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Skelton's contract extension highlights how Saracens are still the team to beat
After failing to make Michael Cheika’s Australia squad for next month’s World Cup, Saracens lock Will Skelton responded on Monday by signing a new two-year deal with the Champions Cup winners.
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There had been rumours for months that the Wallabies were going to find a way to wrangle the 27-year-old into their Test squad even though Skelton, with only 18 caps, was not eligible to be picked under the Giteau rule which states that any overseas player should have over 60 international caps.
Like former Exeter scrum-half Nic White and ex-Sale Sharks midfielder James O’Connor have done, Skelton would have needed to move back to Super Rugby in order to get into the squad for Japan.
A move like that would have seriously weakened Saracens going into next season, and fans on social media are wary of how strong Sarries are with him.
The transformation that Skelton has gone through since arriving in north London in 2017 is staggering. He has shed a lot of weight, has since become fitter, more mobile and more powerful.
?? Saracens can confirm @SkeltonWilliam has committed his future to the club! ??https://t.co/9gRwZt46q2
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) August 26, 2019
His international career had stalled when he was still in Australia, but he has undoubtedly reinvented himself with Mark McCall’s team and would surely have made the Wallabies team if he were allowed.
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Such has his transformation been that he started in both the Champions Cup and the Premiership finals, forcing England lock Maro Itoje to play as a loose forward. Those on Twitter seem all too aware of how crucial Skelton is to Saracens and the way they play.
Rugby Australia are looking beyond World Cup 2019 and considering what tweaks can be done to the Giteau rule https://t.co/lbYHxAQB1L
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 27, 2019
Losing him would have left a huge dent in their pack, so this contract extension is a statement of intent by the club and a sign that they will still be the team to beat going into next season. This is what has been said:
Skelton was an integral part of Sarries winning the title last season with his physicality and handling – securing him long-term is a big statement by Mark McCall's side. https://t.co/8vCwHjO8qp
— Andrew (@AMSinclair97) August 26, 2019
Brilliant piece of business for both player and club. Skelton has reinvented himself at Saracens. https://t.co/KS8Mg9XTK0
— Miles (@MilesBennettRGB) August 26, 2019
Brilliant news ! Been fantastic since he first arrived at Saracens & it getting better & better ! Huge news ahead of a new season ! ???
— Kate (@k_iddon) August 26, 2019
Great news to have the big man signed up. Looking forward to see you rumble your way through more defensive lines this season @SkeltonWilliam #ForeverSarries
— Joe Sheehan (@jodys75) August 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/dcollen/status/1165948331408973824?s=20
Fab news, here's to another two barnstorming years!
— Oliver Archer (@trombiker) August 26, 2019
With England and British and Irish Lion Elliot Daly arriving at Allianz Park next season, as well as the likes of Jack Singleton and Rhys Carre, there will be no let-up from Saracens in their pursuit of a fourth European title and further Premiership honours.
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However, as good as those signings are, retaining Skelton may prove to be the best bit of business for the club all summer.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
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