Sarries Vs Tigers - Sat 3pm

[FKAS]

Borthwick keeping the same theme as last season with the first team saved for home and derby games, away days for rotation. Spreads the minutes round.

STARTING XV:
15 Freddie Steward [57]
14 Anthony Watson *
13 Phil Cokanasiga [3]
12 Jimmy Gopperth [3]
11 Kini Murimurivalu [38]
10 Freddie Burns [105]
9 Ben Youngs (vc) [285]
1 James Cronin [3]
2 Charlie Clare [55]
3 Joe Heyes [103]
4 Harry Wells [159]
5 Eli Snyman [21]
6 Olly Cracknell [3]
7 Tommy Reffell [81]
8 Hanro Liebenberg (c) [62]

REPLACEMENTS:
16 Joe Taufete’e [2]
17 Francois van Wyk [20]
18 Dan Cole [293]
19 Ollie Chessum [33]
20 George Martin [42]
21 Jack van Poortvliet [50]
22 Handré Pollard *
23 Chris Ashton [15]

* Leicester Tigers senior debut

Saracens Men team to play Leicester Tigers:

1 Mako Vunipola

2 Jamie George

3 Christian Judge

4 Callum Hunter-Hill

5 Hugh Tizard

6 Theo McFarland

7 Ben Earl

8 Billy Vunipola

9 Ivan van Zyl

10 Owen Farrell (c)

11 Alex Lewington

12 Nick Tompkins

13 Alex Lozowski

14 Max Malins

15 Elliot Daly



Replacements:

16 Kapeli Pifeleti

17 Eroni Mawi

18 Marco Riccioni

19 Andy Christie

20 Jackson Wray

21 Ruben de Haas

22 Alex Goode

23 Sean Maitland

[fivepointer]

Tigers mixing it up and leaving a pretty stacked bench.

Cokanasiga at 13 is the eye catching selection and its very good to see Watson playing.

[Peej]

Looking forward to Cockanasiga getting a run out. That Tigers team doesn't look that mixed up to me, still plenty of quality. Sarries though, having bemoaned the salary cap this past week again, only able to go with the 11 international starters and 7 on the bench.

[Puja]

Surprised that Montoya's not straight back into the XXII. Taufete'e clearly isn't trusted by Borthwick just yet from his very limited time off the bench in the first three games - given the fit of his shirt, I'd imagine it's probably that he's still a work in progress to get up to Aled Walters' level of fitness - and Clare isn't a world-beater (despite being ex-Bedford). I would've thought getting Julian back asap was the main priority - maybe he's carrying a niggle?

Still, it's a hell of a bonus to have Watson and Pollard appearing out of nowhere. The advantage of the black hole of injury news.

Was surprised and a little disappointed not to see Chessum in at lock, but I've just had a look at the fixtures ahead - Sale home and Quins away - so there's no real ideal resting opportunity for him anywhere. Hell of a tricky start to the season!

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Clare isn't a world-beater (despite being ex-Bedford).
Puja

It’s a strange one. The exception that proves the rule, perhaps.

[Banquo]

Front five is where its at again. Pollard is the significant addition, assume the mighty Porter is crocked

[FKAS]

Front five is where its at again. Pollard is the significant addition, assume the mighty Porter is crocked

Went off last weekend for a HIA and didn't return so presume he's recovering from that.

Chance for Heyes to make a mark and Snyman is back having missed the last two games after limping off Vs Chiefs in round 1.

[twitchy]

Decent start to the game.

[Banquo]

Decent start to the game.

shambles 1st 10 from sarries tho

[Banquo]

lol, just realised im in catch up

[Banquo]

watson skinned

[Banquo]

earls dumb

[Mellsblue]

Do we have to pay per word on this new board?

[Mellsblue]

Love Jamie George.

[Mellsblue]

Saracens Mk II 22 v 13 Saracens Mk I.

[Banquo]

characterised by brilliance and stupidity from sarries. great watch

[Mellsblue]

Great pass from Faz off his left

[Banquo]

Do we have to pay per word on this new board?

y

[Banquo]

Great pass from Faz off his left

nah cant be

[Mellsblue]

Why didn’t Daly play like this at 15 for Eng.

[Banquo]

tigers defence ripped. Had Sarries not been repeatedly dim, could have been way worse. Dalys sattacking excellent.

[FKAS]

A expansive Sarries looks weird but blimey it's certainly effective. Tigers can't keep making a mess of those lineouts in the Sarries half/22, Sarries are brutally clinical and Tigers aren't even close.

[Banquo]

Why didn’t Daly play like this at 15 for Eng.

He did in attack on the wing (and fb to be fair) .Also Tigers defence out wide is as poor as last week.

[Banquo]

A expansive Sarries looks weird but blimey it's certainly effective. Tigers can't keep making a mess of those lineouts in the Sarries half/22, Sarries are brutally clinical and Tigers aren't even close.

they will have noted how saints tore you a new one out wide last week.

[Mellsblue]

Pollard obvs not got the memo about kicking it. Half a line break and no one near him.