When in Rome.....

By Jason Harris (filed 5/12/03)
December 5 2003

For Saracens the relative respite of a first round tie in the Parker Pen Shield has been timely. Sarries are struggling just one place off the bottom of the Zurich Prmemiership and in need of a further boost after their vital win over Rotherham last weekend. Can they get it in the Italian capital?

Roma themselves are in an identical position to Sarries as they have only Leonessa between them and basement of Italy's Super 10 competiton.

Champions just four seasons ago, Roma have had a tough time of it so far this year with just one win and a draw from nine outings. There have been a few heavy defeats, notably a 99-10 annihilation by Treviso in the round robin stage of the Italian Cup.

But the side which has a host of South African players and former Wales international Peter Rogers to call upon has improved in recent weeks; winning their first game by beating L'Aquila 19-13 at home and then drawing 28-all at Petrarca Padova. Their most recent game was a narrow home defeat to GRAN Parma, 21-17.

However, it will be another uphill struggle for the Italian side when a team from the strongest club competition in the world visits the Tre Fontane stadium on Saturday.

Even though Sarries have had a disappointing league season so far, they will see the two-legged tie as a means of installing some much-needed confidence in a sqaud desperate to prove their worth to themselves, the fans and the rest of the league.

Coach Rod Kafer has named a strong side to travel to the Italian capital with only Taine Randell and Kyran Bracken being the big names rested.

New boy Raphael Ibanez starts the match from the bench as Robbie Russell continues in the starting spot at hooker after a dynamic display against Rotherham. Either side of Scottish international will be Emiliano Bergamaschi and recent singing Cobus Visagie.

Alex Codling continues his reahibilitation with another start in the second row alongside skipper Simon Raiwalui. I fully expect that Codling will see no more than an hour of action as his hamstring is given a workout before returning to full-on action in the near future.

Kris Chesney moves back to blind side and he is accompanied by World Cup hero Richard Hill and young Ben Skirving at 7 and 8 respectively.

Morgan Willliams starts again at scrum half but his deputy this week will be Dan Kirton, not the rested Bracken. Thomas Castaignede will wear the much-maligned no10 shirt and Nicky Little along with Ben Johnston will be the centre pairing.

Darragh O'Mahony and Colomiers flyer Denis Cech will be on the flanks and the line-up is completed by Paul Bailey who will play his first game at fullback for the Men in Black as Richard Haughton is away on 7s duty with England.

Sitting alongside Ibanez and Kirton on the bench will be Adryan Winnan, Steve Sparks, Ben Broster, Ben Russell and Daniel Legge, back from serious injury.

A good win for Saracens is being predicted by many as Roma are not performing as well as they were three or four years ago. The form of the Italian side has slipped during the second half of games this season and I think that after a fairly even first period, that the men in European Red, remember, will ease to victory and make the second leg at Vicarage Road on Sunday week a formality.

By the time the second leg is played, Sarries will know who their opponents will be as Montpellier and Glasgow will complete their tie on Friday 12 December at Hughenden.

Win or lose, Sarries will be at home in the first leg of the next round on Sunday 11 January.

Though the game is not being broadcast live, BBC Three Countites Sport will have regular updates from 2pm GMT on Saturday and also a preview in their Friday night show on air between 6pm and 8pm. Frequencies are 95.5, 103.8 and 104.5 FM
or 630 and 1161 MW.