Teams up: Saints v Saracens

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

No Harrison, no Franks - back row and bench look a bit underwhelming. Think we need a miracle here.

15 George Furbank
14 Tom Collins
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 James Grayson
9 Henry Taylor

1 Alex Waller (capt)
2 James Fish
3 Paul Hill
4 David Ribbans
5 Alex Moon
6 Alex Coles
7 JJ Tonks
8 Tom Wood

Replacements:
16 Michael van Vuuren
17 Francois van Wyk
18 Ehren Painter
19 Lewis Bean
20 Mitch Eadie
21 Connor Tupai
22 Andrew Symons
23 Ollie Sleightholme

Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales and Wayne Falla
TMO: Trevor Fisher

Not available for selection:
Harry Mallinder (knee), Dylan Hartley (knee), Alex Mitchell (knee), Reece Marshall (hamstring), Mikey Haywood (knee), Jamie Gibson (shoulder), Paddy Ryan (knee), Teimana Harrison (chest) and Heinrich Brüssow (hamstring).

International duty:
Dan Biggar (Wal), Piers Francis (Eng), Courtney Lawes (Eng), Lewis Ludlam (Eng), Api Ratuniyarawa (Fiji), Cobus Reinach (SA), and Ahsee Tuala (Sam).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:18:12:03:37 by tedge.

Changing prediction !


really cobbled together back row

Sarries
1) Ralph Adams-Hale
2) Kapeli Pifeleti
3) Titi Lamositele
4) Will Skelton
5) Nick Isiekwe
6) Calum Clark
7) Ben Earl
8) Jackson Wray

9) Ben Spencer
10) Alex Goode (c)
11) Alex Lewington
12) Nick Tompkins
13) Alex Lozowski
14) Rotimi Segun
15) Matt Gallagher

Replacements not listed on their forum.

Back row is quite concerning. It will be tough. I can't remember going into a premier season with so many injured players. With the world cup as well we look very depleted. But we did well last season missing a lot of players...

Actually Tonks and Coles did very well against more or less the same Sarries team 2 weeks ago and when they went off (and others) the floodgates opened.

Symonds had a stand out against Sarries apart from the card blemish so Dingers has to go well

But Teimana out is a blow

Quote:

shendy
Sarries
1) Ralph Adams-Hale
2) Kapeli Pifeleti
3) Titi Lamositele
4) Will Skelton
5) Nick Isiekwe
6) Calum Clark
7) Ben Earl
8) Jackson Wray

9) Ben Spencer
10) Alex Goode (c)
11) Alex Lewington
12) Nick Tompkins
13) Alex Lozowski
14) Rotimi Segun
15) Matt Gallagher

Replacements not listed on their forum.

Bench: Gray, Barrington, Wainwright, Kpoku, Hunter-Hill, Whiteley, Vunipola, Obatoyinho.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:18:12:53:20 by twsaint.

It's time to see whether our lads have an 80 min. game in them.
All I can say is that I'm hopeful for the 'W' and that we don't suffer anymore injuries on the plastic pitch. We have a more depleted squad than sorries even with their 15 on Int'l duties.
Once again, I'm hopeful.

Per Ardua Ad Astra

If we can hold our own at the breakdown which will be tough with our 'experimental' back row and get decent quick ball, our back could be a relative even match against the Sarries backs.

Can't wait to see Big T take on Segun and Lozowski. Both aren't the biggest so will hopefully have difficulty stopping our massive winger. This could be our best chance.

Its going to be a struggle but hopefully our set piece should be dominant with 5 line out options and experienced tight 5.

NEED to find an answer to Skelton though.


on a totally separate note, doesn't the Sarries side look like a normal 1st team that's built within the Cap?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:18:13:10:07 by Saint Stokey.

I would love to feel optimistic and be proved wrong but this once again looks like men against boys (figuratively speaking)

Without Teimana, I hope that Ribbans takes up the mantle of mad dog, irrepressible ball carrier. We need that inspiring moment of go forward.

I appreciate that we're ravaged by injury but its quite a show of faith to put JJ Tonks in as starting 7. If he can have a good game, get some dominance or at least parity, that will be a huge statement of intent to the coaches.

My head says that we could get a win, but my head says that will go to Sarries. If we can keep them below 50 and come away with an LBP and hopefully a TBP, that would be a result.

Quote:

Can't wait to see Big T take on Segun and Lozowski. Both aren't the biggest so will hopefully have difficulty stopping our massive winger.

Think you might be confusing Loz with someone else...

[www.youtube.com]

Think this will be one to watch from behind the sofa!

Excited by the centre combination but this is going to one painful watch unfortunately.
Saracens to get another half century I fear.

Quote:

Barking Mad

Quote:

Can't wait to see Big T take on Segun and Lozowski. Both aren't the biggest so will hopefully have difficulty stopping our massive winger.

Think you might be confusing Loz with someone else...

[www.youtube.com]

Commentator "he is at the top of the missed tackles list.."


not a great endorsement

I just remember what Big T did to Billy V.

Quote:

Saint Stokey
I just remember what Big T did to Billy V.

Good point SS - he's incredibly powerful...

