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By The Saracens
September 18 2024

The start of a new season is always exciting. Everything is reset to zero. Anything is possible. We look to the future with hope and anticipation: hope which could be so easily dashed at Castle Grim on Saturday. Sarries fans have become accustomed to success in modern times. Our club has shown that we are irrepressible: do your worst to us and we just keep bouncing back. Silverware has become if not a right, at least a realistic expectation. The world is our oyster.

But this season is slightly difference. For me it is a transition from the old to the new. We said farewell to Owen and the Vunipolas, to Lewi and Sean back in June and now we look forward to a new-look Saracens. As is typical of our club, the superstars of last year have not been replaced by stratospheric like for likes. Instead we have gone for young players, full of potential. A branch full of buds ready to open when the sun shines upon them. It will be down to our amazing coaches and our remaining senior players to nurture their talent and hone their skills so they can become the players they are destined to be.

The largest shoes to fill are at 10. Young Kiwi-come-Scot-come Englishman Fergus Burke has the unenviable job of slotting into Owen’s role. I have no doubt he will do it his own way. He’s a different sort of 10 to Owen and I think he will bring other dimensions to our game. Ironically if he succeeds we will probably lose him to international duty one way or another. It was ever thus. His understudy is even younger, Louie Johnson. I have watched both of our friendly games so far and these 2 lads show promise, pace and the ability to kick goals (a refreshing change in recent times!). Yes they will take time to fully bed in (I suspect that’s why we’ve see a consistent axis through the friendlies: Willis, Van Zyl, Loz, Tompkins and Daly) but in time they will make the shirt their own instead of borrowing it from Owen. Incidentally I think in young Louie Johnson we could have the makings of a superstar.

Back to Gloucester: I have absolutely no idea who we can and can’t select. I presume Cinti, Gonzalez and Theo are still overseas helping their respective countries on the other side of the world but when it comes to our England players I don’t know if or how long we have to rest them, who’s available etc etc. Gareth Simpson and Sam Spink aren’t fit and I assume poor Ollie Hartley has a way to go still. So as far as the backs go I think we’ll see the same 9,10,12,13,15 that started the friendlies. I’d probably go with Segun and Brandon Jackson (who looked really good at Bedford) on the wings. Incidentally, I hope young Charlie Bracken gets a few chances. He looks like a chip off the old block and a different sort of 9 to Van Zyl – another one who could go all the way to the top.

The front row is tricky following the Scarlets debacle where we had 70 minutes of uncontested scrums and no chance for Carre and Riccioni to showcase their wares. I think I’d go with them alongside Jamie (if he’s allowed, otherwise Theo) on Saturday just because our scrum was so dire last year we need to start off on the right foot although there must be a temptation to play Fraser Balmain against his old club. Hugh Tizard has had 2 good games but we urgently need another lineout option. I hope Maro can play: as captain I think its important. Andy Onyeama-Christie (to be known as Christie in future match reports because otherwise it takes a lot of typing and I still can’t spell it) has been on fire in the 2 friendlies and Willis has also looked solid. I really hope Ben Earl is cleared to start because he makes such a difference.

After last year’s dreadful performance in the season-opener at Sandy Park, we really do need to get off to a positive start so I hope MMc picks his strongest team. Gloucester have had a miserable couple of years finishing down the bottom of the league and as such have bolstered their squad with a Welsh half back pairing of Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe. They have also signed Christian Wade (who has apparently set his sights on Chris Ashton’s Premiership try-scoring record) and Alfie Petch. The departure of Louis Rees-Zammit part way through last season has left a big hole to fill and whether Wade still has what it takes will be interesting as will be a match-up with Roti Segun. Gloucester lost a number of established players at the end of last season with Mark Atkinson, Fraser Balmain (to us) Santiago Socino, Jonny May & Adam Hastings among the first team regulars to have moved on. They too will want to show their fans that things have improved.

Fingers crossed for a win but given the extreme rustiness shown in the 2 friendlies so far, I’m not holding my breath.

In their wisdom, Premiership Rugby have given us Craig Maxwell-Keys along with Andrew Jackson and Peter Allan, Rowan Kitt is in the TV truck. Enough said, lets do it on the field boys.

(Incidentally we’re struggling for a match reporter so if anyone feels they could contribute please let me know!)

GLOS v SARACENS: PREVIEW Plspost match-related comment here

Posted by: TheSaracens.com (IP Logged)

Date: 18/09/2024 10:55

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:09:30:00:17:24 by Darraghgirl.