Saracens
GLOS v SARACENS: PREVIEW Plspost match-related comment here
By The Saracens
September 18 2024
The start of a new season is always exciting. Everything is reset to zero. Anything is possible. We look to the future with hope and anticipation: hope which could be so easily dashed at Castle Grim on Saturday. Sarries fans have become accustomed to success in modern times. Our club has shown that we are irrepressible: do your worst to us and we just keep bouncing back. Silverware has become if not a right, at least a realistic expectation. The world is our oyster.
But this season is slightly difference. For me it is a transition from the old to the new. We said farewell to Owen and the Vunipolas, to Lewi and Sean back in June and now we look forward to a new-look Saracens. As is typical of our club, the superstars of last year have not been replaced by stratospheric like for likes. Instead we have gone for young players, full of potential. A branch full of buds ready to open when the sun shines upon them. It will be down to our amazing coaches and our remaining senior players to nurture their talent and hone their skills so they can become the players they are destined to be.
The largest shoes to fill are at 10. Young Kiwi-come-Scot-come Englishman Fergus Burke has the unenviable job of slotting into Owen’s role. I have no doubt he will do it his own way. He’s a different sort of 10 to Owen and I think he will bring other dimensions to our game. Ironically if he succeeds we will probably lose him to international duty one way or another. It was ever thus. His understudy is even younger, Louie Johnson. I have watched both of our friendly games so far and these 2 lads show promise, pace and the ability to kick goals (a refreshing change in recent times!). Yes they will take time to fully bed in (I suspect that’s why we’ve see a consistent axis through the friendlies: Willis, Van Zyl, Loz, Tompkins and Daly) but in time they will make the shirt their own instead of borrowing it from Owen. Incidentally I think in young Louie Johnson we could have the makings of a superstar.
Back to Gloucester: I have absolutely no idea who we can and can’t select. I presume Cinti, Gonzalez and Theo are still overseas helping their respective countries on the other side of the world but when it comes to our England players I don’t know if or how long we have to rest them, who’s available etc etc. Gareth Simpson and Sam Spink aren’t fit and I assume poor Ollie Hartley has a way to go still. So as far as the backs go I think we’ll see the same 9,10,12,13,15 that started the friendlies. I’d probably go with Segun and Brandon Jackson (who looked really good at Bedford) on the wings. Incidentally, I hope young Charlie Bracken gets a few chances. He looks like a chip off the old block and a different sort of 9 to Van Zyl – another one who could go all the way to the top.
The front row is tricky following the Scarlets debacle where we had 70 minutes of uncontested scrums and no chance for Carre and Riccioni to showcase their wares. I think I’d go with them alongside Jamie (if he’s allowed, otherwise Theo) on Saturday just because our scrum was so dire last year we need to start off on the right foot although there must be a temptation to play Fraser Balmain against his old club. Hugh Tizard has had 2 good games but we urgently need another lineout option. I hope Maro can play: as captain I think its important. Andy Onyeama-Christie (to be known as Christie in future match reports because otherwise it takes a lot of typing and I still can’t spell it) has been on fire in the 2 friendlies and Willis has also looked solid. I really hope Ben Earl is cleared to start because he makes such a difference.
After last year’s dreadful performance in the season-opener at Sandy Park, we really do need to get off to a positive start so I hope MMc picks his strongest team. Gloucester have had a miserable couple of years finishing down the bottom of the league and as such have bolstered their squad with a Welsh half back pairing of Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe. They have also signed Christian Wade (who has apparently set his sights on Chris Ashton’s Premiership try-scoring record) and Alfie Petch. The departure of Louis Rees-Zammit part way through last season has left a big hole to fill and whether Wade still has what it takes will be interesting as will be a match-up with Roti Segun. Gloucester lost a number of established players at the end of last season with Mark Atkinson, Fraser Balmain (to us) Santiago Socino, Jonny May & Adam Hastings among the first team regulars to have moved on. They too will want to show their fans that things have improved.
Fingers crossed for a win but given the extreme rustiness shown in the 2 friendlies so far, I’m not holding my breath.
In their wisdom, Premiership Rugby have given us Craig Maxwell-Keys along with Andrew Jackson and Peter Allan, Rowan Kitt is in the TV truck. Enough said, lets do it on the field boys.
(Incidentally we’re struggling for a match reporter so if anyone feels they could contribute please let me know!)
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:09:30:00:17:24 by Darraghgirl.
