SARACENS v NRB (Cup) PREVIEW
IMAGO/Inpho Photography
By TheSaracens.com
November 2 2026
This strange disjointed rugby season wends its way onward this weekend with a return to the Premiership Cup. You’ll be forgiven for forgetting that we’ve already played R1 (which was back in September with a tryfest 96-42 win over Northampton Saints). This also makes 3 different competitions in 4 weeks! The break for the autumn internationals/Nations Championship means we now have 3 cup fixtures in a row: home to Newcastle Red Bulls and Quins, away to Tigers. Which deluded version of AI thought it would be a good idea to play Newcastle Red Bulls at home on successive Saturdays I have no idea but that is what the fixture computer has given us. A sense of déjà vu? Well maybe but it will be interesting to see how many of the squad who played last Saturday will re appear this Saturday?
Sarries have tended to use the Prem Cup as it is intended: ie as somewhere to give gametime to young and fringe players. NRB on the other hand have often targeted the Cup as their best prospect of silverware and generally being less affected by international call ups, may well field a strong team, not dissimilar to that we saw on Saturday.
Sarries will lose (I think) Itoje, Martin, George, Earl and Caluori to England: Carre and Williams to Wales: Burke (if fit) and Onyeama-Christie to Scotland and Cinti and Gonzalez to Argentina. This is often a time when the senior players jump on a flight to Dubai but given the current rotation policy along with injuries in key positions (fly half, hooker) maybe that won’t be the case. It probably also depends on how much value Sarries put on the Prem Cup (perhaps we should value it a bit more than we have done historically).
Rumour has it that Owen is pretty hands on with coaching the development squad so in theory he should be on the side-lines but it leaves us short at 10! Presume Max will get the jersey with maybe Angus Hall as back up? Or might we see Luke Davidson or Finn Keylock? His half-back partner will presumably be Charlie B. Tom James needs to be on bench-detention after his exploits on Saturday. I’d like Va’enuku to continue at Centre – he’s getting better and better and experience can only be a good thing for him. Tompkins can put his feet up but not sure who starts alongside him? Can Angus Hall play centre? If not I guess its Daly. On the wings I’d go with Jack B and Tobias (just cos he’s a bit rusty so game time will help) and Hall at 15.
Forwards – Props O’Driscoll and Weilbach with probably Eoghan Clarke at Hooker. Locks: will probably have to be Isiekwe and Tizard given injuries and call ups. Back row: I think Barbeary needs more game time so he starts at 8 with 2 from Knight, Michelow and Eke.
Injuries permitting, NRB could field a very similar 15 to last Saturday!
Well if nothing else it’ll be interesting. I don’t expect much of a crowd – will they just be opening the East Stand I wonder? Whatever we move on to phase 2 of this weird season.
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Could potentially have 3 Brackens in the squad!
Agree it would make sense for Max to get some more time at 10, but hopefully at least one of Davidson and Keylock are involved with the other starting for Ampthill.
I think we need to protect Sione with Hartley injured
I wouldnt mind seeing a starting backline of:
C.Bracken
Malins
Kava
Hall
Rawlins
J.Bracken
Keylock
Keylock to move to 10 at half time and Jack to 15.
Phil B
Clarke
Clarey
Tayo
Eke
West
Knight
Mitch
Bracken
Malins
Bracken
Sione
Hall
Rawlings
Davidson
Quote:jimfitz12
My guess would be something like this;
Phil B
Clarke
Clarey
Tayo
Eke
West
Knight
Mitch
Bracken
Malins
Bracken
Sione
Hall
Rawlings
Davidson
I would like to see Tayo or Eke at 6. I think they fit to lock/backrow hybrid we are looking for this season in that shirt.
Bring Sylvester in to second row and give Nathan or Toby a rest
Quote:jimfitz12
My guess would be something like this;
Phil B
Clarke
Clarey
Tayo
Eke
West
Knight
Mitch
Bracken
Malins
Bracken
Sione
Hall
Rawlings
Davidson
But who to captain? I wouldn't be surprised to see an old(er) head or two to help lead.
