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'It's a little disappointing... you want the teams fully loaded'
Harlequins assistant Nick Evans has acknowledged how some fans might feel short-changed by how the Gallagher Premiership fixture planners have scheduled both games versus London rivals Saracens at a time in the season when both clubs will be denied the use of players in Eddie Jones’ England squad.
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The reigning Premiership champions welcome the newly promoted Saracens to The Stoop this Sunday for a contest in which Harlequins don’t have Joe Marler, Alex Dombrandt, Marcus Smith or Joe Marchant available for selection as they are all currently with the England squad in Jersey ahead of the Autumn Nations Series.
Saracens will similarly be deprived of four of their main players due to England selection, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell and Max Malins all off-limits to Mark McCall for a first clash with Harlequins since an August 2020 fixture when the suspended 2019/20 season was restarted.
Harlequins and Saracens has long been one of the most keenly anticipated fixtures whenever they meet in the top flight and they are currently two of the 2021/22 season’s form teams, each winning four of their matches so for to respectively occupy second and third place on the table behind early pace-setters Leicester.
Sunday’s match is a sell-out, a testament to the attacking rugby both teams have been playing in recent weeks, but this type of clash clash minus the England contingent will, unfortunately, be repeated in February as the return fixture at the StoneX is scheduled to go ahead on the same weekend that Jones’ Test team are in Italy for the second round of the Six Nations.
"Some of the guys that go into England camp come back and say this is what is being said…"#England #Quins #GallagherPremhttps://t.co/l5j717ZsmE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 27, 2021
Attack coach Evans admitted he understood the frustration of the people who want to see Harlequins and Saracens going at it at full strength, but he hopes this quirk in the fixtures planning for 2021/22 can be placated at the business end of the season by the two teams potentially meeting at full strength in a semi-final or a final. “We just have to work really hard to try and meet them [Saracens] in the semi-finals, I guess, or the final,” he told RugbyPass.
“Look, I guess it is a little disappointing because you want the two teams to be fully loaded going at each other but it is the nature of the beast. We look at the schedule, it is on the board in our room, and the England boys are away for a lot of it and there are a lot of games that we are not going to have them.
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“That is just part and parcel. We go week-to-week and this week we are going to play Sarries and we are going to lose four of our guys and four other guys are going to have to come in and fill their spots and they are going to have to do really well.
“They [Saracens] are going to lose four guys and they are going to have the same thing. I get it from a fan’s point of view, a neutral’s point of view and a journalist’s point of view that we want to see the teams at their best but we are just going to have to work really hard and earn the right to be in a semi-final to meet them there or in a final, but that is a long way away yet.”
The Saracens progress report on how Aled Davies has been faring in London since quitting Wales#Sarries #HARvSAR #GallagherPrem #Wales #WALvNZR
https://t.co/7zAWTRvayT— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 28, 2021
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….
84 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.
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