Aviva Premiership Season Preview: Saracens
Lee Calvert previews the biggest teams ahead of the Aviva Premiership season. This week: the defending champions, Saracens.
There one was a time when Saracens were a club other fans pointed at and laughed. For many years they had a small following and, despite boasting some genuine world beaters brought by some significant financial backing (the likes of Michael Lynagh, Phillippe Sella and Richard Hill), all they had to show for it was the 1998 Tetley’s Bitter Cup looking very lonely in their trophy cabinet.
Then in the late 2000s cuddly Brendan Venter came in as Director of Rugby, sacking pretty much every player in sight and starting from scratch, infamously signing a lot of South Africans. The divisive Venter also put in place a strong academy that, alloyed with sound off-field structures and a new stadium, has turned the north London team into Premiership champions. Under Mark McCall last year they destroyed everyone in their path like a merciless android army. Can they do the same this time around?
These days Saracens cop a lot of grief from rugby fans on entirely different grounds. Whereas before it was sniggering at their failures, now it is sneering at their success for myriad reasons such as their casual attitude to the salary cap and their unimaginative, “boring” playing style. Whatever the accuracy of these claims, the fact remains that Saracens are the best team in Europe and this is because they have very good players who make very good decisions at very good times.
They have and all-weather, all-court game that can play tight, loose or tactically in any given match and indeed within any given match. One description of rugby is that it a game decided by good decisions executed well and in this regard Saracens remain streets ahead of most of their rivals. They are not boring, they are simply a bloody good rugby team.
Their squad is largely unchanged from last season, with the main exits being the retiring Charlie Hodgson and Jacques Burger, but Hodgson was not a starting 10 and Burger, J has been replaced with Burger, S – proving beyond doubt that Saracens have no intention of making themselves more likeable this season.
And for all the shots they take about the salary cap, it is notable that their most of their top performers either came through their academy (Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, 2016 Premiership player of the season Alex Goode, George Kruis), were unheralded players when signed (Chris Wyles, Brad Barritt) or youngsters from lower divisions (Mako Vunipola, Duncan Taylor). The addition of Scotland’s classy Sean Maitland this season is a good bit of business, and he will fit seamlessly into the Allianz Park system that demands intelligence and ability.
In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith asks the party man O’Brien what the future will be like and he anwers, “Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever.”
Welcome to the Premiership in the era of Saracens.
Last Season: 1st, Champions
Prediction: Champions
Head Coach: Mark McCall
Ins: Schalk Burger (from Stormers), Alex Lozowski (from Wasps), Savenaca Rawaca (from Fiji Sevens), Mark Flanagan (from Bedford Blues), Sean Maitland (from London Irish), Vincent Koch (from Stormers).
Outs: Charlie Hodgson (retired), Rhys Gill (to Cardiff Blues), Catalin Fercu (to Timisoara Saracens), Kieran Longbottom (to Sale Sharks), Dave Porecki (to London Irish), Jacques Burger (retired), Aaron Morris (to Harlequins), Thretton Palamo (to Bristol), Biyi Alo (to Worcester Warriors), Ben Ransom (to London Irish).
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments