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Saracens start Premiership title defence with nucleus of their side 6,000 miles away trying to win the World Cup
Saracens launch the defence of their Gallagher Premiership title with a youthful side against Northampton at Allianz Park on Saturday.
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Mark McCall’s men are the bookmakers’ favourites to retain their crown, but they face an early test of their strength in depth, with the nucleus of the side 6,000 miles away trying to win the World Cup with England.
In fact, the European champions have 15 players either in or returning from Japan, including their most notable addition, Elliot Daly, and they have lost tighthead prop Josh Ibuanokpe to a five-week ban for striking. No fewer than 11 of Saracens’ starting XV have come through the club’s academy.
Saints have not won at Saracens in any competition since March 2016 and have lost each of their last six league games against McCall’s men.
Exeter, who narrowly lost out to Saracens in June, will be hoping to reproduce the start they made to last season when they won their opening eight Premiership matches. That run was ended in round nine by Harlequins, who are their first opponents on Saturday.
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“They thoroughly deserved to win and they outperformed us on the day,” said Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter, who is still awaiting the arrival of big signing Stuart Hogg.
“We were better here at home and we showed more of our true qualities that day, but that too was a hum-dinger of a game and it was tough. That, though, is what games of Premiership rugby are like now.
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“Like ourselves, Harlequins are an ambitious side. They will want to be targeting top six, top four, and seeing what more they can take from there.”
'I go into schools a lot and those kids need to be able to look up and identify with it. Rugby union has sort of a middle class (appeal)'
– @LandRoverRugby ambassador @Jason15Robinson on @EnglandRugby, @rugbyworldcup and finding the next generationhttps://t.co/b8pYYQF1er— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 12, 2019
Sale and Worcester both start with home matches against teams they completed the double over last season. Leicester are the visitors to Worcester, while the Sharks host Gloucester hoping to pick up from where they left off in pre-season by winning all four matches in the Premiership Cup.
Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond said: “It has provided us with some good competitive fixtures and has enabled the coaches and I to try various combinations of the match-day squad ahead of this weekend.
“It is important that we continue building on the performances we have put in over the past few weeks and we will face a tough task in Gloucester on Saturday. They are a very well-coached side and proved that they are solid top-four contenders with the consistency of their performances last year.”
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‘I love this time of year because it's a bit like the New Year after Christmas for a lot of people. It’s a fresh slate and a clean start’
– @chris_pennell tells @heagneyl that @WorcsWarriors are feeling very optimistic ahead of the new @premrugby season https://t.co/3It5PBbmME— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 16, 2019
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young warned his players to expect a ferocious opening from promoted London Irish in Sunday’s match at Ricoh Arena.
Young said: “Irish will chuck everything at us on the weekend and we’re going to have to be on our mettle. They will have been looking forward to this from the day they went down and will want to show everyone they’re a Premiership team and have the right to be there.”
– Press Association
WATCH: Jim Hamilton previews the World Cup quarter-finals in the latest edition of Don’t Mess With Jim
Comments on RugbyPass
Will rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to comments