SARACENS V NOTTINGHAM please post match related content here
By The Saracens
September 21 2023
Saturday sees a return to StoneX for round 3 of the “we aren’t bothered” cup. This week’s visitors are Nottingham Rugby who, like Coventry, will presumably be targeting this game both as a big day out and the chance to take another Premiership scalp. It looks like we may also have to contend with the remains of Nigel, Hurricane Nigel that is, who is rumoured to be reaping havoc across our shores this weekend (not that anything like that is reflected in the weather forecast which shows sunshine and a gentle breeze for Barnet).
Whatever the Competition, whatever the opposition, Sarries really do need to get back into winning ways. Before long we’ll be heading for the real thing at Sandy Park and by then, Sarries need to be on the money. It hasn’t been pleasant watching our forwards get pushed around and our lineout disintegrate in recent weeks, hopefully the respective coaches and players have been working hard in training to put things right. I get the sense this is make or break time for Manu too. He’s clearly being given a run in this competition to make his mark, not easy I grant you when the pack is going backward, but the back line looks narrow, pedestrian and lacking in spark. Something is missing (yes I know, we don’t have Faz) and it needs to be found pretty soon.
Nottingham Rugby are known as The Archers – I wonder if they run out to “Barwick Green”? Like Sarries they have lost their first 2 games: away to Gloucester and home to Hartpbury (although a losing bonus point was secured to put them above Sarries in the table). Neither side have much to play for apart from pride but arguably Sarries have far more to lose.
I suspect we may see a few more of our regulars getting some game time: Maitland perhaps and Goodey starting (Parton’s dislocated finger may give him an enforced rest this week). Hartley looks promising in the centres possibly alongside Hallett again unless Loz wants a bit more exercise. Segun needs to start – he was desperate for the ball last weekend which singularly failed to come his way, with Lewington or Harris on the other wing. Van Zyl might also get a bit longer probably along with Gareth Simpson this week. MMc seems to like Stonham, Knight & Willis in the back row but if Christie is fit we might see him too. Isiekwe is featuring in a lot of the pre-match publicity and was also forwards captain last Saturday so may well start again alongside Tizard. The cupboard is a bit barer in the front row: I was more impressed with Crean, Woolfie & Judge than their alternates but the bar isn’t very high!
Whoever takes the field, we need to win. Winning is a habit – but so is losing and that’s a bad habit we don’t want to get into.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2023:10:19:20:36:38 by Darraghgirl.
Chiefs have started the PRC very strongly both in terms of selection and performances although they seemed to play a bunch of people rounded up off the streets of Bristol for that fixture!! Right now there feels a very legitimate concern that we hit that first game under-cooked. Something exacerbated ofc by the number of players we'll be missing. A tricky one for the coaches and I'm sure they've a great plan.
Hoping for a much better performance this weekend.
1 Tom West
2 Tom Woolstencroft
3 Ollie Hoskins
4 Callum Hunter-Hill
5 Hugh Tizard
6 Nick Isiekwe
7 Toby Knight
8 Tom Willis
9 Ivan Van Zyl
10 Manu Vunipola
11 Alex Lewington
12 Olly Hartley
13 Alex Lozowski (c)
14 Rotimi Segun
15 Tom Parton
Replacements:
16 Samson Adejimi
17 Sam Crean
18 Harvey Beaton
19 Nathan Michelow
20 Max Eke
21 Ollie Stonham
22 Gareth Simpson
23 Tobias Elliott
Mako, Christie? (as above) Davies, Maitland, Goode to add to Boon and Hallet who were on the fringes towards the end of last season.
Clarey still injured I think? RA-H, who knows although I'm pretty sure I've seen him in pictures of training.
With the usual caveat re Championship teams that I'm not familiar with their strength (but surely we aren't taking any lightly after our chuck it about approach in the first game??) this looks like a team designed to shore up some issues of the last game.
Two new props both of whom are decent scrummagers, three locks to add ballast and presumably options come lineout our best 9 to give Manu decent ball and Lewington joining Lozo in the backs as the senior head. Harris has been excellent so hopefully rotation giving us an opportunity to see more of Segun (let's actually get the ball to him) and excited to see Elliott off the bench.
Overall feeling very positive but I was before the previous two games too. The weather looks set fair so no excuses.
Only following on Twitter but sounds like we switched off in the last 15 minutes
Can’t help but laugh slightly at the height disparity between Crean and Beaton when they play together. The former has lovely hands though, does a very good job filling in at scrum half!
I didn’t hear why Tizard didn’t come out for the 2nd half. Was it an injury or just a gentle first run out for what will be a long season?
I don’t like being critical of younger players but I haven’t been convinced by Olly Hartley’s defensive abilities in the last 2 games. He misses some first up tackles which causes all sorts of problems for our defence.
Still a few players to come back including Christie and Mako up front but in the backs I think it is our 10, 12 combination that is our weak link at present.
I think I'd prefer the sort of performance where both us and the opposition score 20 less!! but it was the much needed win.
Plenty to work on but that's a start.
Obviously hard to make take to many conclusions from the first game I'd suggest was a bit of a mismatch. Possibly the most interesting thing from my view was focusing on Parton play. A very solid performance and I liked his link play a lot (poor from Lewington not to give the pass back for what would have been a walk-in) he seems to be composed and have a good skillset.
At the game it felt like Knight was having a bit of a mare in the first half (like wearing pink boots if you're going to dye your hair white best be good when you're so noticeable!!) but on a re-watch he did lots of goo stuff too. Certainly seems to have a huge amount of energy.
Hopefully we can take that result and some of that play into the game V Quins this weekend.
Quote:Barty II
Was stood by the half way line for the first half, Tizard was limping for the last ten minutes or so of the half, but obviously nothing too damaging as he still got involved in play around the ruck - perhaps a dead leg or something
Glad you are not a doctor!
Joking aside, sad to see from the Club update that it is something more serious.