'Any time we've given him a new challenge, he's stood up to it' - Vunipola backed to fill Farrell void against Leinster
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has praised Manu Vunipola, with the young fly-half an option to replace the suspended Owen Farrell for the huge European tie at Leinster on Saturday. England captain Farrell is absent for the Heineken Champions Cup holders after being issued with a five-match ban for a dangerous tackle against Wasps earlier in the month.
It has put Sarries on the back foot even more for the last eight clash, which is a repeat of the 2019 final.
Farrell was instrumental in the victory last year but will have a watching front at the Aviva Stadium and it means either Alex Goode or Vunipola, the cousin of England internationals Billy and Mako, will play at 10.
“We have two choices,” McCall said. “To move Goodey up and play him at fly-half and Elliott (Daly) to full-back or stick Manu in there and keep Goodey where he is. We will make that decision later on.”
It has been a tumultuous season for Saracens, with the club handed a hefty fine and docked 35 points in November for repeated salary cap breaches before they were automatically relegated from the Gallagher Premiership in January.
A rare bright spot has been the development of fly-half Vunipola, who starred to help a young XV beat an equally inexperienced Exeter on Sunday.
He also caught the eye of his director of rugby when he kicked Saracens to victory at Gloucester in November, days after the double-winners had first been punished for several salary cap breaches.
McCall added: “Manu has certainly shown all year any time we’ve given him a new challenge, he has stood up to that challenge.
“One that springs to mind the most is the game down at Kingsholm. It was a few days after the original decision and quite an emotional occasion.
“As a young player, he handled that. It is not the easiest place to play as a young fly-half and he handled himself very well that day. All season he has continued to gain these experiences.
“He has played Racing 92 away, Munster away and he was involved in the Ospreys game. He has accumulated a lot of experience this year and we have a lot of faith in Manu.”
Saracens are aware of the “massive challenge” they face in Dublin against a team who have not tasted defeat since these sides met in Newcastle in May 2019.
Not in bad shape. ?https://t.co/MnVptdjmEn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 14, 2020
Leinster prepared for this fixture with success over Ulster in the Guinness PRO14 final on Saturday while the English champions have been able to rotate their squad in recent weeks with nothing to play for in the league.
This weekend could be Sarries’ last in Europe for a long time and McCall says the competition has been a lifeline for them after they triumphed in must-win clashes against Ospreys and Racing to qualify for the knockout stage.
“When we got the 35-point deduction in early November, we quickly made the decision to put all the eggs in the basket of Premiership survival,” he said.
Such a shame for the Brave Blossoms. https://t.co/hfgMQDWQtY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 14, 2020
“That meant conceding Europe for that season and we continued that strategy I guess until the penultimate game, which was up in Swansea.
“We actually heard on the Friday night, I got a heads-up it would be automatic (relegation), and we were playing the Ospreys the next day.
“We had left most of our experienced players at home on the basis of the original strategy and Rhys Carre got sent off in the first five minutes, so that win that day with a really young group and some really good senior players just gave us the lifeline we needed.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments