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'My overall feeling was Mark's my friend, the biggest concern was for him'
It was a jolting 70-word bolt from the blue statement that Saracens issued last Friday afternoon, announcing that long-serving boss Mark McCall was taking a break from his role due to medical reasons. There is still no clarity as to how long the hugely respected director of rugby will be away from his post but head coach Joe Shaw insisted this week it was business as usual at the London club despite the absence of their treasured Irishman.
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That wasn’t the initial reaction, mind. Shaw and co understandably first had to absorb the shock that their friend would no longer be working with them for the next while. However, once that news sunk in, the show at Saracens got going again and they returned to Gallagher Premiership action 48 hours after the revelation about McCall.
Shaw wasn’t present when a team that backs coach Kevin Sorrell took charge of was eventually beaten at Wasps, but delegating is something that the Saracens setup have become well used to in these pandemic times where someone’s availability can never be taken for granted due to the strict testing process and the results it churns out.
It’s why Shaw, one of ten staff members to ink contract extensions last April, has no major worries about heading up the Saracens operation with McCall indefinitely out of the loop. “The daunting prospect some might think isn’t that daunting because when you have got the likes of Kevin Sorrell, Dan Vickers, Adam Powell, Phil Morrow, it’s shared. It’s not a case of me just going, ‘Can you do this?’ They are already on it.
“We have worked together for so long we know what needs to be done. It’s just a case of doing it. Doing press is different, Mark usually does that. When we talk about the selection we do that as a group, so there are little bits and bobs. Kev obviously took on the responsibility for last weekend when I wasn’t there.
“All in all, we have lost somebody for a little while who is important to us and has an unbelievable rugby mind, but we have just got to share responsibility and kick on… The truth is as coaches we have all worked with each other for so long that just because you are an attack coach it doesn’t necessarily mean you just do attack.
“You can do the defence, you can do the kicking so when these things arise like it has for all the clubs for a period of time with Covid in particular and people haven’t been around, you need people to be able to step up.”
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What was Shaw’s reaction, though, when he first learned Saracens would be without McCall for the next while? “I spoke to Phil, spoke to Mark and my overall feeling was Mark’s my friend so the biggest concern was for him.
“The lucky thing for this group is the way it been put together from a management, backroom staff and even a squad point of view, when these kinds of things happen we want to be able to push forward the best way we can and with the senior staff we have got within the coaches, we will hopefully be in a position where we can do that.”
Shaw initially arrived at Saracens as an academy coach but he has been working with the senior team since 2013 and was promoted to head coach in January last year when Alex Sanderson exited to become director of rugby at Sale. What is his coaching style?
“I started in the academy so I was a development coach and came up to be a performance coach but ultimately I’m relationship-based. I like to get the best out of the players, I like to empower the players with responsibility. It’s much like Mark really. I don’t like to say too much and just let hard work behind the scenes do the talking for us.”
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That hard work continues this Saturday with Bath the latest visitors to the StoneX in the Premiership. “The attitude for the majority of the game at Wasps was what we are looking for, to have that fight, to be able to scrap it out,” enthused Shaw.
“We didn’t get some of our rugby right and that is the thing we have had to aim at for this weekend. We want the boys to go in with the same attitude they had for 80, 85 per cent of that game and we just need to be a little more accurate.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Leinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
42 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
42 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
42 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
13 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
42 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
13 Go to commentsWowee!
13 Go to comments