stronger. Up in the north-west, London Welsh's performances continue to send a chill through Sale Sharks who are losing sight of the teams above them at the foot of the table. "We've got a habit of making things difficult for ourselves," said Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, who had rested several of his front-line players. If London Welsh got on the end of a wrong decision at the end, then so be it. Their maul is the most illegal in the competition with bodies in front to seal it off. It was very frustrating. There was far more speak and invention in Saracens" game than there had been of late, Hodgson's touchdown in the 18th minute their first try in almost five hours. They should have had more, their most notable blemish coming in the second half when flanker, Andy Saull, lost control of the ball over the London Welsh try-line. Three times they also turned down shots at goal to try and rumble over. London Welsh's defiance put paid to that. London Welsh hung on grimly, waiting for a chance to pounce. Henson is the go-to man in those circumstances, his floated pass on half-way under pressure finding his wing, Nick Scott. From there MacKenzie combined with Arscott to give hope of an unlikely victory. It was not to be. "To play as badly as we did and to get a bonus point is a plus," said Jones. There was another point of debate over the late substation of the injured Saracens scrum-half, Neil de Kock, who was taken off the field on a stretcher with concussion. Replacements are allowed for five minutes. London Welsh has cause to check the detail of that ruling. The fall-out from this match looks set to rumble on. A first losing debut for Henson Ospreys: Sept 5, 2003 Came on as a substitute in their 41-30 win over Ulster in the Celtic League at The Gnoll, scoring two tries and kicking a penalty and a conversion in a 15-point tally. Saracens: Dec 26, 2010 Introduced in the 51st minute as an outside-centre in a 13-6 Premiership win over Wasps at Wembley, after spending 21 months away from the game. He was denied a try only by a superb tackle from scrum-half Joe Simpson. RC Toulon April 3, 2011 Played the whole game, scoring a try and creating another in a 38-10 victory over Stade Français in the French Top 14 at the Stade Félix Mayol. "It couldn't have gone better for me," he said. It's a dream come true. Cardiff Blues: Dec 23, 2011 Played at full-back in their 28-9 win over local rivals Newport Gwent Dragons in the RaboDirect Pro12 at Cardiff City Stadium. "I felt great," he said. I had a lot of energy.