Limbo at Saracens: 'I'm unsure as to what is going to unfold'
Scotland centre Duncan Taylor admits it will be a waiting game to discover how much rugby he can play during the next two months. Taylor looks set to be among the match-day 23 when Scotland conclude their Autumn Nations Cup campaign against third-place play-off opponents Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
The Scots’ next game after that is a Guinness Six Nations appointment with England at Twickenham on February 6, and Taylor does not know at this stage when his club Saracens will next be in action.
After being relegated from the Gallagher Premiership due to salary cap breaches, Saracens are waiting to discover when the Championship season can start. It has been on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
New Championship club Saracens last played on October 4, concluding Premiership business with a 17-17 draw against Bath. “It is a situation that we can’t really control at the moment and I’m unsure as to what is going to unfold over the next few weeks,” Taylor said.
“I’m sure if we aren’t playing in the Championship by January, we will have some pre-season games or some training games to get stuck into and we are still working very hard week in and week out. We just have to wait and see.
"It will take something pretty astonishing for Eddie Jones not to pick Billy Vunipola at No8 this weekend against France and moving forward into the Six Nations"
– @TheRugbyPod on criticism of Billy V's @autumnnations form#AutumnNationsCup #ENGvFRAhttps://t.co/tRYMwRyMCk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 1, 2020
“I think myself and any team I have been a part of have made the most of the situations we have been in so far. Through thick and thin the rugby community has come together, the world has come together and I think there has been a lot of good that has come out of this terrible time.”
Taylor returned to the Scotland fray with an appearance off the bench when they lost to Nations Cup opponents France last month. His career has been scarred by a series of injuries, an inevitable factor in restricting him to 27 caps across a seven-year period, while he last started for Scotland against Russia at the 2019 World Cup.
“Any time you get the chance to play you want to perform and you want to keep coming back for more,” Taylor added. “That is the aim of any player given the jersey, so that doesn’t change from week to week or player to player.
“Whenever you get that chance, you have to try and grab it with both hands and do the jersey proud, I guess. There is a great atmosphere, a lot of enjoyment being in camp. I think during this transitional period it has brought out some great talent, and Scottish rugby is in good hands over the next few years going forward.”
Tickets on general sale this Friday ?https://t.co/NF7zJtKSVJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 1, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Not sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
24 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
1 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
24 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
24 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to comments