By saracens4Life
April 5 2013

As I said yesterday (plug here, see below for link), there is no shortage of clichés or exaggerations with which to look ahead to this game.

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/sport/10333876.Fan_s_view__It_should_be_a_cracker

Bumper crowd, primetime TV slot in one of London's premier sporting venues - two sides with good recent track records, looking to push onto the next level.

Closer to home, the culmination of 3 and a half years of blood, sweat and tortured wolf metaphors.

It's time for the 'Wolfpack' - players and coaches alike - to "carpe the diem", to "show their true mettle". No more excuses (or even better: "No More Mr Nice Guy").

Last year we were humbled by Clermont Auvergne as we miserably failed to realise the step-up in intensity needed at the highest level (which the Heineken Cup knock-out rounds are, for all the competition's detractors). We did the same against Leicester in May, and Munster in December.

The time is now to right those wrongs.

Three big tactical battles where we can match and dominate Ulster - or be put to the sword by them:

Physicality - The Breakdown.
Over the ball, the battle should be titanic. No matter how many times the magnificently-barbate Mr Poite tells them that "eetz a wuuck", the likes of Henderson, Henry, Court and Best will be up to all sorts of trickery slowing our ball down. Then there's the infamous choke tackle to be wary of.

In short, we have to take no prisoners in the clear-out. The indefatigable Borthwick and Brown need to bust a gut to make each collision that bit more forceful. Brits and Fraser have to throw themselves at everything - don't worry if you're flying in off your feet, or sealing off, no one gets penalised for that anyway. ("No More Mr Nice Guy".) If we think that the standards which see us dominate almost every English side will work this weekend, we’ll be wrong.

Away from the ruck, things don't get any easier. Muller and Tuohy in the Ulster second row are lumps of the highest quality; they will carry muscularly and maul till they drop. Our front row as a collective needs to carry as well as it ever has - a good time for Mako and Brits to revive their poetic double-act from the Quins game. Our back row need to make their tackles on the gain line, not 2 or 3 yards behind it - not easy with Nick Williams lining up at #8, all 120kg of him. All of this requires a certain amount of fury and aggression - to maintain quick line speed and make dominant collisions. The same is needed of Steve Borthwick in the tight exchanges as he looks to compensate for his lack of weight.

Whoever partners Borthwick in the engine room (big call for Alex Sanderson here) needs to put in the shift of his life. Despite what Hargreaves offers in the carry, and Kruis offers in the air, the priority will probably be the bulk and physicality of Mouritz Botha.

I don’t imagine that we will win the game in the physical exchanges – Ulster are too good there – but we could well lose it there if we’re not switched on. The wolves need to be hungry for blood on Saturday.

Now, that’s the bit about people running into each other covered…now to look at the space around the bodies. How to win those battles? (And don’t worry, there are more big collisions to come yet…)

If we assume for now that the breakdown will be roughly equal – and I reckon the scrum will be too – the focus moves onto the gain line. We’ve already said that we need to stop their forward runners – especially Williams – before they get onto the front foot. Ruan Pienaar becomes intolerably classy when his pack is going forward.

But there’s another big contest for space in the wider channels. This is where the #12 channel becomes so crucial. Luke Marshall (I think) vs. Brad Barritt. Marshall has become renowned for picking great lines and having the acceleration to make clean breaks; Barritt has the reputation for stopping people like that. Brad is being championed as a potential Lion this summer, not least by me – if he wants a spot on the plane, then he needs to outplay his opposite number, simple as. Cut down Marshall every time; if Trimble comes off his wing, cut him down too. Be quick enough off the line to make those tackles behind the advantage line. Then, with ball in hand, he needs to make yards every time – ideally commit two defenders; he has the quick feet and power to do that. If Barritt does that job, we’ll have a good chance.

One out is an intriguing match-up between Darren Cave and Joel Tomkins. Tomkins, the bigger man, needs to punch some holes; a 5 metre head-down carry is likely to be more effective than an offload, not that he should remove that aspect of his game. Cave, on the other hand, is a good defensive marshal and is a good utiliser of space – but if we cut down that space he should be virtually negated as an attacking threat.

Using Space Out Wide

If the forward packs and centre pairings of each side are on their game on Saturday, there’s likely not to be an awful lot of attacking opportunities. This obviously puts a high price on discipline (I’m talking to you, Matt Stevens) and goal-kicking.

But equally, it means that the outside backs are going to have to manufacture their own chances or be ruthless with the ones they get. In the former category, we have Jared Payne and Alex Goode, the two full-backs. Both have the feet, the hands and the time on the ball to find holes in defences that weren’t there before (you could maybe add Brits in the same boat). If one of these players can create something out of nothing, it could be game-changing.

On the wings are four finishers of the highest quality. If you want proof from Wyles or Ashton, just take a look at their respective scores against Wasps last week. If I had to pick, I’d say that the offloading ability of Brits and Tomkins might give our boys the slightest of advantages when it comes to having chances to finish off.

This is an area of the game which could have a big say in the outcome of an inevitably close-scoring game. Taking those chances when they come is a question of focus (and maybe luck) – “heads in the freezer”, etc.

The Battle of the Skies (I spy some fruit for Sarries here…)

When  you think of “heads in the freezer”, Pienaar and Farrell won’t be too far down the list of players that come to mind. Someone on the Tigers board recently referred to Faz’s new nickname ‘The Ice Man’ as a “witless soubriquet” – which is a great turn of phrase but by comparison Toby Flood must be something like this: http://seatgeek.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Burning-Man.jpeg. Truth be told, when his head is in the right place Owen is the most unflappable and precise kicker of a rugby ball in the Northern Hemisphere. It is therefore crucial that he gets the balance between ferocity and petulance right: really physical in defence, scrappy at the breakdown, but not too many afters. Not only will his place-kicking by critical, but his role in our aerial game is obviously really important.

Starting, as I think we will, with Brits, Joubert, De Kock, Farrell, Wyles and Goode on the pitch, we should have no problems fielding kicks and supporting the catcher. We’d better not, at least. Then in the opposite direction, our kick-chase game could be a crucial source of advantage. It won’t bring us as much dominance as it does in the Premiership, mostly because Ulster have a good box kicker of their own, but it could earn us crucial territorial footholds, and even penalties.

The likes of Fraser and Barritt need to organise the kick-chase to perfection. Craig Gilroy, exciting as he is, has never looked the most secure under a high ball, and Chris Ashton can be one of the most venomous and effective follow-up tackles in Europe (when he gets his timing right). Payne and Trimble will thrive if they are afforded space to counter attack, and Ulster – like Clermont – become fairly irrepressible once they get go-forward.

Another key area will be the restarts – a big reason why I had been tempted to start with George Kruis. Borthwick and Joubert, though, have been imperious in this area in recent weeks, and from what I’ve seen Paddy Jackson doesn’t have the range of kicks of an Evans or a Biggar.

Crucially, if we get our kick-chase game and our restarts right, we should be looking at getting the upper hand in terms of territory, which will be helpful. The lineout will be important as ever, but as we have more jumpers and quicker jumpers we will aim for at least equality in that area.

In their half: carry hard and cleverly; smash breakdowns like your life depended on it; look to make use of space when we get it; kick goals. In our half: huge line speed; discipline; focus to execute kicking game or exit strategies. Simples!!!

I’m really excited about this game. Sarries by 6.

And to all Ulster fans who might read this: safe travels if you haven’t travelled already. I know you’ve got this plan to #maketwickenhamhome and all that, but don’t embarrass us please, we’re quite a timid bunch!

Enjoy the game!!