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Why Dallaglio believes 'ominously good' Saracens are the team to fear
Former England and Wasps talisman Lawrence Dallaglio believes Saracens are the team for everyone to fear in this season’s Gallagher Premiership. The legendary No8 now works in the league as a pundit for TNT Sports and the Londoners’ demolition of Leicester a fortnight ago left him believing the defending champions could prove impossible to stop as they look to secure back-to-back titles in England.
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Saracens now travel to Harlequins on Saturday as part of the all-derby fixtures round six weekend that will mark how a third of the campaign is already over. “It’s a fast start,” said Dallaglio to RugbyPass. “I’m of the age where there was a 10-team league and we only played one game each, so you had nine matches that were really quite important.
“This is home and away but even so, you have got to hit the ground running as it feels like a compacted season. Every result brings a little more jeopardy because in the past when you had 22 rounds of rugby, you could afford to have a few off days and still be able to catch up. This time around, there can be one or two off days and every club has had one but you can’t have too many of them.
“When you come back from a World Cup, you have just got yourself into the best shape of your life so therefore you should be excited to be coming back to your club and using all that fitness in a very positive way. You have only got to admire what has happened at Saracens where they came back.
“Every club has got its own methods and sensible conversations between the director of rugby and players, what shape are you in physically, mentally and emotionally after the World Cup, all those things, and what shape are the club in? Are we bottom of the table, mid-table, top? Everyone has got a different way of working it but you have to be impressed with Saracens’ England players slipping seamlessly back in and using that momentum.
A perfect return for Gallagher Premiership Player of the Match @maroitoje ?
He shares his thoughts on returning from the World Cup the potential of @Saracens and the beauty of sport ?#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/E9J3Ee9nQ7
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 4, 2023
“While they didn’t achieve what they wanted in the tournament, the likes of Ben Earl, Maro Itoje, Jamie George played pretty damn well in the World Cup and you want to use that momentum, use that form, use that energy and excitement to really kick start your club season.
“There is no point talking about the Premiership without starting with the champions. They look ominously good; 1-15 was an international starter against Leicester and for whatever reason, Leicester didn’t pick some of their young players who had only played a few games at the World Cup.
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“I can’t understand why you can’t just come straight back in quite frankly but each club, each player has his own playing schedule. Maybe it was a game they didn’t think they would win at the beginning, but it was ominous for the rest of the league because Saracens won that game (32-17) without getting out of second or third gear really.”
It was January 2020 when Saracens were automatically relegated to the Championship following repeated salary cap breaches. They have since played their way back into the top flight, reaching the Twickenham final in both campaigns since their return. Dallaglio has nothing but admiration for their rejuvenation.
“Listen, they are an exceptionally well-run club right the way down to the academy. I don’t really get involved in the controversy, that has been and gone and they have been punished. You can talk about whether the right thing was done by the powers that be but that is very much in the past.
“They went down to the Championship, rebuilt themselves, streamlined a little bit as a club but they are still incredibly well run economically as a club, so the structures and processes that were put in place from the very beginning by Nigel Wray and the family are very much those structures now.
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“Coaching-wise, they have had real consistency, continuity but they have tweaked things.
“You have got Joe Shaw there who is the head coach, Mark McCall who is a Saracens lifer but equally the players, if the majority of your squad are going off playing international rugby, there is a freshness about them when they leave and when they come back again and that helps to keep the coaches on their toes and it also helps to keep the players on their toes.
“They have also recruited exceptionally well in and around that international quality. Look at some of the players, the likes of Tom Willis, the Argentinian chap in the back row (Juan Martin Gonzalo Samso), they are always keeping one eye on the future, they are always looking to challenge their playing group to tell certain players you might be an international but you have got to be playing well to get in this team.
“And their coaching is exceptional. They are very much the team to beat and having regathered and regained the Premiership title, their big challenge now will be to see how much they can impact on European rugby which has been dominated by the French and the Irish teams.”
- Watch Harlequins vs Saracens exclusively live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ from 5:15pm on Saturday, November 18. Stream the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Derby Weekend live on discovery+ or watch on TNT Sports channels on BT, Sky and Virgin Media. This isn’t Just Rugby, This is Personal. For more info visit: tntsports.co.uk/rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
GOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
1 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
146 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
146 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
146 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
146 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
146 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
146 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
146 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
146 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
146 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
146 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
146 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
146 Go to commentsHo hum.
146 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
146 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
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