Sarries Vs Tigers

[FKAS]

Mako Vunipola
Jamie George
Marco Riccioni
Maro Itoje
Nick Isiekwe
Andy Christie
Ben Earl
Billy Vunipola
Aled Davies
Owen Farrell
Elliot Daly
Nick Tompkins
Alex Lozowski
Sean Maitland
Alex Goode

Substitutes
Theodor Dan
Eroni Mawi
Alec Clarey
Callum Hunter-Hill
Hugh Tizard
Tom Willis
Ivan van Zyl
Tom Parton

STARTING XV
15 Mike Brown [12]
14 Josh Bassett [5]
13 Guy Porter [66]
12 Dan Kelly [62]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [6]
10 Jamie Shillcock [7]
9 Tom Whiteley [10
1 James Cronin [17]
2 Charlie Clare [83]
3 Joe Heyes [128]
4 Cameron Henderson [42]
5 Sam Carter [5]
6 Hanro Liebenberg (c) [90]
7 Tommy Reffell [101]
8 Olly Cracknell [28]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Nic Dolly [30]
17 Francois van Wyk [37]
18 Will Hurd [30]
19 Harry Wells [180]
20 Matt Rogerson [5]
21 Joe Powell [6]
22 Charlie Atkinson [22]
23 Solomone Kata*

Saracens have gone full first team for this. No rest time for any of their internationals it seems. Tigers semi final internationals will be filtered in over the next two weekends. Could well end up a cricket score win for Sarries.

[fivepointer]

Thats tough on Leicester. Saracens intent on making a statement it would seem.

[Mellsblue]

Theodor Dan is quickly becoming my new favourite player.

[Puja]

Theodor Dan is quickly becoming my new favourite player.

I was going to note that as the highlight as well.

Horrendous look for the Premiership this - Leicester are going to get brutally murdered because Saracens have launched their 7 England players straight into the fray and Leicester are giving their first choice 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 15 a break after the final week of the RWC. It's not so much a player welfare issue, as Saracens are generally trustworthy on looking after their players and I've no doubt that they'll get breaks over the next few weeks, but it's an inditement of how the competition thinks of itself. This game, which should be one of the big dates on the calendar, has become a complete waste of time, because they decided the start of their season wasn't important enough not to bury in the middle of the RWC.

Puja

[Oakboy]

This country/club conflict situation is an insult to the paying public - TV and turnstile.

[FKAS]

Re player welfare Sarries have two away games after this whilst Tigers have two home games so maybe unsurprising both are favouring their home games for the international players return and away games for their rest.

[Slater582]

If I'm not mistaken the URC started a week after the RWC Quarter-final stage, out of interest by way of comparison did all of the Irish, Scottish & Welsh players go straight into those domestic games?

[Emsworth]

Sarries must be getting close to oldest starting backline territory. Two 35 year olds, only one under 30. Need to sneak Mike Brown over to replace Tompkins, then they'd be really pushing.

[Mikey Brown]

I wonder how long Billy holds on to his shirt. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him look great again knowing Saracens.

[FKAS]

I wonder how long Billy holds on to his shirt. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him look great again knowing Saracens.

Will allow for good rotation for them this season. Would certainly help Tigers if BillyV brought his semi final form to this one.

[monkey]

If I'm not mistaken the URC started a week after the RWC Quarter-final stage, out of interest by way of comparison did all of the Irish, Scottish & Welsh players go straight into those domestic games?

Scottish international players were on a phased return. Some went straight in and some had a break, but are mostly back now (unless injured). Mind, we went out in the pool stages.

[Danno]

Theodor Dan is quickly becoming my new favourite player.

Ackchewally it's Theodor Daniel.

[FKAS]

Gets worse for Tigers with Heyes failing a late fitness test. Hurd starts and Richardson to the bench. Hurd is a decent young tighthead but he's an ideal back up not really starter material currently.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Very telling in Jamie George’s interview after coming off, when asked about being back with Sarries he said it was a ‘positive environment’.

[fivepointer]

Shillcock's try - which involved a hand off on the ice man - was the highlight for me.

Overall, it wasnt a great watch. Saracens won without getting into top gear. Itoje was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Shillcock's try - which involved a hand off on the ice man - was the highlight for me.

Overall, it wasnt a great watch. Saracens won without getting into top gear. Itoje was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch.

Farrell upright in tackle, presents target for Shillcock, Shillcock obliges

[FKAS]

Result was as expected. I'm away so have only seen the Shillcock try, really made by Farrell's poor tackle technique in a defence that wasn't going forward. Shillcock has been a bright light in a fairly dim opening to the season for Tigers. Thankfully there's a few hundred international caps returning over the next few weeks.

[Puja]

Result was as expected. I'm away so have only seen the Shillcock try, really made by Farrell's poor tackle technique in a defence that wasn't going forward. Shillcock has been a bright light in a fairly dim opening to the season for Tigers. Thankfully there's a few hundred international caps returning over the next few weeks.

Moment of the match for me was when Nick Mullins made a comment about Leicester failing statistically to get over the advantage line and asked David Flatman why he thought that was, only to get an audible stare of, "Are you stupid?" and a response of, "Well, they are missing a fair few players right now." Bring back even a few of our internationals and that's a different game.

Mind, the B team put up a better resolve than expected and our season will finally start properly next weekend. Looking forward to seeing what Project McKellar can actually bring.

Itoje was a monster today. Just head and shoulders above the rest.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

All this praise for Itoje. I am to assume, despite the team sheet, that he’s finally been moved to no8?

[Puja]

Theodor Dan is quickly becoming my new favourite player.

Ackchewally it's Theodor Daniel.

Next week, Theodoran Danielson.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Theodor Dan is quickly becoming my new favourite player.

Ackchewally it's Theodor Daniel.

Next week, Theodoran Danielson.

Puja

Wax on, wax off.

[Oakboy]

Shillcock's try - which involved a hand off on the ice man - was the highlight for me.

Overall, it wasnt a great watch. Saracens won without getting into top gear. Itoje was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch.

Spot on!

One minor point stood out for me as well. Even with spring-heeled locks like Itoje and Iziekwe (had a top game too), Saracens found significant benefit in having Christie in the back row to provide a 3rd line-out option. More and more, that is becoming an essential requirement for all balanced teams at any level.

[Banquo]

Theodor Dan is quickly becoming my new favourite player.

I was going to note that as the highlight as well.

Horrendous look for the Premiership this - Leicester are going to get brutally murdered because Saracens have launched their 7 England players straight into the fray and Leicester are giving their first choice 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 15 a break after the final week of the RWC. It's not so much a player welfare issue, as Saracens are generally trustworthy on looking after their players and I've no doubt that they'll get breaks over the next few weeks, but it's an inditement of how the competition thinks of itself. This game, which should be one of the big dates on the calendar, has become a complete waste of time, because they decided the start of their season wasn't important enough not to bury in the middle of the RWC.

Puja

on another note, what happened to some of the players being pushed out of the sarries first team squad. Answer- a load turned up and played for Ampthill in the champ, who then beat Coventry. Odd stuff.
(this is the future of the champ, as envisaged by the RFU (but not by half the Champ clubs) when/if the squad numbers cap comes in)