By The Saracens
November 23 2023
After 2 weeks on the road Sarries return to the StoneX this weekend to take on Bristol Bears. How fortunes change! The last home game against Leicester saw huge relief at a second win, now after full marks on the road, Sarries would expect to overcome the Bears in their own back yard. Of course there has been collateral damage on the journey. The win over Quins cost us Ben Earl (hopefully only out for 6-8 weeks) and Alex Lozowski (ACL – return date unspecified but not likely to be any time soon). With Calum Hunter Hill also out for around 4 months it was a heavy price to pay. Fortunately Elliot Daly’s omission was precautionary and he should be available this weekend.
Strange to say we shouldn’t miss Ben Earl to much! That’s an extraordinary statement regarding England’s best performer at the World Cup but we have good cover in the back row, Christie and Gonzales have really stepped up, Willis is raising Billy’s game and Nick Isiekwe and Theo McFarland should be back in a couple of weeks. Until then were a bit light at lock but Maro and Tizard should be able to manage for a while yet. The front row and the bomb squad are functioning well so assuming Theo Dan is OK I don’t see much change there.
The situation regarding Loz is potentially more difficult. Loz and Tompkins have formed a superb centre partnership which will be hard to replace. The loss of Loz (sounds like the title of a novel!) will put even more pressure on Tompkins, who desperately needs a break anyway. But there are plenty of possibilities. Will Mark McCall stick with the promise of Ollie Hartley or will he move Daly or Cinti into the centres? Given Alex Goode’s return to form plus Tom Parton’s excellent showing, we are fairly well covered at full back. Alex Lewington, Sean Maitland, Ben Harris and Roti Segun (in a week or 2) also provide decent cover on the wings.
Faz picks himself and all 3 scrum halves are now playing well which is rather a nice luxury to have.
Sarries have often struggled against Bristol at home – look at last season when Sarries trailed by 9 points with just 3 minutes left only for 2 magical tries from Segun and Hougaard (on debut) to give them a 1 point win; or the year before when the Bears came to Tottenham and almost snatched it at the death only for the “try” to be disallowed for a forward pass.
Bristol will bring with them former Sarrie Max Malins. His appearance as a substitute last week (apparently he was full of germs) certainly galvanised the Bears only for an agonising last minute defeat to Bath. In fact Bristol’s progress this season has been a mirror image of Sarries’ – winning their first 2 games and losing the next 4.
Bristol have a formidable pack with Ellie Genge and Kyle Sinkler propping but in the last couple of weeks, the pack has under performed. Bears are without Callum Sheedy (who can kick almost anything from anywhere) as he failed an HIA and apparently Randall is also struggling so most likely an inexperienced half back pairing of Marmion and Williams. Any side featuring Virimi Vakatawa, Piers O’Connor and Benhard Janse van Rensburg (along with Max) isn’t to be taken lightly though.
Given their history, Brizz will fancy their chances! Given the history it’ll be close! This isn’t a fixture to leave before the final whistle. The weather shouldn’t be a party-pooper – sunny but cold with a gentle breeze. (Always a relief for no rain when I’m doing the match report given we get very wet at the front of the East stand!) Fingers crossed Sarries keep up the good work but never underestimate a Bear with a sore head.
Quote:jimfitz12
Cinti and JMG are both on rest weekends from the WC so neither will feature in this game.
Quote:The Bard
I think the update on Daly said he’s back next week, not this one so we could be a bit thin in the backs
Quote:+1ComeOnSarries
Two very strong teams. Should be a cracker!
Quote:The Bard
Certainly gives us less lineout option with no Gonzalez at 6. I’d pick Hadfield based on his excellent performances when selected, certainly a better thrower than Kapelli.
Quote:JimG
Blimey. We made hard work of that. Farrelll had a shocker off the tee. 15 points was it?
Quote:Barty II
Not often I come home after we've scored 39 and collected 5 points, and feel annoyed.
Anyone else have a reflink on? Personal opinion of course, but as well as having a mare with the boot (other than one cross field kick), Owen's attitude towards the ref was dreadful from almost the first minute. Really rubbed me up the wrong way.
