Comments on: Saracens show why they are the best in the northern hemisphere

By: Don P

Don P — Fri, 17 May 2019 10:12:31 +0000

Still looking @ it from a self interested POV Dazza. Unfortunately human nature. In better times, have Leicester had scores of offshore players? Currently they have an England fr row for instance & backs aplenty. However, by shedding more exp’d coaches for the untried & frankly inept Murphy, don’t you think this has more to do with their current plight? There are still a no. of SH/Australasian players in the UK/NH (e.g. Maitland, Skelton, Fardy, Lowes last Sat) & esp in France. More bucks there? Even yr England set up have a couple; Hartley, Vunipolas, Tui, Teo, Roko, Mercer. Ultimately, these players suppress local talent which will worsen in the future. You seem concerned only for yr own in the here & now with little forethought for the future. Disappointing.

By: Dazza (Dazzle)

Dazza (Dazzle) — Fri, 17 May 2019 08:46:50 +0000

All fair points Don, but I think Sarries and Exeter have proved that a good balance between academy grown and bought in players (from other Prem clubs or overseas) players is the best way to stay competitive. Leicester have struggled without top level players in key positions and have used a lot of academy players this season, and were fighting for relegation.

Are Sarries four Saffas really breaking the mould in the Premiership? I don’t think so. Both Northampton and Gloucester have recruited cleverly from SA and are sitting pretty in the table. I’m not sure who has the most SA players in their Prem squad, but I’m sure we’re not the only one with four or more? Is this down to SA clubs not offering the same carrot that’s being dangled by Prem clubs? We don’t see a great deal of AUS or NZ players coming over so maybe.

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 16 May 2019 21:27:07 +0000

Yes, Dazza, Andy too sees recruiting offshore as making sense.. for the recruiting club. However, as Sarries (& other UK/Euro clubs) also have networks, or ‘feeder’ clubs abroad, these ultimately undermine the world game. Despite Saracens having, in more recent times, intro’ed home grown players, last Sat they still had 12 out of 23, according to H Kerr’s recent article, from outside. I read that they were also £1m in debt last yr, so surely more buying can only ratchet this up. Certainly over the last decade or so, they had (still do; Koch, Burger, Rhodes, Barrett) hosts of S African players @ the heart of their club. Also, last Sat there was also only 1 non international in their starting line up. Therefore the term ‘mercenary’ seems appropriate when discussing Saracens’ team composition. If/when a world international league comes into being, then a similar club comp must follow.. or even precede it?

By: Dazza (Dazzle)

Dazza (Dazzle) — Thu, 16 May 2019 14:20:28 +0000

As a rugby fan I’m not sure there can ever be too much!?

By: Dazza (Dazzle)

Dazza (Dazzle) — Thu, 16 May 2019 14:18:17 +0000

Don P, it’s interesting that you talk about Sarries having “bought mercenaries”!! Can you think of a team in Europe which doesn’t have them? Granted the majority of the Leinster team were indeed Irish, but all from their academy? I don’t know the answer, but I doubt it. Sarries are actually now one of the teams, along with Exeter, who are promoting more players from their academy rather than buying in mercenaries. This season they have handed out more debuts in the Premiership than I can recall from my last twenty years in the stands at Sarries. They will, as most teams do, still recruit from outside of the club if they feel it will benefit the club, which makes perfect sense.

I would love to see a competition between the best clubs in the world to see who is the best. Unfortunately with the rugby calendar we have in place I can’t see that it’s ever going to happen.

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 16 May 2019 07:14:51 +0000

Well HK, as you mentioned not wanting to come a cross as an objective free Sarrries fan, perhaps it’s because you fear that you do. The article is 95% Saracens walk on water stuff whilst poor old Leinster (whom?! Were they actually on the pitch?) were lucky to even warrent a mention. It was a ‘home’ game for Saracens & Leinster, with the former fwd, Cullen, in charge lacked any backline innovation. As I’ve stated elsewhere & as this article ‘talks’ up, Saracens defence was better than Leinster’s attack. Billy’s intercept & try scoring activities also need to be set against the context of his anonymity v SA, Wales & Scotland, instead of just bigging him up.. again. Likewise, Farrell. That 1 pass for Maitland’s try, when the Irish left their posts instead of holding their positions, was about the only thing of note that he did. Besides with a gap out wide that a Routemaster could have been driven thorough, what else would he, the passer, have done? Kicked it? Taken the tackle? Not really rocket stuff was it? Basic, simple rugby that’s all. As for Saracens containing 11 from their academy, presumably the rest were bought mercenaries then? No surprises there gauging from their past Saffa history & their being hauled before the beak for only the 3rd time in their history of fiscal chicanery. Having stated all that, agree that Saracens are well drilled & cohesive. They are also a team that has to dominate, or @ least have parity up front, in order to effect their still basically R1 game & prevail. As the article also alludes to, hold them in the fwds & their game lacks innovation, or a plan ‘B’. Now where have I heard that before? The issue for the opposition however, is to ensure that they particularly win the breakdown. If they don’t do that, then it’s likely curtains, as it was for Leinster. I expect Sarscens to now go on & win the Prem as well, esp as Ex seem to be tailing off.. don’t they? OTOH, Saracens fell @ the last hurdle last yr & they’re trailing by a few having tripped up more than once this yr, so we’ll see. If Fngland continue to follow their v English blue print though, will it be enough to win them the WC? Again, we’ll see.

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 16 May 2019 06:25:39 +0000

Bah humbug! Self absorbed or what? Stated with true insularity Bert. Are actually interested in rugby, or as it seems, only in yr own? Also wonder, do you ‘give a monkey’s’ about that ‘other league’ comp, the WC?

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 16 May 2019 06:15:56 +0000

Reduce he Prem’dhip by x2 teams, then you could fit in a global comp.. if you want to see whom the best club in the WORLD is.

By: Bert

Bert — Wed, 15 May 2019 22:39:10 +0000

That doesn’t interest me at all. I couldn’t give a monkey’s about those other leagues and there is too much rugby as it is.

By: Leon

Leon — Wed, 15 May 2019 13:28:47 +0000

longer seasons no thanks

By: Dazza (Dazzle)

Dazza (Dazzle) — Wed, 15 May 2019 12:50:03 +0000

Sorry I meant Top 14 and Pro 14!!!

By: Dazza (Dazzle)

Dazza (Dazzle) — Wed, 15 May 2019 12:46:08 +0000

It is a real shame there is not an international club competition. Who wouldn’t like to see the top two teams from each major league going at it? Premiership, Pro14, Pro12 and Super Rugby. Even if they only did it once ever four years it would be a great rugby spectacle.

A small note on the conveyor belt of talent coming through the Sarries academy. They smashed Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership Rugby Shield on Monday night 55 – 14. With 18 of the 23 coming from the academy.