I can only assume Isiekwe is injured if he’s not been involved in the friendlies (as opposed to Dan) so like you say hopefully Maro is match ready because a lock combo of Wilson and Tiz (without multiple back row jumpers) is asking for lineout trouble. And if we haven’t sorted our scrum then the night suddenly becomes doubly hard!
Very hard to predict, but we need a big step up from what was seen in the friendlies if we are to prevail.
Good luck boys, hope big Nick is fit and playing.
How are we already down to bare bones in the props?? After last season you’d have thought the one priority is not to be struggling at scrum time every single game. I’m not sure the last 20 mins will go well for us.
Need to recalibrate expectations from the last 15 years. The most important thing is how we play tomorrow. Is it a blueprint for future success?
In particular hoping Fergus and young Tobias go well.
Crean did really well when he came on in the scrum at Glos last year I believe.
Quote:Strangelove
Pleased with the starting xv, would’ve liked to have seen Louie on the bench, we don’t need Goodie as cover for 10 or FB, Louie can cover both - disappointing.
Crean did really well when he came on in the scrum at Glos last year I believe.
I can understand going for some experience off the bench down in Gloucester.
Quote:Strangelove
Pleased with the starting xv, would’ve liked to have seen Louie on the bench, we don’t need Goodie as cover for 10 or FB, Louie can cover both - disappointing.
Crean did really well when he came on in the scrum at Glos last year I believe.
I thought you were going to say he did really well in the scrum when he came on last Friday !!
I’m not a fan of the 6-2 split like this, leaves the backs very exposed and don’t see the need for it.
Quote:tigersimon
Any news on Balmain, Brantingham and McFarland?
Harry Wilson?
Two injuries, and McFarland still on international duty. Assuming the question is who is Harry Wilson, swiss army knife forward that we signed from Doncaster, was a Championship Team of the Season player I believe.
Quote:The BardQuote:Strangelove
Pleased with the starting xv, would’ve liked to have seen Louie on the bench, we don’t need Goodie as cover for 10 or FB, Louie can cover both - disappointing.
Crean did really well when he came on in the scrum at Glos last year I believe.
I thought you were going to say he did really well in the scrum when he came on last Friday !!
I’m not a fan of the 6-2 split like this, leaves the backs very exposed and don’t see the need for it.
Ha ha! Yes, agree 6-2 split leaves us short in backs cover and with some worries about midfield I would’ve gone 5-3 with bracks, Louie and Brandon. I expect coaches think it is going to be forward dominated game.
Quote:ICantBelieveItsNotBartyIIQuote:tigersimon
Any news on Balmain, Brantingham and McFarland?
Harry Wilson?
Two injuries, and McFarland still on international duty. Assuming the question is who is Harry Wilson, swiss army knife forward that we signed from Doncaster, was a Championship Team of the Season player I believe.
Thanks
In the second half we should have put them away. A number of times we got into their 22 and kind of stopped playing. Ivan needs to keep the temp high. A bit leaky in defence through the middle too.
But-
5 points away
Some lovely play here and there - especially from the line outs
Excellent finish from young Tobias for his try
A STABLE SCRUM!
I thought the pack was brilliant- Tizard and Willis especially getting through a tonne of work. Great captain’s performance from Maro, Christie was superb, Carre lived up to his name (love a bit of nominative determinism) and Knoght was quietly effective.
There’s a wrong to put right next week, looking forward to the boys bringing the same intensity and gradually improving some of the execution!
Excellent debut from Tobias Elliot, other than the try he managed to win a few back in the air and made his tackles.
Quote:The Bard
So do we know what has happened to Riccioni? Noticed Balmain not with those warming up on the pitch whereas Brantingham was (and Hoskins)
Excellent debut from Tobias Elliot, other than the try he managed to win a few back in the air and made his tackles.
I agree that he had an excellent debut but on the debit side of the ledger he should have stayed wide when in defence on the blind side of the maul as we were paired up, by biting in he left room for the miss pass to the winger.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:09:23:12:07:02 by boomer!.
Quote:boomer!
So nice imaginative play at the lineouts.
Yes, the set pieces were good - Rob Webber at work?
Successful hills are here to stay
Everything must be this way
Gentle streets where people play
Welcome to the Soft Parade
🌻🌻🌻
Quote:Sarriebone
Dan, Itoje, Onyeama-Christie and Segun all in the TNT team of the week!
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
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