SARACENS PREVIEW 2012/13

I have been supporting Saracens for about 10 years having been introduced to them following an initiative at my daughter’s school. Always rugby mad watching and playing I had previously focussed on Welsh rugby but I soon fell in love with The Men in Black. At that time and for a number of years Sarries were seen as perennial underachievers bringing in World class players like Thomas Castaignede, Taine Randell, Chris Jack etc but whilst being capable of beating any team on their day more often or not losing. As such losing became a Sarries way of life but all that was to change.

Started firstly by Alan Gaffney when Sarries were unlucky to lose a Heinekin semi to Munster and then Eddie Jones a winning regime started to emerge but the major change came in spring 2009 when guided by Brendan Venter who was to take over as coach for the next season there was a mass exodus of 17 players being replaced by a mixture of hardened professionals with a South African flavour. The rest is history against the odds a first Premiership final in 2009/10 widely thought to be the best final was lost to Leicester but the following season a first title was gained after a stoic 9 minutes of injury time defence against Leicester again. Last season saw Saracens again make the Premiership playoffs and a quarter final in the Heinekin.

Three years of success has therefore had to lead to a change in the mindset of Sarries supporters and this has not been easy. For me expecting to win each match is a much more intense experience than hoping to win but expecting to lose! So what does the 2012/13 season hold for Saracens.

Well firstly after some 137 years of a nomadic existence the club will have a home in Barnet Copthall Stadium which is being built as I type. The first match is scheduled to be against Exeter on 16^th February 2013. The stadium will hold 10,000 and it is hoped will provide a great spectator experience from the extra width seating and four screens to the open spaces and bars. It is scheduled that the last 5 matches of the season, excluding play offs will be played at Copthall.

However, as much as Saracens have changed on the field in last few seasons so has their off field team led by the Chief Executive Edward Griffiths. So it won’t be a straightforward 11 games at Watford and 5 at Copthall. We were advised at a series of fans forums that only 2 matches would be played at Watford but the football clubs change of ownership has altered the situation slightly.

The Saracens season ticket now covers 14 (yes 14) matches made up of the double header at Twickenham, Leicester at Wembley, 5 matches at Watford, 5 at Copthall, the new Years match against Northampton at Milton Keynes and the Heinekin match against Munster at a well-known Central London Venue (the Evening Standard is guessing Craven Cottage). So there are 2 remaining matches being the Heinekin matches against Edinburgh and Racing Metro for which the only details are they are not part of the Season Ticket and will be played farther afield. I would bet my house on one in Cape Town, the other well your guess is as good as mine it could be Southend or Hong Kong or Dubai or New York or the Olympic Stadium.

So back to matters on the pitch and changes in personnel. Out go Hugh Vyvyan A Sarries legend renowned for being able to start a scrap in a room on his own and a 45 year drop goal against Biarritz which earned Steve Diamonds wrath, Hayden Smith to NFL, Michael Tagicakibau and a couple of Academy players. Again it is off field that the major change has come for Sarries with Andy Farrell reversing his original decision and join Stuart Lancaster’s England setup. Andy has not yet been replaced as head coach but Kevin Sorrell, a Sarries stalwart, has been appointed backs coach. It was generally thought last year that Sarries inability to score tries hurt them despite the superbly organised defence and kick game. Will Sorrell be able to ignite the Saracens backline, which appear to have the talent?

Key to this task will be Sarries major signing for the season Chris Ashton. A proven try scorer few can see him being happy with a kick chase game so it is hoped that his appetite for the game will be reignited by the move and in turn he will be the catalyst to a change in the Sarries game plan. He is joined at Sarries by Alistair Hargreaves a 4 cap, 6ft 6 Springbok from the Sharks, Lorenzo Romano a young just capped Italian prop and Nick Fenton-Wells a flanker from the Stormers. It appears gone are the days of mass in and outs at Sarries with team bonding and a family ethic now to the fore.

Sarries fortunes for 2012/13 could be heavily affected by International call-ups. This is a strange thing for a Saracens supporter as we have spent years moaning that our players weren’t getting picked and now having to suffer quietly because they are! The EPS and Saxons squad had a 6 & 2 split of Sarries players and if they are all used would mean Sarries would lose as well as Botha and Stevens a backline of

Wigglesworth,

Farrell

Strettle

Barritt

Ashton

Goode

In addition to these 8 we are also likely to lose Kelly Brown & Rhys Gill.

However, Saracens have built up a strong squad over the last few years and also a feature of the last couple of years has been how young players have stepped up when needed in particular Owen Farrell, Ben Spencer, Jackson Wray, George Kruis, Will Fraser and Jamie George. The international retirement of Charlie Hodgson gives Sarries an excellent general to lead the backline through these call-ups.

As with any club injuries could also affect the season. Last year firstly a scrum half crisis hit followed by a backrow curse. Jacques Burger thought by many as our most influential player will still be out until Xmas as will Justin Melck. However, again the squad seems to have taken these knocks in their stride. No one knows what injuries will occur in the new season but Sarries seem well able to cope.

My friend Ben has also written a preview which excellently covers Saracens needs for an effective centre partnership and particularly an outside centre and the hopes that Joel Tomkins who signed from Wigan rugby league last year will fill this gap. He has also looked at the players that need to step up for Saracens next season.

So the 2012/13 season will see major upheavals for Saracens off the pitch with the new grounds, the variety of grounds and the loss of Andy Farrell but what this current Saracens team appear to do is thrive when challenged. We will be one of the teams to beat and making the play offs will be seen as a minimum target and should be attainable. With regards the Heinekin cup we have a difficult group but I think we will make the quarters again. Whether the team has developed with the front five holding their own or starting to dominate class opposition and the backline creating and taking chances is a tough call but Sarries have the men to do it.

The Premiership is looking stringer this season with Saints, Tigers, Quins and Sarries being challenged by Gloucester, Sale and Bath maybe a resurgent Irish and will Exeter continue their triumphal journey. I feel it could be the closest Premiership for quite some time and the scrap for play off places and Heinekin qualification will be fierce. We have been told there is a 5 year plan this is year 4 I can’t see Saracens taking a backward step!