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'The boys have had a positive attitude': Ambushed Saracens name XV for their second Championship match
Saracens have reacted to their disastrous baptism in the Championship by making just one change to their starting XV following the opening round defeat to Cornish Pirates, the place of Scotland pick Sean Maitland going to Rotimi Segun.
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Scottish winger Maitland – who now faces Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations this Sunday – was in the Saracens team that suffered the 25-17 second-tier loss which made headlines around the rugby world as it was thought that the 2019 Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Cup champions would have it easy in making their way back to the top flight.
It was January 2020 when Saracens were told they would be automatically relegated for repeated salary cap breaches and the Championship debut didn’t go to plan, Mark McCall seeing a selection that contained seven internationals and 165 Test caps lose their way in their second half at Mennaye Field.
They will now look to rectify that damage at home to a Jersey side who had a bye in last weekend’s opening round. With Segun promoted to the starting XV in place of the unavailable Maitland, USA Test player Will Hooley comes onto the bench along with Josh Ibuanokpe as sub tighthead Alec Clarey has been ruled out for the fixture against his old club.
Asked how Saracens have responded to their round one ambush, full-back Elliott Obatoyinbo told his club’s website: “The message this week is we have been here before as a team. We know what to do and the boys have had a positive attitude which is what we need.
Andy Goode of @TheRugbyPod claims he even gobbled down a delicious few Cornish pasties to celebrate the surprise Championship debut loss for Saracens#ChampRugby
https://t.co/9MyhxtML8r— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 10, 2021
“We need to focus on our strengths and have a positive mindset and that will give us the best chance to get a positive result against Jersey. We need to do the simple things, first of all with our mentality. We have got to be there and we need to be physical. If we get that right all the other things will fall into place nicely after that.”
SARACENS (vs Jersey, Saturday)
15 Elliott Obatoyinbo
14 Alex Lewington
13 Duncan Taylor
12 Juan Pablo Socino
11 Rotimi Segun
10 Manu Vunipola
9 Aled Davies
1 Richard Barrington
2 Kapeli Pifeleti
3 Vincent Koch
4 Callum Hunter-Hill
5 Tim Swinson
6 Mike Rhodes
7 Sean Reffell
8 Jackson Wray (capt)
Replacements
16 Sam Crean
17 Eroni Mawi
18 Josh Ibuanokpe
19 Joel Kpoku
20 Andy Christie
21 Tom Whiteley
22 Dom Morris
23 Will Hooley
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ICYMI: "Some hotels, especially the one in Dublin, Jesus Christ, honestly, it was something else. There was silverware at the tables"
Witty, charming, unabashed, Saracens prop & Durham lad @alecclarey is a breath of fresh air, w/ @heagneyl ???#ChampRugbyhttps://t.co/x5ePjGRcxz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments