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'Sensible conversation': When Saracens expect their Lions to play
Saracens boss Mark McCall has hinted that he could be selecting some of his Lions tour contingent of players for Premiership action earlier than was originally envisaged. A ten-week rest period (five weeks holidays, four weeks pre-season and another week prior to the autumn internationals) had been in place for all of the England Lions picks, a timeframe that stretches next month. However, there have been indications this week from various directors of rugby that this off-limits date will be loosened on a player-by-player basis.
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That loosening of the regulations now includes Saracens. Having made a crunching return to the Premiership with their round one win away at Bristol, the Londoners had a bye in round two but they will pick things up again in this Saturday’s round three at Leicester with potentially a few familiar faces on board.
When Warren Gatland named his Lions original squad on May 6 to tour South Africa, 16 different clubs were recognised with McCall’s Saracens emerging as the team with the biggest representation in garnering five picks to four each for 2019/20 double winners Exeter, repeat PRO14 champions Leinster and Scarlets.
Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly all went on the trip that ended in a series defeat in Cape Town on August 7 and while Daly won’t be playing for anyone until close to the end of the year due to post-tour procedure on his knee, McCall has suggested the other four players will be seen playing for Saracens sooner rather than later.
“There has been a sensible conversation and a sensible approach to the whole thing rather than having some kind of blanket arrangement for everybody,” explained McCall about a return to play system where Premiership clubs must apply to a professional game board sub-committee to agree on any variation to the individual player release in conjunction with England boss Eddie Jones.
The boys want back in, according to Pat Lam. https://t.co/0MKaBhve6Q
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 28, 2021
“They are rightly going to make decisions based on common sense, logical reasons and ultimately what is best for the player which should be front and centre really. That is really a good way to approach it. Like other clubs, we have talked with the RFU, Eddie, PRL and RPA and just let them know what our thoughts were with regard to our players. Generally, our players had a low amount of game time last year (due to the club being in the Championship).
“You [the media] probably all wrote articles at one stage or another saying our players were undercooked and all of those Lions players, none of them played a club game between October 4 and the end of March. Their game minutes are low but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be rushed back.
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“Someone like Maro played every minute of the three Test matches on the Lions, so we just want to bring them back at the right time for each one of them in a sensible fashion when we think they have had a good rest and when they are ready to go and ready to play rugby really. Over the next couple of weeks you can expect to see a few of them come back in and then Maro will probably be playing after that.”
Switching to Daly, whose injury only became known when he was left out of the recently announced England training squad along with George and Vunipola, McCall insisted he had no issue that his versatile Saracens back was involved in every match on the Lions tour, an involvement no other player matched.
“Elliot is out for a good bit. He had a shin issue for want of a better word for just a while and post the Lions tour he got it investigated. He was really keen to go on tour and then got it investigated properly and he needed to get something done on it. We hope to get him back in late November, early December.
“We have got no problem at all (with the Lions). Elliot went on the Lions tour and was fit to play in those games but when he came home, it was investigated and they felt a procedure was the right thing to do for the longer term so we are okay with that.”
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TEAM NEWS:
Malins is due back in action 12 weeks after injury with England#Saracens #SARvEAL #Englandhttps://t.co/iVJFJbu3OS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 23, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments