2024-25 Season for our Saracens

Well it’s been a topsy turvy old season for us Sarries fans. From the highs of the win away to Bristol to the low of that crushing defeat to Harlequins at Spurs Stadium, we’ve experienced more of a rollercoaster of a season than in previous years. We entered the 2024–25 campaign under wealthy tradition yet vast transition—a season that would usher in a post‑Farrell, post‑Vunipola era. Mark McCall emphasised a blend of proven leadership—Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Ben Earl—and a deep crop of emerging academy talents who we would soon be seeing at the StoneX. Despite initial expectations of play-off contention, it was clear that we struggled to consistently string results together. Highlights included a strong early-season run and a late-season 36‑26 victory over eventual champions Bath. Yet defensive collapses—such as the 28‑24 loss to Northampton, where we blew a 24‑7 lead with a mere 20 minutes left—and poor European form (such as a disappointing away loss to Munster, extremely poor home defeat to Castres and the heavy loss in Champions Cup last‑16 against Toulon) exposed numerous fragilities. Ultimately, Saracens finished 6th in the Premiership, missing the play-offs for the first time (excluding suspension seasons of 2019-21) since 2009, ending a remarkable record of play-off appearances. The season was framed as transformational—a cautionary tale of identity and renewal rather than sustained dominance. Of course the opinions on this season will vary, but I’ll do my best to sum up our season alone in this piece. A longer piece on other clubs will be coming shortly where I discuss the +ve's and -ve's of all the other premiership clubs and what we can expect next season.

 Strengths

1.  Experience

• Maro Itoje, appointed club captain, proved a beacon both on and off the field. His work rate, defensive leadership, and Premiership Dream Team inclusion underline his influence. His ability to step into Farrell’s shoes (ie still having a word in the ref’s ear but not irritating him) was one of his big assets I feel.
• Jamie George, veteran hooker and long-serving servant of the club, provided continuity, lineout precision, and steady headship in the front row. Theo Dan I expect will succeed him when the time comes, but in JG2 I feel we have a strong and reliable senior figure.

2. Back-Row Talent

• Tom Willis stepped into the Number 8 role with maturity, earning Premiership Team of the Season honours and a nomination for Player of the Season. His dynamism and impact were a beacon for the evolving pack and that try at StoneX vs Bristol will be remembered for a long while.

3. Youth & Squad Depth

• A surge of academy graduates (13 first‑team debuts) refreshed the squad; players like Tobias Elliott, Brandon Jackson and Angus Hall added versatility in the backline.
• Tobias Elliott, in particular, lit up the backline early on, scoring tries in successive league outings and earning attention from England A squads.

4. Recruitment Focus & Resilience

• Signings like Fergus Burke (fly-half), Rhys Carré, Fraser Balmain, and Phil Brantingham addressed urgent needs in the tight five and half-back areas post 23-24 exodus.
• Mark McCall’s messaging emphasised potential: despite setbacks, the squad’s average age (24) and the largest-ever academy class positions them well for future growth.

Weaknesses

1. Set-Piece Vulnerability

Saracens suffered the Premiership’s worst scrum in the 2023-24 season, haemorrhaging penalties and surrendering crucial momentum. Early-season weight of injury and inexperience magnified front‑row instability. We do seem to have sorted this problem but it would be good for the scrum to return to its old self.

2. Loss of Leadership & Experience

With Mako and Billy Vunipola, Alex Goode, Sean Maitland, Alex Lewington and Aled Davies leaving or retiring, the club lost many years of institutional knowledge. Replacing these pillars proved challenging for on-field direction, particularly in high-pressure scenarios.

3. Inconsistent Attack & Decision-Making

Without Farrell’s control, attack lacked cohesion. Although Fergus Burke had flashes of quality, he and Louie Johnson remained inexperienced under pressure. I would note a mismatch between Burke’s style and Saracens tactical identity.

4. Defensive Lapses & Momentum Shifts

Saracens conceded a lot of late tries and failed to deal with late momentum swings— most noticeably highlighted in the game vs Northampton: dominating the first half, then collapsing with just 15-20 minutes to go. Such reversals showed a mental resilience gap when senior leaders were absent and bench players came on.
In Europe, we faltered badly in the Champions Cup round-of‑16, illuminating a widening gap between us and continental rivals such as the French teams. Leading Toulon 27-35 at half time to end up getting thrashed 72-42 was pretty unacceptable.

What Saracens Can Do to Improve

1. Set-Piece Redemption

• Continue refining the scrum: Reinforce prop stability with Carré, Tuimauga and Riccioni to reduce penalties. Combine skill coaching with grunt work in training to restore set-piece identity.
• Rotate and protect props to avoid repeated breakdown; injury management remains key.

2. Reinforce Playmaking Leadership

• Consider proactive recruitment. Owen Farrell has returned to north London to mentor Burke and ease pressure on the club.
• Louie Johnson needs game time but guided exposure; multi-positional utility must be harnessed carefully.

3. Build Defensive Grit & Psychological Fortitude

• Leverage Itoje and George to instil consistency and prevent late-game collapses. When the core leadership falters, the bench must be ready to elevate intensity.
• Training scenarios targeting momentum reversal situations could help.

4. Strategic Back‑Row Usage & Continuity

• Ben Earl and Tom Willis form a strong duo; adding depth via Juan-Martin González and flair with Theo McFarland. Our back row could be one of the best in the world if managed correctly.
• Rotate intelligently to manage workload across big matches.

5. Amplifying Academy & Talent Development

• Continue promoting promising talents—Tobias Elliott, Charlie Bracken, Brandon Jackson and Angus Hall—but pair them with experienced voices to avoid pressure overload.
• Involve veteran alumni like Alex Goode in mentorship roles (as tentatively planned) to transfer wisdom and club ethos.

Conclusion

Saracens’ 2024–25 season was a pivot point—an enforced shedding of legends and leadership, replaced with youthful energy and raw potential. The failure to reach the play-offs revealed gaps in set-piece execution, strategic flare, and mental composure. Yet the foundations remain encouraging: Itoje, George, Earl, Willis, and emerging talents signal clear continuity of quality.

For Saracens to reclaim their former standing—domestically and in Europe, we need technical refinement in scrums, creative cohesion under new half-backs, and strengthened identity both on and off the pitch. Strategic recruitment (including Farrell’s return), better use of mentorship, and a more intimidating home presence would accelerate the rebuild. The atmosphere at StoneX has certainly been lacking for numerous games this season – the home games against Castres was a prime example.

If McCall’s message galvanises the squad, the 2025–26 season could mark the beginning of a new Saracens dynasty—just one built differently, with fresh faces and lessons hard-won in the transitional year.