By TheSaracens.com
November 27 2019

  So this Friday we begin our attempt to stay in a league that doesn’t want us. Do we care? Do we heck. But enough of this, let us consider the game itself and the very worthy cause which is being supported by Premiership Rugby this weekend, Rainbow Laces. PRL has teamed up with Stonewall UK to support LGBT equality. Their motto is “Acceptance without Exception”.  

Rugby hasn’t done itself too much good over the past few weeks but in its acceptance of LGBT, it leads the way. Saracens away fixture at the Rec is the first over this Rainbow weekend and I understand all the players will be invited to wear Rainbow Laces. Wouldn’t it be great if Nigel was the referee (sadly for us he’ll be at the Principality Stadium for the Wales Baa Baa’s game!

Match day shirts will have a special Rainbow version of the Gallagher logo. Thousands of sets of rainbow laces will be handed out free to supporters at the game. Branding and Assistant Referee’s flags will turn Rainbow and the pitchside LEDs will also support he campaign. For the TV games at Tigers and Quins (but not Bath, wonder why?) there will also be a large 

Rugby hasn’t done itself too much good over the past few weeks but in its acceptance of LGBT, it leads the way. Saracens away fixture at the Rec is the first over this Rainbow weekend and I understand all the players will be invited to wear 

Rugby hasn’t done itself too much good over the past few weeks but in its acceptance of LGBT, it leads the way. Saracens away fixture at the Rec is the first over this Rainbow weekend and I understand all the players will be invited to wear Rainbow Laces. Wouldn’t it be great if Nigel was the referee (sadly for us he’ll be at the Principality Stadium for the Wales Baa Baa’s game!

Match day shirts will have a special rainbow version of the Gallagher logo. Thousands of sets of rainbow laces will be handed out free to supporters at the game. Branding and Assistant Referee’s flags will turn Rainbow and the pitchside LEDs will also support he campaign. For the TV games at Tigers and Quins (but not Bath, wonder why?) there will also be a large Rainbow Gallagher logo in the middle of the pitch. There will also be a Rainbow laces photographic competition running through social media (win 4 tickets to the Premiership Final – maybe not!).

Wayne Morris, Community Director at Premiership Rugby said “our aim is to be the most welcoming league in the world to fans of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and circumstances and we are committed to ensuring that rugby remains everyone’s game. We welcome and celebrate diversity and we strive to make our activities and competitions available and enjoyable to as many people as possible in whatever capacity they wish”.

Jonathan Turner, CEO of Gallagher’s UK said “ To promote and celebrate inclusion is to understand and value each other’s difference. We like to think it’s not about how we are different from one another but how we are different like one another.

All this on Saracens’ web page today, not a squeak on Bath’s!

So to the match. Bath have had a pretty horrendous time with injuries losing Anthony Watson & Charlie Ewels (both MCL’s) along with the ongoing row over Joe Cokanasiga from the world cup plus Henry Thomas & Zach Mercer. After 4 rounds Bath are in 8^th with 8 points (just 30 ahead of us then), having won 2 of their 4 games in this topsy turvey season, – beating Chiefs and Saints but losing to Wasps and Bristol. Their venture into the Champions Cup has been less positive, losing both of their games at home to Ulster (just) and away to Quins. Despite injuries they still have some great talent especially Semesa Rokodoguni, and Jonathan Joseph in the backs, fly halves Freddie Burns & Rhys Priestlands and the penalty-machine that is Francois Louw in the back row. Jamie Roberts may be a bit past his best but he’s still a great rugby player.

The loss of Watson may tempt Bath to go with 2 playmakers, so maybe something like:

Burns, Rokodoguni, Joseph, Roberts, Brew, Priestland, Cook, Obano, Walker, Judge, McNally, Garvey, Stooke, Baylis Louw.

As for Saracens – well the media has been suggesting many of our heavyweights will return for this one. A win here would make a big statement of intent, defeat would mean mulling over the threat of relegation for another 3 weeks. So I suspect Sarries will come out all guns blazing:-

Daly, Maitland, Taylor, Barritt, Segun, Farrell, Spencer, Carre, George, Ibuanokpe, Itoje, Kruis, Isiekwe, Earl, B Vunipola. But I could be way out with this one!

We need to win this, we definitely can. Whether we will win, who knows but if the guys show the same spirit as they did against Ospreys, anything is possible. TOGETHER SARACENS

RAINBOW OVER THE REC

Discussion started by TheSaracens.com , 27/11/2019 09:39

TheSaracens.com
27/11/2019 09:39

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:12:04:13:32:32 by Darraghgirl.

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Innings
27/11/2019 12:46

This will be a big game, but then again, every game will be big game. Bath are indeed playing an odd mix of quality so far, winning against the expectations, and losing against them as well. One Mr Hooper, formerly of this parish in 1999-2003, will be desperate to find something better than the Heineken set-backs, which must effectively have ended their hopes in that one.

Innings

Points win matches: tries win hearts and minds.

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myleftboot
27/11/2019 18:49

Reckon the Rec will be a swamp, will be tough to get the try bonus point, but that's got to be the targets. Might see Daly wide and Gallagher 15 to let the ball do the work a bit more?

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Barty II
28/11/2019 08:51

15. Manu Vunipola
14. Gallagher
13. Bosch (One game return)
12. Lozowski
11. Daly
10. Farrell
9. Wigglesworth
21. Spencer
22. Whiteley

KICK IT LONG!

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Darraghgirl
28/11/2019 15:44

Referee is Karl Dickson supported by JP Doyle & Anthony Woodthorpe
Rosie is the TMO

That's rather an overkill of referees! Maybe someone's expecting trouble!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:11:28:15:46:10 by Darraghgirl.

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TonyTaff
28/11/2019 17:32

Quote:

Darraghgirl
Referee is Karl Dickson supported by JP Doyle & Anthony Woodthorpe
Rosie is the TMO

That's rather an overkill of referees! Maybe someone's expecting trouble!

Was it Rosie who was filling the club's disclosure forms to the SCA? That might explain a lot

It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!

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