Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Crisis club Saracens name team for must-win European tie

(Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)

Watch every game of the Heineken Champions Cup LIVE in 52 countries on RugbyPass. Click here to see if subscriptions are available in your location

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite the latest twist in the salary cap suggesting they will be automatically relegated from the Gallagher Premiership, Saracens are trying to keep things together on the pitch and they are rolling out the cavalry for Sunday’s must-win Heineken Champions Cup visit of Racing 92.

As revealed by RugbyPass on Thursday night, an automatic drop to the second tier of English rugby is on cards for 2020/21 due to Saracens’ inability to show they are operating under the £7million cap this season.

Away from the league, though, the Londoners must defeat the table-topping Parisians if they are to potentially qualify for the European quarter-finals as a best runner-up.

Mark McCall hasn’t held back with his choices to try and build on last weekend’s dramatic 14-man win at Ospreys. 

Rotimi Segun returns to the back three alongside Elliot Daly and Sean Maitland. The wing scored two tries on his last Allianz Park outing against Worcester Warriors.

(Continue reading below…)

Saracens on brink of automatic relegation

Video Spacer

England duo Ben Spencer and Owen Farrell are back in at half-back while Brad Barritt and Duncan Taylor make up the centres.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and Vincent Koch come into the front row and Maro Itoje slots in at lock.

The back row comprises of Ben Earl, Billy Vunipola and Jackson Wray – the latter led the team expertly in Wales last time out.

SARACENS (vs Racing): 15 Elliot Daly; 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt (capt), 11 Rotimi Segun; 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Vincent Koch, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Jackson Wray, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Billy Vunipola. Reps: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Will Skelton, 20 Calum Clark, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Alex Lewington.

WATCH: Going Pro, the behind the scenes RugbyPassdocumentary with Saracens women’s rugby team

ADVERTISEMENT
Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

M
MA 3 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

68 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions
Search