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'A great addition to our squad': Saracens sign a Championship prop

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Beaten finalists Saracens have added to their squad ahead of the new 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season by signing James Flynn, the former Sale loosehead, from Championship club Jersey Reds. The 28-year-old spent seven seasons at the Sharks when Steve Diamond was in charge but has since embarked on a multi-pitstop second-tier journey after leaving Manchester in 2019 after 55 appearances.

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There have been Championship-level stints at Leeds, Ampthill and Jersey and the Channel Islands club announced in May that Flynn had re-signed for the 2022/23 season. However, a subsequent offer to get back into the Premiership with Saracens was too good to turn down and a deal has been struck to release him from the Reds.

A club statement read: “Saracens are pleased to announce the signing of prop James Flynn from Jersey Reds for the 2022/23 season. The loosehead, who has plenty of Gallagher Premiership experience has joined the Men in Black for the upcoming campaign where he will be looking to make his mark at StoneX.

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“Flynn, who is 28 years old, made his debut for Sale Sharks back in 2012 where he made 55 appearances before spells at Ampthill and Jersey in the Championship. He will further boost the depth in the number one shirt with the likes of Mako Vunipola, Eroni Mawi, Ralph Adams-Hale and Sam Crean all looking to lock down a starting position.”

Flynn said: “My goal for the last two years has been to get back into the Premiership and I’m incredibly happy and fortunate that I have been given an opportunity here at Saracens. I’m looking forward to the challenge and being a part of such a great squad.”

Director of rugby Mark McCall added: “James is a great addition to our squad and we are very pleased to have him on board. He has good experience and is very motivated to make the best of this opportunity. We would of course like to thank Harvey Biljon and Jersey Reds for helping us accommodate this move and wish them all the best for this season.”

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cw 4 hours ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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