By The Saracens
April 21 2021

This weekend sees the latest in a season of must-win games – because basically that’s what has to happen. Arguably the game against Ealing Trailfinders is less of a “must win” than all the others given that Ealing are likely to finish above us whatever the result. Thus far Ealing have won all 6 games with a try bonus point. They have racked up an awful lot of tries along the way with winning margins of 75-19 (against Hartpbury) and 64-17 (against Jersey). The only team to have come anywhere near them are Cornish Pirates (remember them) who were swatted 10-38 at the Mennaye. Trailfinders therefore sit comfortably at the top of the table having secured 30/30 match points and a very healthy points difference of 264. Sarries on the other hand, have won 4 out of 5 (Sarries have had their bye week, for Trailfinders it is the final week of the season) and have 20 points. Sarries’ biggest win was 54-13 over Bedford Blues and their points difference is 129 – less that half that of Trailfinders. Therefore even a big 5 match point to nil victory on Sunday followed by a perfect performance over the next 5 games, will probably leave Sarries short on points difference even if they match Trailfinders on match points! Sarries’ final game is home to Hartpbury. Assuming all goes to plan until then, they will know exactly what they need to do but it could be a huge ask!

And if we were to lose? Well Sarries are level on points with Pirates and 1 point behind Doncaster, both of whom have played a game more. Sarries have a vastly superior points difference to both. Therefore you could argue that a single point from this game could be enough. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!

There is another difference this week too – arguably Sarries are the underdogs! Trailfinders beat their more eminent opponents twice pre-season so they won’t be over-awed but equally this won’t be their “cup Final” in the same way that it has been for every other opponent this season – Trailfinders will hope that Cup Final is yet to come. Sarries know that the early season standard won’t do. The team who take the field on Sunday will bear scant resemblance to that which played Ealing back in February. Ealing picked up a couple of injuries against Jersey ( South Africans back-rower Bobby de Wee, and winger Dean Hammond and Simon Uzokwe) – it remains to be seen whether some or all of them will be available to Ben Ward on Sunday.

Ealing can call upon a raft of Premiership and International experience in their squad. They have at least 6 Saffers and a couple of Aussies plus a good sprinkling of familiar premiership names like Steven Shingler, Max Bodili, Charlie Walker, Michael Van Vuren, Guy Thompson James Cannon to name a few. Ulster fly half Bill Johnston recently joined his brother David at the club because of an injury crisis at 10. Ealing are ably captained by South African Rayn Smid who recently won his 100^th cap for Trailfinders. They have particular strength in their locks and back-rowers – so Maro will be kept on his toes! Despite this, Trailfinders, like Sarries, have struggled a bit with their line out recently.

As for Sarries – well, we have to field our strongest possible team, and we have to keep 15 on the pitch for 80 minutes. So assuming all are present and correct, I think we’ll go with pretty much the same team as last week: Obatoyinbo, Maitland, Daly, Tompkins, Lewington, Farrell, Davies, Mako Vunipola, George, Koch, Itoje, Swinson, Rhodes, Wray/Reffell, B Vunipola.

Saracens are in a fight – but that’s when they are at their best. Ealing are a good team but they aren’t Leinster. As far as Sarries are concerned though, this week Ealing need to be Leinster and Munster and Exeter and Racing because that way Saracens will be Saracens and all will be well.