By The Saracens
December 19 2024

After a very successful European interlude we return to the Gallagher Premiership this weekend for the “festive” fixture against our old “friends” from up the M1, Northampton Saints. Saints are of course also in our European Group (although the way the rules are we don’t actually play them) and if anything had an even more successful time defeating Castres at home and then hanging in against at wasteful Vodacom Bulls side out on the high veld before cashing in on the South Africans’ generosity with a bonus point win.

I find it hard to believe therefore that Saints are currently 8^th in the Premiership, 10 points behind Sarries, having won just 3 of their 8 games and with 3 defeats in their last 4 games including a first loss in 17 months at Franklin’s Gardens (to Gloucester). Saints, like Sarries, lost a lot of players to the Autumn Internationals and have had to manage their return. They suffered a big blow last weekend when captain George Furbank broke his arm. On the plus side, Alex Mitchell is back and firing on all cylinders making up potentially the most exciting half-back pairing in the Premiership alongside Finn Smith. The Saints backs are dangerous, even without Furbank, and include Fraser Dingwall, George Hendy & last season’s top try-scorer Ollie Sleightholme. Former Sarries Callum Hunter-Hill features among the forwards who if less star-studded, are distinctly effective. Saints’ Director of Rugby Phil Dowson and Head Coach Sam Vesty have made a pretty good job of bringing on a young Saints’ Squad after the departure of the likes of Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam in the summer.

Sarries win in Paris may have come at a price. Nick Isiekwe’s concussion almost certainly means he will be missing while Marco Riccioni looked to have damaged his ribs. We could be a bit short in the 2^nd row! Assuming Tizard is still absent (and this really is getting silly for everyone not least Hugh himself) MMc may be forced to go with Theo and Maro at lock which isn’t a combination that seems to work too well or get the best out of Theo (and he is a player we need at his best). Would we risk Sodeke or Eke in a game like this? It would be a huge call. Otherwise I assume Gonzalez, Earl and Willis will make up the back row. We should go with our strongest front row possible: Carre, Jamie and Riccioni if fit. On the positive side Sanjay (aka Liam Williams) looked like he’d never been away and I expect to see him in the starting 15 more often than not (whether at the expense of Elliott or Segun is the question). Fergus is getting better and better and I presume will start alongside Van Zyl with Daly at fullback and Tompkins and Cinti in the centres.

Saints have won the last 3 times the teams have met in the League including the double last season plus, of course, a narrow victory in the Premiership semi-Final so Sarries definitely have something to prove. Jet lag won’t be an issue as there is minimal time change between the UK and South Africa but long flights are in themselves tiring and Saints will take a while to recover from a bruising encounter with the Bulls. The Sunday kick-off will be beneficial to both teams.

Referee is Adam Leal assisted by Sara Cox & Jonathan Healy. Dan Jones is the TMO

This will be a tight one. Home advantage could be the key so we’ll need to shout loudly for the lads. “Sarrie the red-nosed camel…”

Merry Christmas every one.