Alex Goode to become only the 4th player to make 300 Saracens appearances

8:50am, 04 September 2020

Alex Goode will make his 300th Saracens appearance in Saturday’s Allianz Park clash with Wasps. The England full-back made his Saracens debut in 2008 and is set to become only the fourth man to reach the 300 mark at the club.

Goode forms part of the unchanged back three which started the victory over London Irish, with Alex Lewington and Sean Maitland again on the wings. Owen Farrell starts at fly-half with Tim Swinson partnering Maro Itoje at lock.

Jimmy Gopperth will captain Wasps on his 100th appearance for the side. Centre Juan de Jongh makes his first appearance since the restart after returning from hand and hamstring injuries.

Saracens’ Billy Vunipola guested on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series earlier this year

Hooker TJ Harris is named among the replacements having re-joined the club on a short-term deal this week from Jersey, while academy players Kieran Curran and Will Simmonds could make their Premiership debuts off the bench.

Coach Lee Blackett said: “We’re going to have to be physical. They’re one of the most physical sides in Europe and that is why we have had to make some changes. We can’t have guys that are going around at 70 or 80 per cent when we come up against the current champions.”

Front row cover secured https://t.co/58k8Oh0YCb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 4, 2020

SARACENS: 15. Alex Goode; 14. Alex Lewington, 13. Elliot Daly, 12. Brad Barritt, 11. Sean Maitland; 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Aled Davies; 1. Richard Barrington, 2. Jamie George, 3. Vincent Koch, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Tim Swinson, 6. Mike Rhodes, 7. Jackson Wray, 8. Billy Vunipola. Reps: 16. Kapeli Pifeleti, 17. Sam Crean, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Callum Hunter-Hill, 20. Sean Reffell, 21. Tom Whiteley, 22. Dom Morris, 23. Elliott Obatoyinbo.

WASPS: 15. Rob Miller; 14. Paolo Odogwu, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Michael Le Bourgeois 11. Josh Bassett; 10. Jimmy Gopperth, 9. Ben Vellacott; 1. Ben Harris, 2. Tom Cruse, 3. Biyi Alo, 4. Will Rowlands, 5. Tim Cardall, 6. Tom Willis, 7. Ben Morris, 8. Sione Vailanu. Reps: 16. TJ Harris, 17. Simon McIntyre, 18. Jack Owlett, 19. Theo Vukasinovic, 20. Kieran Curran, 21. Sam Wolstenholme, 22. Charlie Atkinson, 23. Will Simonds.

The Chiefs have been the best behaved since the restart, conceding just 39 penalties in 4 games compared to Bristol's 59https://t.co/cdfMOjEXeX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 4, 2020