Ex-England hooker's tweets explain key advantage Saracens had with their bigger squad

For the past five years, Saracens have boasted a squad that no other side in England could compete with, or even come close to in truth. 

The north London outfit have a host of internationals and an academy set-up that has produced high-class player after high-class player, and the majority of teams in England have failed to keep up. 

The three-time Champions Cup winners have also been able to field the most impressive array of players that are just short of being Test standard. 

This obviously pays dividends during the Six Nations and autumn internationals, but throughout the season gives a depth to the squad that is unmatched across the rest of the league. 

They may not have the biggest squad in the Gallagher Premiership, but they are head and shoulders above the rest in terms of the quality throughout the group. 

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Now that the reigning European and English champions have been relegated from the Premiership for breaching the salary cap, it has gone a long way in explaining to many why they have been able to maintain the squad they have had. 

Former England hooker and columnist Brian Moore has helped in explaining on Twitter just how much of an impact having such depth in a squad can have. 

While the competition for places has always been deemed desirable for any successful team, Moore explains that there is so much more to it – and it largely comes down to the fact that it improves the quality of training and reduces the risk of injuries for various reasons. This was his explanation: 

1. Practice. Smaller squad, when injuries occur you don't have enough players to have pack v pack scrums and lineouts. You can fit other players in but the contest is not the same & often not possible. Similar for opposed back sessions. More players; more productive sessions

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

2. Dirt trackers – when you need 'cannon fodder' to hold tackle bags/shields, take hits in tackle practice, act as bodies to be cleared out at breakdowns, you can use non-star players – this lessens the chance of starting players being injured.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

3. Rest – star players can rest during training sessions, whilst opponents are having to make their best players work more often. Less rest – more injuries; less sharpness over a long season.
Games – you can absent players from match squads so they get physical & mental rest.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

4. Competition – if your squad stays fit you have fewer positions in which there is no proper competition. The benefit of this is self-evident to anyone who has worked within a squad.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

5. Injuries – with bigger squads there is less pressure to bring back players, star and 'ordinary' and you don't have to risk playing someone in a crucial, or any, game until they are fully fit.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

You can scan match-day lineups and say breaching the salary cap had no difference, but you can't be certain it would have been the same if the club had a smaller squad because you can't tell what effect injuries would have had. You also have to factor in the advantages listed.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

And, obviously, you get more out of a session where two sets of top class forwards or backs train against each other than one where you have one top class v one average club pack/backs. https://t.co/NlMnfFp9V6

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) January 20, 2020

Saracens lead the way in terms of Test players in their squad amongst English sides, but there are some clubs that still come close to them. 

However, it is regarding the class of the players behind those internationals where others simply cannot compete with Saracens, and Moore has given an insight into just how much that has helped them. 

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