After the performance of Sir Clive the day before, the walls of Twickenham were shuddering for more positive reasons. In another imaginative initiative, the marketing men of the Zurich Premiership struck upon the idea of opening the new season at HQ itself with a double header between the four London clubs.
And 50,000-odd punters seemed to agree that it would be a lively way to launch the action, still living it up in the tented village long after the final whistles had sounded.
The weather didn't disappoint, either, at times unbearable in the sunshine - and that was just for the spectators. As a player, it paid to be second up in the double-header, by which time the shadow of the West Stand had crept across the majority of the pitch.
And it showed, second up being champions Wasps against Saracens in the better of the afternoon's two contests. The more the day wore on, indeed, the more frantic matters grew, as Wasps worked their way back into a game that had seemed Saracens' at half-time.
England's Elite Player Scheme that has been the root of much teeth-gnashing this week had a pretty significant effect on matters here. Wasps started the game without a handful of rested England stars on the bench, and it wasn't until these key players came on at half-time that they began to threaten the game. That said, it was one of those, Joe Worsley, who opted to take a tackle at the death while another, Josh Lewsey was outside him with the line at his mercy. When Saracens turned the ball over and cleared for touch, Wasps' chance was gone.
'Joe will be disappointed with himself,' said a no-nonsense Lawrence Dallaglio, now unencumbered by his England responsibilities.
The fall-out of the week's events was inevitably detectable afterwards. Dallaglio felt that Woodward's former position would have been incompatible with his Lions duties this season, while Wasps' coach Warren Gatland dealt with the matter with a patient smile. 'We just need a bit more dialogue,' he said of the ongoing struggles between club and country. 'We requested a number of meetings with Sir Clive, but have never seen him at Wasps. I've been in the job for two and a half years and never once had a one-on-one with him.' There seemed to be an involuntary inflexion as he said the words 'Sir Clive'.
But if Sir Clive is in the fiercest spotlight, Gatland's is none too sympathetic, nor that of his champion team. They were seriously weakened yesterday, even with the arrival of their internationals in the second half, and if they only just came up short at the end they were fortunate to have been as close as they were at half-time.
Saracens were the official home team, which means they get the greater share of the handsome gate receipts, and they looked the more dangerous in the opening period, with Kyran Bracken looking sharp from the off.
Lining up opposite his England rival of yore, Matt Dawson, he found plenty of space behind Wasps' first line, and all of Saracens' decisive first-half points stemmed from Bracken breaks, Kevin Yates finding his way to the line after one of them. Thomas Castaignède added the conversion to his earlier penalty, but the Frenchman was appalled with himself only a few minutes later when he dropped the ball with the line in front of him after Mark Bartholomeusz's feint through the Wasps defence. Thus Saracens went in at the break worth more than their 10-3 lead.
With Alex King on, Wasps got a better hold on the game in the second half. King twice got his hands on the ball in the fine passage that preceded Ayoola Erinle's try 10 minutes into the half. Mark van Gisbergen missed the conversion, so King took the tee for Wasps next attempt at goal - a successful penalty that took Wasps into the lead for the first time.
The game was now in its frantic phase, and amid the chaos replacement fly-half Nicky Little had two penalty attempts. He succeeded with the second. It proved enough to take the scalp of the champions - just.
Saracens: Kydd; Haughton, Castaignède (Bailey ht), Sorrell, Scarbrough; Bartholomeusz (Little 67), Bracken (Rauluni 71); Yates, Cairns (Ibanez 67), Visagie, Raiwalui (Chesney 67), Fullarton, Randell, Hill (Seymour ht), Vyvyan (capt).
Wasps: Van Gisbergen; Priscott (Lewsey 61), Erinle, Richards, Voyce; Brooks (King ht), Dawson; Payne (McKwenzie 30), Gotting, Green, Skivington, Birkett, Haskell (Worsley ht), O'Connor (Lock 73), Dallaglio (capt).
Referee: A Spreadbury (Somerset).
