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Vunipola gives Saracens a boost as they prepare for Leinster showdown
Mako Vunipola has been declared fit for Saracens’ Heineken Champions Cup final against Leinster on Saturday after winning his battle with injury.
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Vunipola has been troubled by successive ankle problems that first struck during the Six Nations and the European player of the year nominee played 62 minutes of last month’s semi-final victory over Munster.
That has been the only appearance of his comeback after he was forced to withdraw from Saracens’ line-up before facing Wasps 11 days ago.
But Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has confirmed the Lions prop is available for selection to face the European champions with the only uncertainty hovering over flanker Michael Rhodes, who is struggling with a back problem.
“Mako looks good and has come through training very well. We fully expect him to be playing,” McCall said. “Michael Rhodes has a stiff back so we’ll make a decision later in the week about him. Other than that we’re OK, everyone else is fit and well.”
Mako Vunipola has been troubled by successive ankle problems that first struck during the Six Nationshttps://t.co/pn9j2dN5OC
— PA Sport (@pasport) May 7, 2019
Scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, who made his 100thEuropean appearance in Sarries’ semi-final victory over Munster, is excited by the contest and insists there isn’t much between the two teams.
“It’s probably the final everyone wanted. Two top teams will be going at it, the reason you play the game,” he said.
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“It’s going to be a fascinating battle. You have so much respect for Leinster, remembering how they did us in the quarter-final last year. They are well coached and well led by Johnny Sexton, but it’s the little things with them, how quickly they get off the ground and how hard they work.
City Guide | We've teamed up with @thomascooksport to bring you the ultimate guide to Newcastle ahead of our @championscup final
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) May 7, 2019
“They do not have any ‘dead men’ and so have few weaknesses. Both teams have very good set pieces and great defences; the differences are not big, just subtle ones people may be able to pick up on the day.”
Saracens won the tournament back-to-back in 2016 and 2017 before Leinster went on to win the trophy for a fourth time last time out. Many players who featured on those occasions will go head-to-head this weekend, experience Wigglesworth feels could make it the best final ever.
“Because we’ve had so much success everyone forgets what we went through to get here. We suffered a lot of pain in Europe before winning in the Lyon rain (in 2016). The feeling that day was relief because we had put it to bed. The best thing now is that there is no sense of panic; that is not bought but comes from experience. We can react to pressure and get the job done.
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“When we lost before, it tended to be because we were unable to cope with it but, if Leinster win, it will be because they were the better team. Both sides have so much experience and class that it could be the best final ever.”
– Press Association
WATCH: The RugbyPass documentary when Leinster were in the 2018 PRO14 final
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments