SARRIES v BRIZ: please post match-related comment here

Last weekend is best forgotten but as a result, this Saturday’s game against Bristol Bears becomes one of the most important of the season. Win and we’re back on track, lose and we’re struggling to make the play-offs. As St Mark said “The experience is ugly and horrible, but it’s how you respond to something like this which could make or break the season”. Unfortunately for Sarries, Pat Lam could have said almost the same thing about Bristol’s home defeat to Sale (well at least we weren’t nilled!)

Bristol aren’t the opponents most of us would have picked for a game of such importance. Despite last Friday’s slip up, they are the best away team in the Premiership having claimed the record (from Sarries!) with a 10^th straight away win at Welford Road a couple of weeks ago. But the Bears are wounded: already without Max Malins for the season they have lost AJ McGinty their reliable fly-half for 4 months. Ellis Genge missed the Sale game with a back spasm and Ibitoye, Owen and Lahiff  picked up injuries during the game. Bears have one of the smallest squads in the premiership and were forced to start 21 year old academy player Sam Worsley at 10 (for a baptism of fire).  Brizz have limited options at 10: they brought Van Rensburg into fly-half last week but in so doing, it leaves a huge hole at inside centre. Poor chap can’t be in 2 places at once. At least they have James Williams back now. Bristol are missing a lot of players though including Sam Grahamslaw, the wonderfully named Lovejoy Chawatama, Tom Doughty, Joe Batley, Josh Caulfield, Steele Barker, George Taylor, Santiago Grondona, Kofi Cripps, Sam Wolstenholme, Siva Nualago & Noah Heward

Sarries of course have injury problems of their own although quite who is injured at the moment and who is rested isn’t that clear. Potentially though we could be missing Williams, Daly, McFarland, Isiekwe, Elliott, Riccioni, Willis, Hadfield and Dan (plus of course Goodey and Christie and  Hugh Tizard and potentially Toby Knight). Lets hope at least some of them are fast healers!

One player who will undoubtedly be starting is Jamie George. This will be his 300^th appearance for Saracens which is some achievement and he above all will want a win. Hopefully St Mark has been on the phone to his old mucker Alex Sanderson to find out exactly how Sale did such a great dismantling job on the Bears! The Bears’ game does rely heavily on having a playmaker to pull the strings so maybe the lack of a recognised 10 is an even bigger handicap for Pat Lam’s boys. Whatever Bears will not want Sarries to do the double over them (remember that amazing game at Ashton Gate when Loz’s kick won it at the death?) News update:  Bears have signed out of favour Irish international Harry Byrne from Leinster. He could even feature at StoneX this weekend!

With just 18 games in the League, and only 9 at home, every game is hugely important. You could argue that Bath would probably have won on Saturday almost whatever team we took – whether or not that strategy paid off will be seen this week. So we have a lame Camel against a wounded Bear. A team unbeaten all year away from home but also a team who have never won at StoneX. Two teams coming off heavy defeats last weekend. Two teams with mounting injuries. As usual it’ll come down to who wants it most. Jamie definitely will.

We have been blessed with our 2^nd “favourite” referee Matt Carley assisted by Hamish Smales & Wayne Falla. TMO is David Rose. It’s a 5.30 kick-off so don’t get caught out

Happy New Year to rugby supporters everywhere.