1
Freddie Burns on why Gatland and Jones are the real Saracens relegation winners
Former Bath and England fly-half Freddie Burns believes England and the British and Irish Lions will “massively benefit” from Saracens retaining so many of their core players for next season despite their Gallagher Premiership relegation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Burns’ prediction comes after the reigning English and European champions kept many of their key players despite being set to play in the second-tier Championship next season following the salary cap scandal.
In the past week alone, Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje all committed to the London club for next season and beyond – all five of them England and Lions internationals.
These join yet more high-profile players that will play in the Championship next year, such as Billy Vunipola and Sean Maitland, while others such as Ben Earl have secured season-long deals elsewhere in the Gallagher Premiership to continue their progress.
It had long been suspected Warren Gatland and the Lions would be the beneficiaries of this situation, but the upcoming exhaustive schedule for Gallagher Premiership clubs means England and Lions will undoubtedly profit from the Saracens situation.
Be afraid, be very afraid… https://t.co/wBKQkQbfZh
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 17, 2020
Following the Premiership’s suspension in March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the league is set to resume next month with teams facing an intense run of nine games which will include midweek fixtures. There are also European Champions and Challenge Cup playoffs in September.
The new Premiership season will follow after that, although there will be a break to accommodate international fixtures. With it recently confirmed that the Lions tour in 2021 to South Africa will still take place in July and August despite the major changes to the calendar in the northern hemisphere, aspiring Lions players in the Premiership face an exhausting year ahead.
ADVERTISEMENT
With Saracens players expected to have a significantly lighter workload than usual due to their Premiership demotion, both Eddie Jones and Gatland will be ecstatic.
They still have to complete this current season, as well as play in the remainder of the Champions Cup, but the ensuing season in the division below may almost be seen as a sabbatical for some players.
The five-cap Englishman Burns, who is set to join Japanese outfit Shokki Shuttles, has already been critical of the brutally congested schedule that Premiership players face, explaining on Twitter why he feels England and the Lions will be grateful for the rest Saracens players will receive following their relegation.
He said: “Saracens retaining so many top players will massively benefit England and the Lions. Key players well-rested and fresh, away from the hectic schedule of Premiership rugby. Get through the seven games in 28 days, then play to peak-perform during the internationals.”
Saracens retaining so many top players will massively benefit England and the Lions. Key players well rested and fresh, away from the hectic schedule of Premiership rugby. Get through the 7 games in 28 days (?) then play to peak perform during the internationals. pic.twitter.com/3eXJs4ak2u
— Freddie Burns (@FreddieBurns) July 17, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
Fortunately for Jones, Saracens do provide a fair portion of the England squad, and the chances are that many of the retained players will also be flying to South Africa next year with the Lions.
The combination of automatic relegation last January for Saracens and the current pandemic have made this one of the strangest years ever in rugby – and indeed all sport. Yet, in such unforeseen circumstances, Saracens’ punishment is likely to be a blessing for Jones and Gatland.
"That was one thing I had to learn to deal with, now you're on a properly big stage compared to Northampton… it's the whole country involved, a massive media profile"
– @GeorgeFurbank tells @jimhamilton4 about his 🏴 breakthrough @SaintsRugbyhttps://t.co/zeBdbQZjZP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 17, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Should'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.
19 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 commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
28 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 🤐
19 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….
28 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….
19 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….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments