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Brian O'Driscoll's bold Premiership prediction about Saracens
By Liam Heagney
Legendary Ireland midfielder Brian O’Driscoll has made a bold prediction about Saracens ahead of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership, claiming they will fail to qualify for the semi-finals.
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Crowned champions of England six times since 2011, Saracens have been end-of-season semi-finalists in 13 of the last 15 years, only missing out in 2019/20 when they were automatically relegated from the top flight due to the salary cap breaches which resulted in them spending 2020/21 in the Championship.
O’Driscoll’s area of expertise as a TV pundit was in the past confined to coverage of the Investec Champions Cup, the tournament which features his former club Leinster.
However, the Irishman has become a regular on the Premiership beat since earlier this year with TNT Sports and ahead of this weekend’s start to the new campaign, he has delivered a series of predictions on social media.
Sitting in the old main stand at Leicester’s Welford Road, O’Driscoll’s most attention-grabbing statement came when asked to name his surprise package of the year. “Saracens not to make the top four,” he replied.
Mark McCall’s team start their 2024/25 campaign this Saturday away to Gloucester and they will be adjusting to life without former skipper Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy, who are now all playing in the French Top 14 with Racing 92, Vannes and Montpellier respectively.
O’Driscoll was on punditry duty last May when Saracens’ 2023/24 title challenge came unstuck, the Londoners losing at home to Sale on the final regulation day of the season. That defeat cost them home advantage for the semi-finals and they were sent packing six days later when beaten at Northampton in the last four.
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Other than the season when they were relegated for off-field issues and the year that followed in the English second-tier, Saracens have been Premiership semi-finalists for the last decade and a half.
After they finished a desultory ninth place in 2008/09 under Eddie Jones, Brendan Venter took charge and he led them to third place in his only full season. McCall then stepped up midway through 2010/11 to lead the club to nine successive semi-final appearances before their relegation.
Since returning from the Championship in 2021, they have re-established themselves as title contenders, reaching the semi-finals in each of the last three seasons.
O’Driscoll’s bold guess about Saracens not making the 2024/25 semi-finals wasn’t his only prediction for the new campaign. “Premiership champions? Quins. Premiership top try scorer? Joe Cokanasiga. Premiership top points scorer? AJ MacGinty.
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“Breakthrough player of the season? Northampton Saints’ Henry Pollock. New signing most excited to watch? Wow. Bill Mata maybe. What a signing he is. Fireworks.”
? Brian O'Driscoll's #GallagherPrem predictions
? Champions
? Top Try-Scorer
? Top Points Scorer
? Breakthrough Player
? Surprise Package
? Most Exciting New Signing pic.twitter.com/FoRctqyNBh— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) September 16, 2024
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