Quote:JimG
Only one person got marched back for chat and that was Genge. Seemed to me as though we gave away very few penalties over the 80 - 5 or 6 tops from recollection - so I don’t think there was anything wrong with Farrell’s attitude. Just his radar.
Quote:Barty II
Not often I come home after we've scored 39 and collected 5 points, and feel annoyed.
Anyone else have a reflink on? Personal opinion of course, but as well as having a mare with the boot (other than one cross field kick), Owen's attitude towards the ref was dreadful from almost the first minute. Really rubbed me up the wrong way.
Quote:^This. Leaving aside the actual manner in which he spoke which Pearce seemed not to appreciate he is frequently like a dog with a bone once he's been told the referee doesn't agree.Barty II
It wasn't anything to do with penalties given against us (there weren't many!), more arguing strongly for penalties being given for us which either weren't seen or weren't given. He was told to shut up at least twice.
I think Billy puts it well:
Quote:JimG
Well I didn’t have ref link but Pearce is a world class ref who is not afraid to take appropriate action if the line is crossed which he didn’t do. My point about penalties was that 50:50s often seem to go against teams who get on the wrong side of the ref which again didn’t happen. So other than you personally not liking the tone (which is entirely your prerogative) I don’t think it affected the game.
Quote:AP
Pearce took an age over the scrums - I don't recall him doing that before.
Quote:ComeOnSarries
my personal highlight but I also loved the very quick pick from the base of the line-out maul by Billy that caught the Bristol defence napping
Quote:OldMarovian
Potentially sets up the December 30th game as a battle to take top spot into the New Year. Wish it was at StoneX rather than Sale![]()
Very resilient performance from Falcons today. Huge commitment and great tryline defence.
You do wish with their talented backs they'd run it back at Chiefs rather than fed them endless ball to run back (that's a strategy we have proved definitively is a non-starter!) but they don't need to start on their visit early New Year!

Quote:OTsarrie
I sit in the North Stand , and the entire game seemed to take place up the other end , so even with the big screen hard to know what was going on . !
Quote:tigersimon
Just read the previous comments about OF’s 'aggressively question' (ing) of Luke Pearce and seen the TNT clip
[twitter.com]
Farrell: “That’s three at the maul.”
Pearce: “Thanks, I can count.”
Farrell: “Don’t be rude to me, there’s no need to be rude to me.”
For those who had the ref link was LP rude? To me it’s just a short response that he’s aware!
Quote:OldMarovian
CLAREY.
He's been with us for a while and it would be good to get his name right. Like Julian but with an E. Not like the rubbish exDT bouffanted rugby correspondent.
Quote:Barty IIQuote:tigersimon
Just read the previous comments about OF’s 'aggressively question' (ing) of Luke Pearce and seen the TNT clip
[twitter.com]
Farrell: “That’s three at the maul.”
Pearce: “Thanks, I can count.”
Farrell: “Don’t be rude to me, there’s no need to be rude to me.”
For those who had the ref link was LP rude? To me it’s just a short response that he’s aware!
Important clarification here is that this is about 50 minutes (of match clock time) on from when Farrell and Pearce first got a bit testy with each other! In isolation, I'm sure most people would say that's pretty snippy from Pearce and possibly even unprofessional. But from the chatter up to that point its more the result of Pearce tiring of how the relationship between ref and captain seemed to be working
Quote:tigersimon
ninjafez,
It was Christian Day
Quote:OldMarovian
Sorry Doncin. ?
Quote:JimG
That try was weird wasn’t it. From the west stand it looked like he brawled over the line on his elbows.
Quote:Duncan96Quote:OldMarovian
Sorry Doncin. ?
Ha Ha. Touche 😂
I shall assume that was fat fingers like mine 😊
Quote:OldMarovian
I might have got the incidents confused but the Ogre one seemed ok to me.
Quote:Barty IIQuote:OldMarovian
I might have got the incidents confused but the Ogre one seemed ok to me.
OGHRE! GET IT RIGHT!
Quote:OldMarovianQuote:Barty IIQuote:OldMarovian
I might have got the incidents confused but the Ogre one seemed ok to me.
OGHRE! GET IT RIGHT!
I had hoped to catch a bigger fish with that one!
