By Jason Harris
December 27 2002

If you'd have told me at the end of the 2000-01 season that Saracens would be winless in three encounters with Leeds I would have laughed all the way to the bar. But winless they are and with the Tykes riding high in the Premiership, it'll be no laughing matter when the two sides square up on Sunday With the diversions of the Powergen and Parker Pen Challenge Cups over the past three weeks, the disjointed and directionless rugby season points England's twelve best sides back towards the bread-and-butter of the Zurich Premiership this weekend.

Sarries, once again, are consistent in their inconsistency. Just once this term have they played like their fans know they can for an entire eighty minutes. Indeed, the reverse fixture at Headingley in early November was a typical Men in Black performance.

The Tykes were not in the game for the first hour and despite being eight points adrift at the break, they clawed themselves back into the reckoning as Sarries fell apart like the most overcooked of Christmas turkeys to gift their hosts a 27-18 win.

Since then, the cardiology ward at Watford General has been working overtime as Sarries have won heart-stoppers at home against Quins and the Sharks and been on the wrong end of results at Sale and the Stoop and against Leicester at Vicarage Road.

With the exception of the Heywood Road debacle (remember the shirts - or lack of them?), Saracens could have won all their games but have failed to capitalise on good starts or have had to play catch-up after catching early colds.

Leeds, meanwhile, have stopped surprising people with their Zurich Premiership form as they have beaten champions Leicester, fellow high flyers Noerthampton and also drawn against Sale at Headingley. A Leeds home win is no longer a novelty. It's almost expected.

The Tykes' away form hasn't been that bad either. Wins on the road at Bath and Quins and a very credible draw at Wasps sees the Yokshire outfit sitting pretty in third place in the league ladder.

In the games that have followed that Headingley meeting, Sarries have put together a short winning run of three. But all three victories were in other competitions and I'm certain that the Men in Black would have swapped 12 or 15 points in the league for quarter final berths in the Cup competitions.

Still, three in a row is three in a row and there is at last some moementum gathering on the field.

Leeds name a strong side featuring a dangerous back three of Danny Sarbrough and international wings Winston Stanley (ex-Leicester) and Diego Albanese (formerly at Gloucester).

Braam "the Boot" Van Straaten starts in the centre alongside Welshman Tristan Davies and Gordon Ross, rejuvinated since his move to Headingley, partners Derek Hegarty at half back.

The Leeds forwards, though not a unit full of superstars, are an effective nontheless and with captain Mike Shelley and Ronnie Regan leading the way, they could cause a few problems for the Sarries eight.

Which eight takes to the field wearing black jumpers on Sunday remains to be seen, especially amid the rumours surrounding Craig Quinnell and a possible return to Cardiff.

The Western Mail this week claimed that Quinnell was withdrawn at the last minute against Sale in order to ensure that he would remain injury-free so that negotiations with the Welsh club could progress.

I expect that Wayne Shelford will continue to play the majority of the pack that has proven successful in recent weeks and that we should see the same front row and back row combinations. Who'll play at lock, of course, is debatable. My feeling is that Yandell and Hooper will get the nod.

Behind the scrum, things are looking rosy when Thomas Castaignede plays at outside half. Andy Goode, despite being noted for his superior kicking game, could well be frozen out once again in favour of the Frenchman should he recover from the knock he sustained against Sale last weekend.

At centre, Tim Horan MUST play. The soon-to-be retired Australian has brought organisation and application to the Saracens midfield not seen since his countryman and fellow World Cup winner Michael Lynagh was calling the shots.

The rest of the threequarters have to, as Shelford would say, front up as the Wallaby legend is not going to be here next season. Tom Shanklin could retain the no13 shirt at the expense of Kevin Sorrell.

Whatever the lineup, Saracens will know that, despite quoting the old "take each game as it comes" cliche, a geed-up (following their disappointing defeat at Wasps) Leicester side awaits them at Welford Road six days later.

The points that will come with win against Leeds will be absolutely priceless in a severely congested mid-table. Sarries are two wins from fourth place and two defeats from the bottom, such is the closeness of this year's Zurich Competition.

The pundits seem to favour the visitors but I will go against the predictions in the press and plump for a home win. Purely because it's Leeds and they're away form home and it's about time Sarries put one over their newest of nemeses.