SHOWDOWN PREVIEW: please post all match related comment here

By The Saracens
March 20 2024

After a break of 7 weeks, Club rugby is back. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium awaits along with over 55,000 fans (well assuming the trains are running). It feels almost like the start of the season again! Only it isn’t. With just 6 games left we will need to be at full throttle on Saturday, no time for a gentle warm-up!

Already we have reached the “sharp-end”. Every remaining game counts in this competitive season. Just to recap, Sarries are currently clinging on to 4^th place with 36 points, but just a single point behind Quins and Bath on 37. Snapping at our rugby shorts are Exeter Chiefs, just a point away on 35 with Leicester, Sale and Bristol all within striking distance. Only leaders Northampton Saints have any clear water on 44. Basically we need to win on Saturday and we need to keep winning. Coming up will be a big tester at Franklins Gardens the following Friday, we are then home to Gloucester (must win), away to Bath and Bristol Bears and then home to Sale in the final fixture. So in short, 3 of our next 4 games are against the 3 sides immediately above us in the table.

Sarries haven’t lost to Quins at home for 12 years. I hate stats like this – the run has to end some time……….. However Sarries finished up before the international break with a really positive win over Exeter while Quins have had to ruminate on a home loss to Leicester Tigers for the past 2 months. Sarries produced one of the best performances of the season in beating Quins at The Stoop – Quins will be looking for revenge.

On the positive side, one would hope the break has allowed some of our injured players to regain their fitness (with the notable exception of Loz of course) and for the first time in years, Faz has had a mid-season break and with a huge weight off his shoulders now his future is out in the open, I expect him to be back to the Faz we know and love. He will want to end his time at Sarries with a Twickenham swansong.

Internationals from both sides will be back with their clubs. For Sarries, Itoje and Earl both played every minute of the 6 nations for England while Jamie George has carried the burden of captaincy. Elliot Daly should still have plenty of fuel in the tank and Theo Dan has been relatively lightly used. Andy Christie has been a revelation in a Scotland shirt (well to anyone who hadn’t seen him at StoneX) and Nick Tompkins has been shouldering the woes of Wales on his back (although he had a well-deserved week off against France and only half a game against Italy).

Quins’ internationals have been used a bit more lightly with Marcus Smith only available for the last 2 games (in both cases as a sub) and Danny Care, Joe Marler & Alex Dombrandt usually starting from the bench. The promising Chandler Cunningham-South appears to be ruled out with injury. Lewis Lynagh, the new-found Italian, will also return. After the World Cup, Sarries brought their internationals back into the squad almost straight away while Quins chose to give theirs a week or so off: what will happen this time?

With regard to injuries and illness, it’s a while since we have had an update. Is Marco now fit? Mawi is undoubtedly back. Nick isiekwe is hopefully restored to health as he has been featured in some promos for the game.

So for once Mark McCall should have a selection headache of the right kind. Earl, Itoje & Christie have been in such scintillating form for their countries it’s tempting to play them but with other big games, both domestically and in Europe coming up soon, is that the right call? I’m glad it’s McCall’s call and not mine!

Whatever happens, whatever the result, it’s good to be back.

SHOWDOWN PREVIEW: please post all match related comment here

Posted by: TheSaracens.com (IP Logged)

Date: 20/03/2024 20:59

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:04:02:17:51:15 by Darraghgirl.