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Saracens departures: Leavers, loaners and stayers
Departures from troubled Premiership side Saracens are likely to start coming thick and fast as the future of many of their players starts to become clearer over the coming weeks.
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The flooding of the market with Saracens players means that this season’s negotiations between clubs, players and player agents more fraught than would normally be the case, tipping negotiating power towards purse-string-holders at those Premiership sides’ looking for new additions.
Added to this, Saracens are eager for players to move on one-year loan deals and not to leave the club on a more permanent basis. Many contracts are yet to run their course, while others will also have a relegation clause allowing players to jump ship following the drop.
On a positive note for Saracens the club have been buoyed by news last week that England stars Elliot Daly and Jamie George will be staying, adding two to a significant cohort of big-name players who won’t be leaving the North London outfit.
That list includes their biggest players with Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Mako and Billy Vunipola and Alex Goode all expected to stay at the club for their drop to the IPA Greene King Championship.
WATCH: The guys analyse round four of Super Rugby. They are joined in studio by Chiefs skipper Sam Cane and also hear from Tim Mikkelson who is set to become the most capped All Blacks Sevens player.
Others are looking to the exit at Allianz Park.
Reports suggest Ben Earl and Max Malins will be loaned out to Bristol Bears for the year in moves that will see them return to Saracens in the 2021/22 season.
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Meanwhile England hooker Jack Singleton is a target of a one-year loan deal for Leicester Tigers, although Gloucester Rugby are also in the hunt for the young frontrower.
You may never have heard of it, but SLAR is potentially a hotbed of player recruitment for professional clubs in Europe.
– explains @alexshawsport 👨💻#SLAR https://t.co/zjgwtNgb82
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 26, 2020
Ben Spencer is set for a permanent move to Bath, while Alex Lozowski has been linked to both Bath and Sale Sharks. Bath’s capture of exciting utility back Cameron Redpath from Sale Sharks suggests Lozowski may be headed north instead of west.
Joel Kpoku has signed for Northampton Saints, but RugbyPass understands Saracens are eager for him to back out of that deal and stay with the club.
Here’s our changing list of stayers, loaners, likely leavers and confirmed leavers. UPDATED: 20.34pm/26/02/2020
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STAYERS
Owen Farrell
Maro Itoje
Elliot Daly
Jamie George
Billy Vunipola
Mako Vunipola
Jackson Wray
Brad Barritt
Alex Goode
Alex Lewington
Ali Crossdale
LOANERS
Ben Earl (Bristol Bears)
Max Malins (Bristol Bears)
Jack Singleton (Gloucester Rugby/Leicester Tigers)
LIKELY LEAVERS
George Kruis (Japan)
Rhys Carré (PRO14)
Richard Wigglesworth (Sale/Ealing)
Ben Spencer (Bath)
Nick Isekwe (Gloucester/Sale)
Alex Lozowski (Bath/Sale)
Vincent Koch (Sale/Super Rugby/France)
Nick Tompkins (PRO14)
Will Skelton (Super Rugby, France)
Joel Kpoku (Northampton Saints)
Titi Lamositele (Montpellier)
Michael Rhodes
Juan Figallo
Callum Clark
Sean Maitland
Duncan Taylor
CONFIRMED LEAVERS
Joe Gray (Harlequins until end of season)
Liam Williams (Scarlets)
Matt Gallagher (Munster)
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar 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.
9 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 commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments