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Saracens react to the England omissions, give Itoje injury update
Mark McCall has given his reaction to the ongoing exclusion of Billy and Mako Vunipola from the England squad, relayed how chuffed Jamie George is with his Test squad reprieve while also confirming that Maro Itoje isn’t an injury doubt and will play for Saracens this weekend despite going off early in the second half last Sunday at Bath.
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There was concern that the talismanic second row might now be unavailable for the England squad when they link up next weekend in Jersey for a week-long camp ahead of their November series of matches versus Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
However, unlike the medical updates from elsewhere on Tuesday which ruled out Bath’s Anthony Watson and Exeter’s Luke Cowan-Dickie, Saracens provided some happier news on Wednesday afternoon regarding Itoje and the shoulder that he hurt at The Rec in his first match since the Lions series concluded on August 7 in South Africa.
“He is fine,” said McCall about Itoje at his weekly Saracens media briefing. “It’s a very minor shoulder injury and it is not a problem. He will play this weekend. He was good (against Bath). It is always difficult when you haven’t played in a while and it is your first game of the season but as first games of the season go, I thought he was good.”
Switching from Itoje to the confusing situation surrounding the continued exclusion of the Vunipola brothers from the England squad, Saracens boss McCall added: “We’re obviously disappointed for Mako and Billy that they haven’t made the squad.
TEAM NEWS: It's been a madcap 24 hours for Jamie George – unwanted on Monday, then called back in by Eddie Jones on Tuesday #England #Sarries
https://t.co/oZjdwB148L— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2021
“There is one thing not making the squad and another the way they are playing. If they weren’t in good form that might be different but they are playing really well and they have still got the bit between their teeth. There is hope for them that they can make their way back into the England squad and they are going to try and do that, try and get back for the Six Nations, so we will see. They have got to continue their good form. That is the way we see it.
“Eddie spoke to them both on Monday prior to the squad being announced. Those conversations are obviously private but they are very aware of what he wants. What I think is not really important. Eddie has been clear with them on what he wants. The boys know that there is the opportunity, a window back into the squad if they continue to play the way they are playing and that is what they intend to do.
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“They are unbelievably competitive rugby players. They have proven that for a long time, not only at the highest club level but also at international level as well. Anybody who saw their performance on the weekend, and in Billy’s case, maybe the weekends before that know that Billy is near the best he is playing. That is really encouraging.
“Billy has had a full pre-season for the first time in a long time. He is in the best shape he has been in for a long time, he is enjoying his rugby, he is playing really well and Sunday was one of his best games for a long time. Mako also had a hugely influential game as well so the two of them, I can say all you want me to say but really actions speak louder than words and they demonstrated on Sunday just how good they are but also how much it means to them to play at the highest level and push themselves hard.”
Whereas the Vunipolas continue to adjust to life as out-of-favour England players, hooker George went from deflation to elation in the space of 24 hours this week as he was called in on Tuesday to replace the injured Cowan-Dickie having initially been excluded by Jones on Monday. “With Jamie, it is good that he is back in there,” continued McCall.
“Eddie and him have had some constructive conversations, to be honest. When you look at the squad people would realise that Jamie was still in the top two hookers in the country and potentially Eddie was looking to see some younger players and that kind of thing.
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“But now with Luke Cowan-Dickie out, it’s no surprise that Jamie would be the first he would turn to in that situation. Jamie is playing really well, played well on Sunday, and he is delighted to be back in the squad. He is a very experienced player and is delighted he is now in the squad and is going to be there for the whole campaign.”
Asked whether England selection would continue to specifically fuel Saracens performances to the extent of their 71-17 win last Sunday over Bath in advance of the latest Test squad announcement, McCall added: “I don’t think so, no. We were just on our own new journey at the moment.
“The first two or three matches were a bit hit and miss for us and things went well for us on Sunday although the scoreline doesn’t reflect the game in lots of ways. But there were some really encouraging signs from how we played. It gives us a strong platform going forward but we have got to back it up.”
'It is certainly not a time I look back on fondly'
After a 6-day retirement in May 2020, Tim Swinson is now in his 2nd season at @Saracens He talks to @heagneyl ??? about a year that has seen the Scot go from Barbarians villain to resurgent secondrow forcehttps://t.co/3aA0EgBRmQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 17, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Amazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
1 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
1 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
1 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
8 Go to commentsGood riddance
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