Quote:

Saint Stokey
If we can hold our own at the breakdown which will be tough with our 'experimental' back row and get decent quick ball, our back could be a relative even match against the Sarries backs.
Can't wait to see Big T take on Segun and Lozowski. Both aren't the biggest so will hopefully have difficulty stopping our massive winger. This could be our best chance.

Its going to be a struggle but hopefully our set piece should be dominant with 5 line out options and experienced tight 5.

NEED to find an answer to Skelton though.


on a totally separate note, doesn't the Sarries side look like a normal 1st team that's built within the Cap?

I am struggling to understand your last comment. Perhaps you can assist by first detailing the salaries of the side being put out on Saturday!!!

Sorry, i forgot to add the *.

it was actually meant as a compliment that the side that you can put out, having been stripped of 15 internationals is on a par with most other Premiership sides. We however, are putting out a much weaker side that would be our first team given the injuries and absentees and I think Saturday will show that.

Bit concerned by this side, I hope to be proven wrong but the back row is looking pretty inexperienced and unbalanced. I'd have been tempted to start Eadie at 8, pushed Wood to 6 and kept Tonks at 7, it feels like we're playing 3 blindsides. Shame Paddy Ryan's been out injured for a while, else this could have been his shot at a first-team place.

Seriously hoping to be proven wrong but I can see us struggling tomorrow. Fingers crossed for a swift return for Tei, Heinz and Gibbo!

If we concede fewer than 50 points it would be progress

Could not really give a damn about playing Saracens, their depth of squad bearing in mind their RWC absentees is astonishing. Be wonderful to break the Premiership hoodoo against the 'special ones' but happy to get this one out of the way and get on with the rest of the season. All that being said I hope our backs give them the run around and score some tries.

Despite all the disruption of injuries... I have a weird feeling we might pull off a shock and narrowly win this.

9 players injured for the first game of the season has to be a record.

Boyd will need to work his magic and then some to get anything out of this. A massive shame as when the fixtures were announced this looked like a great opportunity to turnover our recent bogey side.

Re injuries is it bad luck or bad management ?

Bookies have Sarries to win by 15 points and Saints to win at 5/1! There will be over 50 points scored in this game me thinks.

Quote:

tedge
Re injuries is it bad luck or bad management ?

I am asking myself the same question. The players have had the longest break for many years, the club declared the cup games as not important, just practice games, and yet the team is depleted by more injuries than we have ever had. I do wonder what goes on during training.
In my mind when the squad is heavily depleted by the absence of internationals, those remaining ( I almost wrote Remainers) should be wrapped in cotton wool.

Quote:

ch saint

Quote:

tedge
Re injuries is it bad luck or bad management ?

I am asking myself the same question. The players have had the longest break for many years, the club declared the cup games as not important, just practice games, and yet the team is depleted by more injuries than we have ever had. I do wonder what goes on during training.
In my mind when the squad is heavily depleted by the absence of internationals, those remaining ( I almost wrote Remainers) should be wrapped in cotton wool.

I am also talking about the management of the injuries when they have them

Shock horror Profressional rugby players get injured......

I’m sorry but we have one of the most rotational Head coaches in the Prem, a fantastic backroom staff.

100kg athletes running at each other for 80 minutes will cause injuries.

We seem too want too constantly blame coaches for things. We need too except some things are in the nature of the game.

Many of the injuries on that list are carry overs from last year.
Unfortunately Brüssow is a walking injury these days it seems.
And we don’t know how Tei got hurt.

A huge baptism of fire for Coles and Tonks.

If there was a fault too talk about I would potentially say not bringing in a Ball carrying back row player to compliment Tei in some games and be cover if Tei got a knock might be what we should be talking about.......

It could be good management where players with any sort of injury aren't risked unnecessarily and those coming back from long term injury are given sufficient time to fully recover.

On the game itself, a HUGE ask for this young team no doubt about that.

The boys up front are going too have too find a way too muscle up and try and slow down the Sarries machine as much as possible.

My big concern is not actually the back row as much as the front row.
I could see us getting scrummaged off the park.
With Waller coming in as C, it was bit of a surprise too see Hill playing. If it becomes Pen after pen at scrum time it really will be a struggle too get any field territory.

On a POSITIVE, I really feel given any good ball or territory our backs could really stick it on the Sarries backs.
We are young, skilful, fast and play with intent and vision I’m sure Sarries will have talked about making them live off scraps.

Quote:

Saint Stokey
Sorry, i forgot to add the *.
it was actually meant as a compliment that the side that you can put out, having been stripped of 15 internationals is on a par with most other Premiership sides. We however, are putting out a much weaker side that would be our first team given the injuries and absentees and I think Saturday will show that.

Please don’t apologise SS - Saracens are systematically cheating the SC - it’s they who should be apologising!

Quote:

Statesman

Quote:

Saint Stokey
Sorry, i forgot to add the *.
it was actually meant as a compliment that the side that you can put out, having been stripped of 15 internationals is on a par with most other Premiership sides. We however, are putting out a much weaker side that would be our first team given the injuries and absentees and I think Saturday will show that.

Please don’t apologise SS - Saracens are systematically cheating the SC - it’s they who should be apologising!

Really?
You have positive proof do you

Quote:

Scooby Saint COYS
Despite all the disruption of injuries... I have a weird feeling we might pull off a shock and narrowly win this.

:-)