Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 13, 2021 10:50:46 GMT
Saracens preview
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Round six, Sunday 18th April, KO 15.00
Halfway through the regular season remarkably sees the Knights in second with 21 points, just above Saracens, Cornish Pirates and Coventry (in that order) in third, all with 15 points. Only Ealing Trailfinders and the Knights remain unbeaten halfway through the season with five from five.
Sarries welcomed Bedford Blues to StoneX Stadium last Sunday and won 54-13. The game saw all their Internationals return and the previous game saw England Captain Owen Farrell become Sarries Captain. Previous Captain Brad Barritt has announced that he will be hanging his boots up at the end of the season and return to South Africa.
I don’t think anybody has any doubt that Sarries should yo-yo back to the Premiership, probably with more ease than most because they did not get relegated by finishing bottom of the Premiership on performance but by a 35-point deduction and $7 (£5.36m) million fine because they overpaid their players. However, Ealing Trailfinders will not make that simple or possibly not even achievable. All Championship teams will obviously look to take the scalp off the current ‘Heineken’ European Championship Cup and five-time Premiership title holders. It might be more prudent to hope that you are not thrashed and don’t suffer player injuries now that Sarries are back to their full strength. Saracens will view their time in the Championship as a sabbatical and time to hone their skills, techniques and bed-in new/young players. It was said by the commentary team last Sunday when they played Bedford that the current Internationals are looking at their current situation very much that way; part of the process that they must go through after receiving their point deduction. This sentiment has echoed around the squad and the newer, younger players take much confidence and encouragement from this. However, Sarries could lose all their England International players if they don’t bounce back to the Premiership immediately. Sarrie’s England Internationals have a clause in their contract that enables them to leave if this happens.
As mentioned, Ealing Trailfinders would disagree that Sarries will bounce back up and their initial results are spectacular. They have easily won every one of their first five games played, scoring a try bonus point in every game including the Cornish Pirates who beat a weakened Sarries side in the season opener. Trailfinders have not only beaten every team but put over 50 points past them, apart from the Pirates last Saturday after winning 10-38.
Last Sunday Sarries welcomed Bedford Blues and although the Blues played well, they were easily outclassed by Sarries, who scored eight tries to win 54-13. Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje scored twice in the first half and so the bonus point had already been scored in time for oranges. Itoje’s second was a trademark charge down that he apparently practises often. Watch for this and for Mako Vunipola taking a short breather after 10 minutes whilst he adjusts his contact lens. He allegedly doesn’t wear glasses. After a teammate in the commentary team has mentioned it, he probably won’t do it anymore!
There’s no point looking at stats because we are going to play a very different team than we played in the Trailfinders Cup or that has played the first four Championship games.
Sarries won the European Rugby Champions Cup in 2015, 2017 and 2019. It used to be called the Heineken Cup until 2014 (for European Professional Rugby Clubs). Toulous and Leinster have won it four times, Toulon are the only other team to have won it three times. Sarries were also runners up in 2015 but Toulon haven’t achieved this, therefore Sarries have been the third best team in Europe after Toulouse then Leinster. That said, Sarries have won the European Rugby Champions Cup (since 2015) three seasons out of six. Toulon, Leinster and Exeter Chiefs have only won it once. Therefore they have been the best team in Europe most frequently over the last six seasons but Exeter Chiefs won it last season.
It is undoubtedly a tough ask for the Knights to beat Sarries but why not? We have home advantage even though it doesn’t include the ‘16th player’ with the lack of supporters at the game. The Knights players are on familiar territory and know that all their supporters will be watching and cheering from home.
The day before the game top-placed Ealing Trailfinders (four points above) welcome ninth-placed Jersey Reds who have only beaten Bedford Blues so far this season.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Round six, Sunday 18th April, KO 15.00
Halfway through the regular season remarkably sees the Knights in second with 21 points, just above Saracens, Cornish Pirates and Coventry (in that order) in third, all with 15 points. Only Ealing Trailfinders and the Knights remain unbeaten halfway through the season with five from five.
Sarries welcomed Bedford Blues to StoneX Stadium last Sunday and won 54-13. The game saw all their Internationals return and the previous game saw England Captain Owen Farrell become Sarries Captain. Previous Captain Brad Barritt has announced that he will be hanging his boots up at the end of the season and return to South Africa.
I don’t think anybody has any doubt that Sarries should yo-yo back to the Premiership, probably with more ease than most because they did not get relegated by finishing bottom of the Premiership on performance but by a 35-point deduction and $7 (£5.36m) million fine because they overpaid their players. However, Ealing Trailfinders will not make that simple or possibly not even achievable. All Championship teams will obviously look to take the scalp off the current ‘Heineken’ European Championship Cup and five-time Premiership title holders. It might be more prudent to hope that you are not thrashed and don’t suffer player injuries now that Sarries are back to their full strength. Saracens will view their time in the Championship as a sabbatical and time to hone their skills, techniques and bed-in new/young players. It was said by the commentary team last Sunday when they played Bedford that the current Internationals are looking at their current situation very much that way; part of the process that they must go through after receiving their point deduction. This sentiment has echoed around the squad and the newer, younger players take much confidence and encouragement from this. However, Sarries could lose all their England International players if they don’t bounce back to the Premiership immediately. Sarrie’s England Internationals have a clause in their contract that enables them to leave if this happens.
As mentioned, Ealing Trailfinders would disagree that Sarries will bounce back up and their initial results are spectacular. They have easily won every one of their first five games played, scoring a try bonus point in every game including the Cornish Pirates who beat a weakened Sarries side in the season opener. Trailfinders have not only beaten every team but put over 50 points past them, apart from the Pirates last Saturday after winning 10-38.
Last Sunday Sarries welcomed Bedford Blues and although the Blues played well, they were easily outclassed by Sarries, who scored eight tries to win 54-13. Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje scored twice in the first half and so the bonus point had already been scored in time for oranges. Itoje’s second was a trademark charge down that he apparently practises often. Watch for this and for Mako Vunipola taking a short breather after 10 minutes whilst he adjusts his contact lens. He allegedly doesn’t wear glasses. After a teammate in the commentary team has mentioned it, he probably won’t do it anymore!
There’s no point looking at stats because we are going to play a very different team than we played in the Trailfinders Cup or that has played the first four Championship games.
Sarries won the European Rugby Champions Cup in 2015, 2017 and 2019. It used to be called the Heineken Cup until 2014 (for European Professional Rugby Clubs). Toulous and Leinster have won it four times, Toulon are the only other team to have won it three times. Sarries were also runners up in 2015 but Toulon haven’t achieved this, therefore Sarries have been the third best team in Europe after Toulouse then Leinster. That said, Sarries have won the European Rugby Champions Cup (since 2015) three seasons out of six. Toulon, Leinster and Exeter Chiefs have only won it once. Therefore they have been the best team in Europe most frequently over the last six seasons but Exeter Chiefs won it last season.
It is undoubtedly a tough ask for the Knights to beat Sarries but why not? We have home advantage even though it doesn’t include the ‘16th player’ with the lack of supporters at the game. The Knights players are on familiar territory and know that all their supporters will be watching and cheering from home.
The day before the game top-placed Ealing Trailfinders (four points above) welcome ninth-placed Jersey Reds who have only beaten Bedford Blues so far this season.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