Quote:nicsueQuote:jimfitz12
My guess would be something like this;
Phil B
Clarke
Clarey
Tayo
Eke
West
Knight
Mitch
Bracken
Malins
Bracken
Sione
Hall
Rawlings
Davidson
But who to captain? I wouldn't be surprised to see an old(er) head or two to help lead.
Michelow if he’s picked. We really need to build leadership skills in the next generation. The last “story of the game” video is was Jamie and Faz leading when the @#$%& was hitting the fan at half time. I appreciate we don’t get to see all of it but we need new voices in the group.
I'd play them both in the PRC. Both badly need game time and help lead and motivate our youngsters seems a good position for them.
Quote:PaulHerox
Definitely don't play Malins. We're an injury to him away from having to play Farrell and or Daly in a proper match day squad and that's our season over if we have to do that any length of time.
I'd play them both in the PRC. Both badly need game time and help lead and motivate our youngsters seems a good position for them.
We are in much worse trouble if we need to play Malins at 10 for an extended period in his current form. He hasn't exactly set the world alight at 15 either.
If he is going to be a legitimate option at 10 he needs the game time
At 15 he's not had the impact he'd have wanted but has still been significantly better than our other option who had another stinker last weekend.
Maybe Farrell lacks the fitness or hardiness to be exposed to more rugby in which case I guess I understand it but he looks to me like a player who badly needs game time.
Quote:PaulHerox
Disagree. He's had one terrible moment this season with the failed grounding and missed a tackle he should have made in the back field. When he came on at 10 for Burke he was decent. Not brilliant but decent.
At 15 he's not had the impact he'd have wanted but has still been significantly better than our other option who had another stinker last weekend.
Maybe Farrell lacks the fitness or hardiness to be exposed to more rugby in which case I guess I understand it but he looks to me like a player who badly needs game time.
You just seem to be blinkered for and against the players you like and dont like.
Daly has not been any worse this season than Malins. Both have been well below par.
At 10 Malins is, understandably, indecisive and slow paced. He looks like a player filling in rather than a leader of a backline. Imo he needs the game time if he is going to be more than a fall back option.
Our issue at the weekend was 22 conversion in the 1st half, largely due to the pack. Faz was no more at fault than the rest of the 14 players, unless he is now also calling the lineout
Quote:ComeOnSarries
I enjoy these games as although there is not much riding on them it is a great opportunity to see the wider playing squad and occasionally you get the chance to have an early sighting of someone who goes on to be a rugby great. The second point is just as valid for the oppo as it is for Sarries. I can remember both Owen and Maro cutting their teeth in the equivalent competition- it changes its name so many times I can’t tell you what it was called. In fact it might be fun to see if we can between us remember the previous names for this competition before it became the Prem Rugby Cup. Was LV once a sponsor?
We won the LV Cup in 2015 with Maro as the captain. We beat Exeter Chiefs at Franklins Gardens and it was a cracking day out and Ben Spencer kicked a last minute penalty.
Some interesting names in our side that day.
[www.bbc.co.uk]
Quote:The Wolfpack WatchQuote:ComeOnSarries
I enjoy these games as although there is not much riding on them it is a great opportunity to see the wider playing squad and occasionally you get the chance to have an early sighting of someone who goes on to be a rugby great. The second point is just as valid for the oppo as it is for Sarries. I can remember both Owen and Maro cutting their teeth in the equivalent competition- it changes its name so many times I can’t tell you what it was called. In fact it might be fun to see if we can between us remember the previous names for this competition before it became the Prem Rugby Cup. Was LV once a sponsor?
We won the LV Cup in 2015 with Maro as the captain. We beat Exeter Chiefs at Franklins Gardens and it was a cracking day out and Ben Spencer kicked a last minute penalty.
Some interesting names in our side that day.
[www.bbc.co.uk]
Also remember the good run to get to the final in 2019 to then face a Saints team who’d loaded themselves with first teamers