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Recap - Saracens vs Sale Sharks LIVE | Gallagher Premiership
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Gallagher Premiership match between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Allianz Park.
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A mixture of youth and experience will take to the field for Saracens. Nineteen-year-old Manu Vunipola returns from England under-20s duty to take his place at fly-half meaning a switch back to full-back for Alex Goode – his first appearance in the 15 jersey since last season’s Gallagher Premiership final.
Speedsters Rotimi Segun and Alex Lewington are named on the wings while captain Brad Barritt and Alex Lozowski make up the midfield.
Tom Whiteley comes in at scrum-half for his first start of the league season and will be behind a pack with four changes from the trip to Sale in the Premiership Rugby Cup last time out.
(Continue reading below…)
Championship clubs fear RFU’s savage second-tier funding cut ‘will affect many people’s livelihoods’
Back from international duty with Wales, Rhys Carre takes his place at loosehead and South Africa international Vincent Koch is reinstated at tighthead. Hooker Tom Woolstencroft remains in the front row.
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Calum Clark and Jackson Wray are back at openside flanker and No8 respectively, joining Nick Isiekwe in the back row and locks Joel Kpoku and Callum Hunter-Hill continue their partnership for the third match in a row.
TEAM'S UP! ???@RhysCarre returns ???????@T_whiteley95 first Prem start of the season ?@bradbarritt back to skipper ?
Full team news can be found on the website ? https://t.co/3nQJMChzCm pic.twitter.com/JWgHmE9Bj0
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) February 14, 2020
Meanwhile, Ben Curry will enter the record books this weekend as the 21-year-old becomes the youngest player to make 100 appearances for Sale.
Steve Diamond makes two personnel changes to the Sharks’ matchday-23 he named to face Saracens just eight days ago in the Premiership Cup semi-final, Chris Ashton and Byron McGuigan returning to the back three.
TEAM NEWS | ICYMI – Here are #YourSharks to face @Saracens in the #GallagherPrem tomorrow!
? Big @RossHarrisonFR is back in the front row
? Apps for @BenCurry98
? The horse @ByronMacG returns form Scotland!#SharkTime | @UKFast pic.twitter.com/PYrAYq3eSU— Sale Sharks? (@SaleSharksRugby) February 14, 2020
After announcing his retirement plans this week, Rob Webber will make his final trip to Allianz Park as a player and after returning from Wales’ Six Nations camp, Will-Griff John moves back into the starting line up alongside Ross Harrison as the Sharks continue to consistently rotate their front row options throughout the season.
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The rest of the forwards remain unchanged for the trip to Allianz Park. Bryn Evans and Jean-Luc du Preez start in the lock, with the formidable partnership of Jono Ross, Curry and last week’s man of the match Daniel du Preez making up the back row.
Rohan Janse van Rensburg talks genes, @SaleSharksRugby and wanting to be rep the @Springboks once again
– with @chrisjonespress ???https://t.co/2ee0j0RhRr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 13, 2020
Will Cliff continues to demonstrate his electric form at scrum half and partners up with Rob du Preez in the half-back roles.
Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Sam James keep their spots in the midfield while there is a back three of Ashton, McGuigan and Simon Hammersley outside them.
WATCH: The RugbyPass Rugby Pads series visits Jamie George
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments