1
McCall identifies what has made him most proud of Saracens these past 20 months
Mark McCall has pinpointed what has made him most proud as Saracens finally see the light at the end of the crisis that resulted in their automatic relegation from the Gallagher Premiership for repeated breaches of the salary cap.
ADVERTISEMENT
Saracens suffered an initial points deduction in November 2019 before their relegation was confirmed two months later and what has since followed has been an extraordinary waiting game, their pandemic delayed Championship season only getting started in March with the two-legged promotion final versus Ealing finally set to be played on successive June Sundays.
The relegated Londoners go into that decider with five 2021 Lions picks in their squad along with multiple other internationals as the crisis didn’t precipitate a mass exodus from the club and that loyalty is now just 160 minutes from getting richly rewarded by promotion if they get the better of the Trailfinders.
Asked by RugbyPass about this enduring loyalty at his media briefing ahead of the first leg, Saracens boss McCall said: “When the relegation was confirmed in January 2020 anything could have happened, people could have left, people had an excuse to go. The truth is most people that we wanted to stay stayed.
“There is a few people who were going to go anyway, the likes of George Kruis, Will Skelton and Liam Williams. We knew they were going regardless. There were a few players we felt couldn’t afford to be in the Championship for a year like Max Malins, Ben Earl, Nick Isiekwe, Alex Lozowski and Nick Tompkins, all of those players went on loan but they all signed extensions to stay at the club.
'It was a shock to us with how the refereeing is a bit different, no TMO, a lot of players are niggly and trying to get in your head'
The rise of @EObatoyinbo has been a major positive of @Saracens Championship journey. He talks to Liam Heagney ???https://t.co/YQmamiYXQu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 6, 2021
“The senior international players that we had could have left but they all stayed. To single them out, they came back from a tough Six Nations with England, they had Lions selection looming, the Championship probably wasn’t the most attractive option for them to be playing in but every single one of them has just come back and rolled their sleeves up, got in amongst the squad and been phenomenal.
“And I think they have really enjoyed it as well. That level of care about the club is an easy thing to say but it gets properly tested when something like what happened to us happened. Looking back over the last 20-month period, that is what makes me most proud.
ADVERTISEMENT
“What we thought we were we ended up being and what we thought was real in terms of the friendships and the relationships and the affection for the club was true. I’m delighted to be in the position that we are but we have got a big two weeks to get the job done.
“In lots of ways I’m not surprised,” he added. “People often talk about how much you learn about your organisation when there is a setback, but this wasn’t a setback it was something way worse than that so it has been a proper test. As a club, as a group of players and staff I think we have passed that test.”
ICYMI: Will Skelton was excellent when speaking to RugbyPass recently on:
Leaving @Saracens
Life at @staderochelais
Sourcing size 19 boots ?
Tackle height & 'big boys' having no excuse'
His life-long battle with diet ???– writes @heagneyl ???https://t.co/5rXJUdQrxl
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 18, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
A 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?
11 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.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 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.
24 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
4 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments