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Saracens player ratings vs Castres | Investec Champions Cup

Jamie George of Saracens looks on during the Investec Champions Cup match between Saracens and Castres Olympique at StoneX Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Barnet, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Saracens player ratings: A dark day for former European heavyweights Saracens, who fell to an embarrassing 32-24 home defeat to an understrength Castres outfit.

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Here are the Saracens player ratings:

1. Eroni Mawi – 5
Solid in the scrum but struggled to impose himself in open play. Subbed at halftime.

2. Theo Dan – 8
Saracens’ best performer. Scored two tries, including a crucial effort to secure the try bonus point. Carried with intent and worked tirelessly at the breakdown. Not his fault.

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3. Fraser Balmain – 5
Held his own at the scrum but lacked impact around the field. Taken off at halftime.

Fixture
Investec Champions Cup
Saracens
24 - 32
Full-time
Castres
All Stats and Data

4. Maro Itoje – 6
Not a poor performance as such from Itoje but Saracens and England fans will be hoping there’s more fight left in the second-row than was on show today. On a bleak day for the London club, you have to wonder has Steve Borthwick made the right choice in appointing him England captain.

5. Hugh Tizard – 5
Showed some promise early on with powerful carries and dominant hits but faded as the game progressed.

6. Juan Martin Gonzalez – 7
Impressive at the breakdown, winning turnovers at crucial moments. Made important tackles and was unlucky not to score after coming inches short.

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7. Ben Earl – 7
Scored two tries but was guilty of conceding three turnovers and was bumped off too easily for Seguret’s opening try. Mixed bag overall.

8. Tom Willis – 8
Like a battering ram, he consistently dented the Castres defence with powerful carries. Along with Dan was a standout in Saracens’ otherwise fairly anonymous forward pack.

9. Ivan van Zyl – 4
Decent service but struggled defensively, with Castres repeatedly targeting his channel.

Defence

130
Tackles Made
148
28
Tackles Missed
24
82%
Tackle Completion %
86%
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10. Fergus Burke – 5
Showed moments of creativity but failed to control the game under pressure from Castres’ extra nasty defence.

11. Rotimi Segun – 7
Lively in attack and made several important breaks. His speed and footwork caused problems for the French defence.

12. Nick Tompkins – 5
Quiet performance and struggled to create opportunities in midfield. Subbed early in the second half.

13. Alex Lozowski – 5
Bit of a no-show and he wasn’t the only one. Reliable from the tee and showed a little of what he can do in attack, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

14. Tobias Elliott – 6
Profligate with possession, conceding turnovers at key moments. Showed plenty of beans when he could hold on to the ball though.

15. Elliot Daly – 5
Paper-thin defence for Seguret’s second try and failed to shore-up the backfield. Did well to find touch on a few penalties but overall a disappointing outing.

REPLACEMENTS

16. Jamie George – 6
Added experience and composure in the final quarter but couldn’t shift the momentum.

17. Phil Brantingham – 6
Threw himself about, especially in the tackling department.

18. Marco Riccioni – 6
Worked hard in the scrum got through a decent bit of defensive work.

19. Nathan Michelow – NA
Limited time to influence the game.

20. Toby Knight – NA
A quiet performance before his game ended prematurely with injury.

21. Gareth Simpson – NA
Not on long enough to rate.

22. Olly Hartley – 5
Failed to spark the backline after replacing Tompkins.

23. Angus Hall – 5
Little opportunity to showcase his ability.

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