'It makes me laugh actually': The backs chat that amuses Vunipola
England and Saracens front-rower Mako Vunipola has taken a tongue-in-cheek swipe at moaning backs. The prop is preparing to play in this Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham, a match where he is expected to start with Leicester’s Dan Cole as his direct opponent in the scrum.
The final appearance comes after Saracens initially received quite an examination from the Harlequins set-piece in last Saturday’s semi-final and the toll that winning that match took on Vunipola was still being felt in midweek.
Asked what were the lingering aches and pains as he gets through his Saracens training schedule at Saracens to ensure he is ready to take on the Tigers, Vunipola explained: “The usual, the neck always. Shoulders, back. It makes me laugh actually when I hear some of these backs say that they have got a sore back. I’d love to let them feel the same thing we have sometimes. Just the usual, neck, back, shoulders.
“We reviewed what happened at the weekend, looked at what things we can improve and we have got the right people around us here and the players understand we need to start better. Eventually, in that game, the scrum gave us that platform that we needed to see the game out. We have just got to start better now. Credit to Quins, they are a good side well drilled by Adam Jones. We understand it [the scrum] is going to be another key battle this weekend.”
It sure will. Aside from Vunipola packing down against his former England colleague Dan Cole, on the other side of the scrum you will have Leicester skipper Ellis Genge, a rival of Vunipola’s for England loosehead selection, going at it against Vincent Koch, the Springboks World Cup-winning tighthead who is playing his last match for Saracens before moving to Wasps.
They don’t make props like they used to and the demands now made of them are also very different. “The days of a front-rower being a one-dimensional set-piece player are gone and we are playing against two of the best on the weekend in Ellis for obvious reasons, the way he not just works but the impact he has for them, and Dan as well, it goes under the radar how good a defender he is,” continued Vunipola.
“When Vinny first came he was alright, he was already quite fit. We were different in that way to get fit quite quickly. Now props are expected to do everything in terms of set-piece but then getting around the park, being a good defender for your team but also when you get the opportunity you need to make an impact in attack.”
Can Vunipola still tell a player is a prop just by looking at them given their increased fitness and more defined shape? “Probably not as much these days. The ears give it away a little bit but a lot of these young boys coming out now are a bit more like back rowers.
“If you saw me you’d say this guy is definitely a front-rower but if you saw Ellis or Vinny… Dan, you could probably tell (he is a prop) because of the way his head moves, there is not much movement there… But Ellis, you look at him and you wouldn’t think he is a prop, or Vinny as well. That is where the similarities end.
“Ellis and Dan are two people I know quite well, I played with them with England and Vincent has been a stalwart for us. It is going to be an interesting battle. The similarity is that we are all good people. There are not many front-rowers who aren’t good lads.
“There is a front row unit for a reason because of all the pain you have to go through, we understand it and there is a shared respect but I am sure come Saturday we will be out there trying to do our best for our team.”
Becoming champions again would mean a lot for Saracens following their season last year outside the top flight as punishment for repeated salary cap breaches. “The club has been through a lot and it has been well documented what has happened in that two years but that is the past now and this weekend is different.
“The emotions are there and for us as a team we have just got to play the game in front of us and not think too much, whatever will happen will happen.”
Comments on RugbyPass
In the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
1 Go to commentsI’d be fascinated to see what other candidates you all might have for the Lions captaincy role. Let me know, below 👍
1 Go to comments“ planning for the next cycle….” Sigh ill-advised language Elton old juice bean. Ppersonally glad you self-eliminated yourself, there were better players in the position around you.
3 Go to commentsRegardless of best in world etc. Lawes was outstanding against Leinster and has been all season. Looked like three try saving turnovers. His turnovers also contributed to NH scores. Immense performance.
2 Go to commentsDickson now considered the top ref in England it appears. Good that these series are getting one NH and one SH ref.
1 Go to commentsI don’t think any coach or selector would ever rely on Blackadder being available for selection. I didn’t think it would be possible but he has easily eclipsed Ennor as they most injured player of all time. IMO a symptom of today’s game where players are required to carry at least 10kg of extra mass from when they first hit the scene in their early 20s. Some players respond well to this, maybe due to genetics allowing them to recover faster, or not having reached their peak natural weight yet, but for others the constant training to maintain their weight eats away at recovery time and they spend most of their careers injured.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the lesson Nick! I presume that targeting gaps is situational because if a ball carrier straightens the line they can't be allowed a gap to run into? It feels like you need depth if you're going to pass it wide and plenty of variety - straight running, kicks just in behind, cross kicks etc. BTW what an incredible bench Toulouse had this week. People complain about Leinster being stacked but they need to be at the very highest level.
18 Go to comments2015 was by far the best team. They have had many good backlines over the years but the 2015 team was one of the few to have an absolute world class forward pack - all of them international quality. 6 ABs, 1 future English player, and one that would have gone on to ABs had he not been forced to retire due to concussion. This current team doesn’t have the same size and experience at lock, but providing they can keep this many talented young players (who have all significantly increased their profile this year) together for another 2 years they could eclipse the 2015 team.
2 Go to commentsAnd I’ve just seen RA has topped up the offer to Paisami and extended it beyond 3 years and he’s signed. Great news
78 Go to commentsInteresting watching Amaua starting to fire. No idea why he was pulled so early against the Reds.
4 Go to commentsNice to read something positive about Vunivalu; it doesn’t happen often. I despair for rugby in Oz. Unless some form of compensation for the teams producing players is devised, there is no obvious way for us to combat poachers coming to grab players in their prime with bigger pay cheques. A return to the SR crowds we were getting in 2010-2014 and a quadrupling of the TV deal would be a start but I don’t see how those things happen. Perhaps the government could be encouraged to deliver tax breaks like in Ireland?
78 Go to commentsI wasn’t aware that the blitz targeted space so, as usual, something learned from reading one of your articles, Nick. Watching the game live I attributed the Saints’ inaccuracy to their own mistakes and nerves. Perhaps some credit to the Leinster D.
18 Go to commentsGotta give it to you Graham, you support your players and team to the hilt. There may be strains of exaggeration laced throughout but gotta love the passionate parochialism.
2 Go to commentsNice one Nick. No doubt Vunivalu’s involvements and work rate are improving this year in attack, but I still think he is too raw on the defensive and backfield part of his game to be considered as a starter. Wales would just kick and run it to his side all night as the brumbies have done to good effect in the past. But, his size/power will keep him in the convo with Mark N leaving and Petaia’s injury record. Hunter definitely enjoying an injury-free run this season and being given the keys by Kiss - I have always been a fan of his. All I’d say is that his triple threat has been evident since 2020/21. I remember him making a grubber for a petaia try after the siren to beat the Brumbies in Canberra after the 80th minute in 2021. Lastly, Jock Campbell, who I know isn’t at the top of your list, I thought had alot of positive involvements in the saders game including both of Tim ryan’s tries and Mcreights
78 Go to commentsAg please, Pieter Stef Du Toit has played circles around this clown.
2 Go to commentsJust celebrating the Bok’s 1648th consecutive day as RWC champions. They are also the Qatar Airways Cup winners, which I know BennieBoy cares about a lot.
2 Go to commentsGood to here positive stories towards Aus Rugby. Although that might be the case, and highers up are right about Jordie, I wouldn’t stress trying to retain him. What I have seen of him in recent times is that he’s not using that something special. I feel there a better ‘something special’ options coming through that they won’t have to compete with league for, hell even in Kerevi and Paisami (isn’t it great to finally see his ability getting recognized, probably taking this article in isolation too much here).
78 Go to commentsgreat article! I wonder whether we will we see Ireland adopt the Nienaber blitz? All the teams who have tried it so far (SA included) have gone through significant teething problems in the first season; Ireland could possibly be in the unique position of being able to switch to a hard blitz in season 2 of a world cup cycle and already have so many players used to the system that it can be implemented seamlessly.
18 Go to commentsThey probably left another 20 on the field to be fair. Also - the officiating was… ordinary.
1 Go to commentsblackadder isnt a key player at all you cant say hes been the best player or a key all black when hes injured every week
4 Go to comments