By Jason Harris (filed: 4/9/03)
September 4 2003

After a traumatic off-season which saw their entire coaching team fired, their player-coach promoted to head coach and one of their two pre-season games curtailed due to on-field violence, Saracens know that they have just 80 minutes to sort themselves out before the league season begins in earnest. Friday night's game agaisnt NEC Harlequins at The Stoop will prove to be the only real chance that new coach Rod Kafer will get to see his troops play some serious rugby.

The former Leicester, ACT and Australia centre has chosen a strong starting line-up; one which will hardly be changed before the long trip to Newcastle on Sunday week opens Sarries' 2003-04 Zurich Premiership campaign.

The biggeset news is that former All Blacks captain Taine Randell makes his debut at no8 and his duel with former Sarries favourite Tony Diprose will probably be the highlight of the evening.

However, there will be plenty of other head-to-heads around the park to whet the appetite, particuarly on the wings.

Two big, fast men in the shapes of Quins George Harder and Sarries' Nathan McAvoy square up for the heavyweight contest, while bragging rights as fastest gun in the west(well, West London at any rate) will be fought over by the two England 7s sensations Ugo Monye and Richard Haughton.

Elsewhere, Andy Goode will look to impress against Quins' veteran stand-off Paul Burke as he did when Sarries narrowly lost last season's league game at the same ground and Alex Codling will be keen to get one over on his old pals by stealing a few lineouts on the Quins throw.

Games between these two sides are always high-scoring affairs and with Thomas Castaignede finally back to full fitness and raring to go, Saracens will be out to play the wide game with the French maestro providing an extra option from fullback.

Quins have already played four games, winning three, and should have a slight edge due to the game time they have had together. But for Saracens, it wouldn't make much difference if the game was lost, as long as the side looks cohesive and their problematic defence and set-piece play show any sort of improvement over last season's dismal efforts in those departments.


Saracens: 15. Thomas Castaignede; 14. Richard Haughton; 13. Ben Johnston; 12. Kevin Sorrell; 11. Nathan McAvoy; 10. Andy Goode; 9. Dan Kirton; 1. Steve Sparks; 2. Joe Ross; 3. Emiliano Bergamaschi; 4.Simon Raiwalui (c); 5. Alex Codling; 6. Kris Chesney; 7. Ryan Peacey; 8. Taine Randell

Replacements: 16. Andy Kershaw; 17. Aston Croall; 18. Ben Skirving; 19. Tony Roques; 20. Morgan Williams; 21. Paul Bailey; 22. Darragh O'Mahony

NEC Harlequins: 15. Gavin Duffy; 14. George Harder; 13. Josh Taumalolo; 12. Andy Reay; 11. Ugo Monye; 10. Paul Burke; 9. Ben Willis; 1. Mike Worsley; 2. James Hayter; 3. Jon Dawson; 4. Bill Davison; 5. Simon Miall; 6. Pat Sanderson; 7. Andre Vos (Capt.); 8. Tony Diprose

Replacements: 16. Ace Tiatia; 17. Ceri Jones; 18. Jim Evans; 19. Roy Winters; 20. Simon Keogh; 21. Andy Dunne; 22. Matt Moore

Referee: Mr Ashley Rowden