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Saracens wickedly troll Bristol with Earl contract extension video
Saracens have brilliantly trolled Bristol on social media with their coverage of Ben Earl agreeing to a contract extension with the London club. It was last week, shortly after the Bears announced that Max Malins would be joining the Ashton Gate club for the 2023/24 season, when speculation flared that Earl, who was on loan at Bristol with Malins for the 2020/21 season, could also make the same permanent move.
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Bristol had published a snazzy, humorous video that confirmed Malins would be re-joining Pat Lam team’s next season from Saracens and they followed it shortly afterwards with a post directed at Earl, whom they had holding a picture of him with Malins and Harry Randall. “Hey, Ben Earl,” it said with a waving hand emoji. “Miss you x.”
The variety of online responses came thick and fast. “Don’t tease us like this”. “Er…you already have one – be satisfied”. “Holy fooking shirt if this happened I’d throw up”. “Do it I beg you”. “That would be epic”. “Make my year”. “Vui and Heenan looking at this like”. “Great effort, but no chance lads. Earl will be with Saracens for years to come.”
With so many people thinking the Bristol post suggested that Earl could also be joining Malins in signing for the Bears, the club soon posted a follow-up message to clarify the situation. “Guys, it’s a joke, relax,” it stated with a laughing face emoji.
A week later and Bristol have been left laughing on the other side of their face after Saracens trolled them back with their hilarious video announcement that Earl had committed to an unspecified length contract extension to stay in London.
You never forget your first ? do you… ? pic.twitter.com/XZXiPJyoVX
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) October 12, 2022
In the one-minute 47-second message titled ‘You never forget your first, do you’, Saracens included in the video the picture of Earl with Malins and Randall and it shows him throwing it in the dressing room bin and instead beaming at a framed picture of the back-rower sitting in the middle with Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe. Follow-up messages read: “Hey, Bristol Bears, it was just a fling” and “Hang it in the Louvre”.
Away from the social media banter, a club statement read: “Saracens are delighted to confirm that Ben Earl has extended his contract at the club. The back-rower, who was the Gallagher Premiership player of the season last year has gone from strength to strength in recent times and is now regarded as one of the best back-rowers in the league.
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“Earl, who has 13 England caps, is closing in on a century for Saracens after cementing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet alongside the likes of Billy Vunipola and Theo McFarland in the back row.
“The 24-year-old’s performance level has continued to rise in recent times, with a highlight coming during the Premiership semi-final when his hat-trick ensured Saracens’ passage through to the showpiece at Twickenham.”
Earl said: “Saracens is the club I call home and I’m delighted to have extended my contract here. We have a massively exciting journey ahead over the coming years and I’m determined to play my part in making sure we achieve our goals.”
Saracens boss Mark McCall added: “Ben is an important and popular member of our squad who is well respected by everyone at the training ground. His performances over the last few seasons have been consistently strong but his game has gone to a different level at the start of this campaign. We are obviously delighted that he will be extending his time at the club.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Super 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?
8 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.
9 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.
8 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.
22 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.
9 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 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 commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
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