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Hamilton: Saracens will use controversy to steel Billy Vunipola for Munster's onslaught
SARACENS v MUNSTER – Saturday, 3.0pm (Ricoh Arena)
This is going to be brilliant. Both teams play a very similar style that relies on solid defence and smart kicking. They also both have colourful Champions Cup histories and current big-game players to savour, but neither team has probably been at their best in recent weeks. That all sets it up nicely for a nervous thriller that will be close.
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Saracens are coming in under a cloud, but it will be the making of them. They don’t wash anything under the carpet in the dressing room and they will have been very transparent with each other, talking about all the things that have been going on around them.
The latest big talking point has been the reprimanding of Billy Vunipola for using social media to voice his support for Israel Folau. Mark McCall’s players will be supportive of Billy, whether or not they believe his excuses.
Billy has been a little poor in the way he has gone making his point, but you have got to remember he is still a very young man. His brother Mako is a lot older and I’m sure they will have had some stern words. The club have also come out and got through the formalities of warning him and rightly so, and he has been given a formal warning by the RFU.
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It will be natural at Saracens to talk about the controversy and having been in that environment and won trophies with them, in adverse times that sort of chat surrounding them actually brings the guys together. It really does. The Billy situation will just reaffirm the fact that the guys need to stick together and when the pressure is on that they can come through it.
The Billy stuff, of course, is unwanted press. But they will have spoken about it as a club and will use it to galvanise themselves by putting their arms around Saracens best player.
Billy Vunipola explains his recent social media activity.
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) April 15, 2019
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People will have heard the booing of Vunipola at Bristol last Saturday. I’m sure other people will now naturally boo him. Whether it is to jump on the bandwagon to put him off or whether they disagree with the way that he went about having an opinion on Folau, it is going to bring the Saracens guys together.
Owen Farrell is also coming back into the team with a massive point to prove. He played against Newcastle in the league but his last really big game was for England when he got hauled off as captain against Scotland. Then there is the salary cap fuss and it’s well documented that the club is under investigation.
With 2?? #ChampionsCup titles apiece? @Munsterrugby and @Saracens are European giants ????
2016/2017 season in a white-hot atmosphere ? it was the English Champions that prevailed ?
Can Munster do it this year??
Read more:https://t.co/e2xhzdGTnM pic.twitter.com/4cugfnLP15
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2019
Saracens are going to be desperate to deliver, they are going to want to change the talk about Saracens and make it all about the rugby.
Munster scrapped through their quarter-final at Edinburgh and while they can pull off these one-off big moments with the quality personnel they have, going into the semi-final without Joey Carbery would be a big loss.
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Two different styles, both equally effective ??
Will it be the electric @Ben_spencer9 ?? or the experienced Conor Murray ?? that prevail in the #Heineken #ChampionsCup semi-final?? pic.twitter.com/EgMn0KBP5p
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 16, 2019
He is a world-class out-half who has really stepped up to the mark and his absence will place heavy expectation on Conor Murray to step up at scrum-half. His form hasn’t been great and he limped back from a Six Nations with Ireland into a team that were lucky in the end to beat Edinburgh.
I was there pitch-side for it, doing some live television punditry, and Edinburgh looked comfortable for large parts until Munster showed their class in the key moments that really mattered.
Munster captain @PeterOM6 is set to make his 50th Champions Cup appearance in Saturday's semi-final against English champions Saracens!
Here are some of the stats from his campaign so far!#SARvMUN #RedArmyRising pic.twitter.com/wdoknCVm3k
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) April 17, 2019
Watch out for Peter O’Mahony. I’m a massive fan. We had a number of battles in my time as a player and I’ve got massive admiration of him. When the chips are down he’s a player that fronts up physically and emotionally, and he also has that leadership quality. He’s not a player Saracens need to be wary of in terms of his carrying ability, but over the ball and with his kind of emotion he will be one for Saracens to stop.
So, too, Tadhg Beirne. He didn’t play very well against Edinburgh, getting sin-binned, and while he will now be up against a fit Maro Itoje, he is still one of the standout second rows in the world.
I didn’t think he dived at Murrayfield in that key penalty reversal. I watched it back 10 or 15 times and he just made a meal of it, a bit of gamesmanship. Ultimately if he is on your team, he was taken off the ball. If you’re an Edinburgh fan he dived.
Those were the small margins the last day and there will be smaller again here. It’s going to be a proper battle and it will boil down to whether Saracens can stay disciplined. Their discipline isn’t good and is one of their flaws.
VERDICT – Saracens are going win by six. It’s going to be a close game that will come down to the small margins. Saracens will have the edge with their big-game players wanting to prove a point.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Jordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
21 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
5 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
5 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
38 Go to comments