Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

Mako Vunipola has paid Vincent Koch the ultimate compliment

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Mako Vunipola has labelled Vincent Koch the best tighthead in the world when he is on his game, as was the case last Saturday in Dublin when Saracens dismantled the Leinster scrum.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Irish side had come into the Champions Cup quarter-final on the back of a 25-match winning streak, but they failed to absorb the pressure Saracens applied at the set-piece and the penalty count of 7-1 at the scrum was a massive factor in tipping the result the way of the London club.

Vunipola will now scrum down again with Koch as Saracens look to see off Racing in this Saturday’s semi-final in Paris and keep the defending champions on course to win their fourth European trophy in five seasons.  

Video Spacer

What do Owen Farrell’s teammates at Saracens think of his tackling technique?

Video Spacer

What do Owen Farrell’s teammates at Saracens think of his tackling technique?

“The old notion is tighthead is probably the most important player in the team and it’s no different (now), the performance he [Koch] gave at the weekend, not only in the scrum but around the park,” said Vunipola at a semi-final media conference.

“When Vincent is in that kind of mood and going at teams I honestly feel there is no one better in the world than him. He knows that and he knows that he has got the backing of the people around him. When he is able to be confident to go out there and do his thing, it’s a happy day for us.”

Having taken great satisfaction in how the power battle at the scrum went in Ireland, Vunipola now hopes a similar platform can be laid in France to help get Saracens though to next month’s final on October 17. “You talk about head to head battles and winning those, it’s probably the only facet you can say head to head, taking on your opposite man in the scrum.

ADVERTISEMENT

“You understand how massive that is to impose yourself as a pack, how much energy it gives, not only to you as the team and it takes away from the opposition… it made my job easier (in Dublin), I didn’t have to do much running. That was probably the best thing about it.”

England and Lions international Vunipola is a bit of a rugby nerd, admitting he regularly delves into his trove of video to watch old games in his leisure time to remember how he felt about them. 

It’s not just the wins, such as the 2016 final victory over Racing, that he will settle down to. The losses can be equally informative. “I watch games we have played in the past more just for my enjoyment than anything really. You watch to remember being in the game. It’s not just the games that we win either, there are losses that I watch to remember to what I felt that day. 

“Sometimes I think back to that game (in 2016) and I have watched it back a lot as well. You watch and think how did we get away with playing like that. It was just the enjoyment, people were just appreciating each other… people were emotional. Saturday is a chance for us to go and make another memory.”

ADVERTISEMENT

With just two more Premiership games remaining before their automatic relegation to the Championship, Saracens won’t be able to participate again in the Champions Cup until 2022/23 at the earliest. That prospect is added incentive for Vunipola and co to finish out this campaign on a high and leave everyone remembering them as one of the European greats.

“This is our last opportunity to win silverware – not just this year but for a while,” said Vunpila. “The Champions Cup is dear to us because we have had a few heartaches in it, but we have also had the delight of winning it… we just want to out there and make memories. 

“I remember after we lost the Premiership and European finals in 2014, we spoke about wanting to be in the same league as Munster, Leinster and Toulouse, dynasties really. When people talk about the Champions Cup, those are the sort of teams people think of as the best in Europe and we wanted to be in that conversation. 

“We knew we had to cross that big hurdle of winning it for the first time, but when we did that (in 2016) we wanted to go back… and it’s no different this time. We want to go out there and enjoy this moment with the people around us because we don’t know when we might get this chance again.”

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

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'There will be no honeymoon period for Borthwick's wedding usher El-Abd' 'There will be no honeymoon period for Borthwick's wedding usher El-Abd'
Search