Saracens March In

Let's face it we'd rather be a club which loans out players to improve them rather than having to be the short term beneficiaries of other club's squad building. But after last season you can't blame Mike Rayer for taking advantage of the dual registration system - after all most other championship clubs are doing the same .

So now Sarries haved had a chance to plan their season we have a whole phalanx of them heading for Goldington Road  - and their CV's do look impressive.

 
Loan Player
Eoin Sheriff, 25, Second Row:

Sherriff joined Saracens midway through the 2011/12 season on trial from Irish province Leinster. The former Gorey Community School pupil and Blackrock College player impressed the Saracens coaching staff in the Aviva A-League before being given his full debut against Worcester Warriors in the LV=Cup in January. He has represented Ireland at U18, U19 and U20 levels and the latter age group saw him winning nine caps.

Dual Registration:

Aaron Morris, 19, Fullback:

Returns to Goldington Road having signed for Sarries in the Summer, came through the Academy at the Blues before becoming the youngest ever player to don a Bedford shirt in a competitive game in the professional era when he came off the bench to face Neath in the British & Irish Cup in December 2012 aged just 17.


Nathan Earle, 19, Wing/Fullback:

 Nathan Earle's nine-minute first team debut for Saracens ended in a 41-14 win over Worcester Warriors in the LV= Cup on January 29, 2012. He has already achieved much – scoring seven tries in eight matches for England U20, including six in five games in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship, after which he was nominated for the IRB Junior Player of the Year award.

Hayden Thompson-Stringer, 19, Back row:

Appearing in the Melrose Sevens alongside experienced Saracens players and being in the winning side is a highlight in Hayden Thompson-Stringer’s embryonic career. He figured in his first A League game for Saracens Storm against Cambridge University and made the first of his four appearances for England U18 in the 44-7 win over Wales at Swansea in March last year. Five caps for England U20 followed this year, including three in the IRB Junior World Championship.

Nick Tompkins, 19, Centre:

A former captain of England U16 and U17, Nick Tompkins made his debut at U18 level in the 28-25 win over Wales in Wellington on the 2012 summer tour of South Africa and started all five matches when the U20 side lifted the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in June. He has played in all ten games in that age group this year.

Maro Itoje, 19, Lock/Back Row:

A member of Saracens Academy, Maro Itoje has represented England U17 and captained both Harpenden RFC and St George’s VA School in his age group and played for Hertfordshire U14, U15 and U16. Remarkably, he went on to score a try in every U20 Six Nations game this year, was the BMW Man of the Match in the 48-15 win over Scotland at Galashiels and England’s BMW Man of the Tournament.

Matt Hankin, 21, Back Row:

Hankin has been a regular in the Saracens Storm side for the past three seasons and will be hoping to continue his rich vein of form at the Blues which saw him recalled to the Saracens squad at the end of last season. He has toured Australia with England U18s and was a key member of the England U20s team who beat Wales in the 2013 JWC Final.

Scott Spurling, 21, Hooker:

England U20s hooker Scott Spurling is a graduate of the Saracens Academy who has spent the last two seasons with Bedford Blues. His pace and ball handling skills came to the fore when he featured in the Saracens side that made the final of the JP Morgan Sevens and he made his full debut for Saracens against Worcester Warriors in the LV=Cup in the 2011/12 season. Spurling was part of the England U20s squad that reached the final of the IRB Junior World Championships in France in the summer of 2013.