Bracken back for Bath test

By Jason Harris
December 30 2004

Saracens scrum half Kyran Bracken is the notable change in coach Steve Diamond's line-up to face Bath in a crucial New Year's Day Zurich showdown at the Rec. The fomer England player returns to the Sarries first team after missing most of the first half of the season with a back injury.

Making way for Bracken will be Morgan Williams who sits among the replacements, alongside Kevin Sorrell who steps aside to let Thomas Castaignede make his first start since retiring hurt against Parma in Italy at the beginning of December.

The pack remains unchanged as Diamond looks to re-capture the form that dominated the Harlequins eight for the first half of Boxing Day's bore-draw at Vicarage Road and will hopefully aim to release the backs from the shackles of a restrictive game plan last time out that not only prevented the Sarries threequarters improvising, but also let Quins back into the match.

Bath, meanwhile, are still struggling with injuries and the latest player to rule himself out of Saturday's game is hooker and captain Jonathan Humphreys. The ex-Wales intnerational has succumbed to an achillies injury, so England lock Steve Borthwick will take over as skipper and Lee Mears will wear the no2 shirt until Humphreys's return.

Coach John Connolly has been struggling to put out aything resembling a first-choice back division of late and will once again be without the services of Mike Tindall - so influential in the first match between the sides up in Northampton - Robbie Fleck, Andrew Higgins and Alex Crockett. Though Frikke Welsh and Olly Barkley will be two dangerous customers for Sarries to keep their eyes upon and - in the case of the powerful Welsh - keep away from the try line.

With just four wins to show from their first dozen Zurich Premiership matches and coming off a dismal display in the last round, Saracens will not be able to play for a shut-out and hope to catch Bath on the counter.

The selection of Castaignede in place of an ineffective Sorrell is a step in the right direction as the Frenchman injected a sense of urgency and variation into the Saracens back play so sorely needed against Quins. But Sarries will need to start winning soon if they are to keep out of the bottom four in the table and try to bridge the gap between themselves and the likes of Newcastle and London Irish in mid-table.

A positive attitude and gameplan is needed, but the weather may prove a part as there is heavy, persistent rain forecast for Bath on the day of the game. If Sarries revert to the "keep it tight" way of doing things because of the rain, then they might be excused for a perceived lack of ambition. To play for a 0-0 draw by keeping Bath out will be foolhardy. Sarries must go out to win instead of trying not to lose.