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McCall names the Saracens players who have most caught his eye on their tier-two Championship adventure
Mark McCall has listed off some of the unheralded names at Saracens who have so far caught his eye in the London club’s attempt to earn promotion from the Championship back to the Gallagher Premiership for the 2021/22 season. Rather than work solely with a who’s who galaxy of star Test player names, as was the case when Saracens were winning Premiership and European titles, this has been a very different season for McCall at the club he first joined in 2009.
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Most star names have either been loaned out to other clubs or taken less of the burden in the delayed Championship campaign, leaving McCall to lean more on players who are only building their reputation in the game.
Saracens are currently third on the Championship table with six wins from seven outings in the ten-match regular season campaign before the top two teams playoff for the right to be promoted to the top-flight. Next up for McCall and co is their home game next Monday versus Ampthill and while an opening day defeat at Cornish Pirates wasn’t in the plan, he has been pleased with how some of the lesser-known talents in his squad have progressed in recent months.
“It has been quite interesting because us not having our loan players not here and the international players not available has really opened up a window of opportunity for quite a few players, to be honest,” explained McCall when asked who has impressed him most in Saracens’ second-tier adventure.
“Andy Christie, Sean Reffell in the back row have had a lot of game time and they have done exceptionally well. We have had KP at hooker (Kapeli Pifeleti) who has played for us when Tom Woolstencroft was injured. Callum Hunter-Hill is back from a really bad injury, Sam Crean, Dom Morris has stepped up, he has had a really good year. He had played a little bit of senior rugby at the end of last season and he has continued to do that in the Championship. Elliot (Obatoyinbo) at full-back as well.
How last Thursday's Lions squad announcement played out at the Saracens training ground… and how they all felt over what happened to Billy Vunipola#LionsRugby #Lions2021
https://t.co/ERE9T0jOjm— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 12, 2021
“It has really been a window that we hoped would be like this because our loan players have had some significant rugby away from the club and we are very grateful to the loan clubs that they went to. They are starting to drop back into the group now and then we will welcome Alex Lozowski, Max Malins and Ben Earl back in due course. The international players you know about but this young group – and I didn’t mention Joel Kpoku – it’s just there is a lot of good young players who have come through our academy that we are very excited about.”
Saracens’ journey so far has taken place behind closed doors but a limited number of fans will be at the StoneX next Monday before the former kingpins of England and Europe get to experience their first Championship away day in front of a crowd when they face Coventry on May 23. McCall has so far enjoyed the adventure.
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“All that has been good, it has just been such a shame that there haven’t been crowds. We would have loved to have gone to all of these places in front of crowds but that hasn’t been the case for anybody. We will do against Coventry on Saturday week, so that is one to look forward to.
“It has been a really short sprint and we have tried to prepare like we would do if we were in the Premiership. We have tried to keep this a Premiership operation as much as possible. It just so happens that our games are in the Championship.
“I have been really impressed with the teams that we are playing against, really well organised, highly motivated and with a combination of players who have been there and done it in the Premiership before or didn’t quite get the break that they deserved and young hungry players who want to make their mark. I feel we have seen the best of each team. Sometimes you watch them on video against other teams and then the team you face against is a little bit better than that. That is what we have faced all the way through which has been great.”
McCall has named his team to face Ampthill and it heralds the return of Alex Goode on the bench following the completion of his loan spell in the Japanese Top League.
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SARACENS (vs Ampthill, Monday): 15. Elliott Obatoyinbo; 14. Sean Maitland, 13. Elliot Daly, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Ali Crossdale; 10. Owen Farrell (capt), 9. Aled Davies; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jamie George, 3. Vincent Koch, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Joel Kpoku, 6. Calum Clark, 7. Jackson Wray, 8. Billy Vunipola. Reps: 16. Tom Woolstencroft, 17. Ralph Adams-Hale, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Tim Swinson, 20. Sean Reffell, 21. Alex Day, 22. Dom Morris, 23. Alex Goode.
New tactic worked a charm as he scored two second-half tries https://t.co/eng63apexu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments