CAN SARRIES RISE TO THE EASTER SUNDAY CHALLENGE?
By The Saracens
April 14 2022
This European competition is becoming like London buses, you don’t have any games for weeks then 2 come along together. With indecent haste one might say, given the way this has been (mis)handled by both EPRC and Sarries. One positive is that Saracens seem to have decided to reduce ticket prices in order to encourage people to come but really, less than 7 days notice for a game on Easter Sunday isn’t good enough, and I feel very sorry for any Cardiff fans contemplating making the journey for a 1.00 kick-off (which was widely announced as being 3.30 until Sunday night) during the Easter rail mayhem. The game is on BT Sport for those of you who already have plans for Easter Sunday (c’mon, I mean why would you?) – presumably the catalyst for the kick-off time change. Television is the risen Lord even on this biggest Christian feast day.
Saracens and Cardiff Blues are no strangers to each other. They last met in the Heineken Cup back in 2018 when Sarries won at Allianz 51-25 before heading down to the Arms Park the following weekend to complete the double 14-26 in the rain (I remember, I was there!).
After all the games played and forfeited due to COVID, Sarries managed to finish in 8th place and squeaked in with the final home tie in the round of the last 16 where they will play Cardiff Blues, seeded 11 by virtue of finishing 9th in Pool B of the Heineken Cup (and therefore getting a 2nd bite of the cherry). Cardiff come to London on the back of a bit of a mauling at home by Scarlets, losing 14-49 after an atrocious 2nd half (they led 14-7 at half time). The Blues had 2 players sin-binned and lost a number of others to injury (Ellis Jenkins and Kirby Myhill). James Ratti & James Botham both have knee injuries and Josh Adams is out for the season. Josh Navidi missed last weekend’s defeat due to illness but should be available this weekend. Rhys Carre could well return to his old stomping ground. Cardiff have a promising young side but they have yet to win away from home this season (although their home form has seen them beat both Leinster and Glasgow Warriors). well Ok technically they "beat" Toulouse away in January but that was a COVID awarded victory so doesn't really count!
MMc went for a mix of youth and experience last weekend and I would expect something similar on Sunday. Maro still seems to be living his dream in the Big Apple. Max Malins has featured quite heavily on the Club’s promo so I assume that means he will start, maybe instead of Goodey at 15, Elliot Daly is also playing poster boy so maybe another outing for him in the centres? The “Wallpaper” boys are Ben Harris and Ivan Van Zyl and Vincent has been answering questions on line so does that mean these guys are likely to be appearing? Faz needs game time – he was so much better last week for it, as does Van Zyl who also showed heaps of improvement so they are likely to start again and Andy Christie put in an excellent performance last weekend. Maybe Billy gets the week off for a change along with Nick Isiekwe with Ben Earl & Hunter Hill coming back. I guess it all comes down to priorities. In MMc we trust. Not sure if Woolfie is fit after last week, in which case will we risk Lewis or Pifeleti in the starting 15? Jamie might have to step up again. With Mako still some way off fitness, Mawi might well start again presumably alongside Alec Cleary, another one who needs time out in the middle (as they say in cricket). We have never won this competition and I’m sure we will give it the respect it deserves. With Exeter just round the corner, the squad should be nicely rotated and rested as the season comes to a crunchpoint.
(As an aside, the Cardiff Blues website is even worse than ours - they're still promoting their game on 9th April against Llanelli!)
The officials are from La Belle France (les Arbitres): Monsieur Pierre Brousset takes charges assisted by Monsieur Luc Ramos & Monsieur Flavien Hourquet, with the little frog, Denis Grenouillet in the TV lounge. Monsieur Brousset at least seems fairly solid having refereed in the French Top 14 since 2016 and also the Heineken & Challenge Cups. He “arbitred” the URC game between Benetton & Connacht this season. He is also younger than my daughter! I know the one about the policemen looking young but it makes me feel ancient when it’s the referee!
Once again, Sarries really should win this at a canter but as we know, when it comes to the Men in Black, nothing is ever easy. Let’s hope we don’t have to go down too many Easter Bunny holes to come out on top.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:04:22:19:33:46 by Darraghgirl.
Perversely I was hoping James Botham would be fit as his appearance would mean that I’d have seen a grandfather (Ian, cricket for England), son (Liam, for Falcons) and grandson play.
Quote:maynas
Bit unfair to suggest Sarries mishandled this, given the email check in advance of who might come and the excellent ticketing. Not their fault the competition was organise in this idiotic way
Well put it this way: I've still not had an email from the club! (fortunately friends did so I was able to book my seats)
Quote:DarraghgirlQuote:maynas
Bit unfair to suggest Sarries mishandled this, given the email check in advance of who might come and the excellent ticketing. Not their fault the competition was organise in this idiotic way
Well put it this way: I've still not had an email from the club! (fortunately friends did so I was able to book my seats)
I didn’t get the email either, and only found the ticket offer on my account after it was mentioned by someone on Facebook. Having received the “are you coming?” email and filled out the form to say I was intending to be at the game, it seemed reasonable to expect to receive another one confirming that tickets were now available rather than have to rely on other supporters mentioning it - this isn’t the first time it’s happened and I don’t understand why some STH get messages and some don’t - my account has all the preferences correctly set up.