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Malins set for 1st Saracens run since Bristol loan, England injury
By Liam Heagney
England international Max Malins is poised to make his first appearance back at Saracens following last season’s loan spell at Bristol, which culminated in a shoulder ligament injury while representing his country in last July’s Twickenham win over the USA. Malins was hurt falling awkwardly from a push after he caught a Marcus Smith restart and was replaced by Jacob Umaga just ten minutes into the 43-29 win over the Americans.
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He wasn’t involved in last weekend’s comfortable round one win by Saracens over the Bears which marked the London club’s return to the Premiership following their one-season Championship stay for salary cap breaches.
However, having been included by Eddie Jones in the 45-strong England squad that will assemble in London on Sunday for a mini-training camp, Malins now will start at full-back when the Storm, the Saracens reserve team, host Ealing on Friday night at the StoneX.
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Saracens have a bye week in the Premiership but instead of playing no match at all, they have arranged a friendly versus the Trailfinders, the team they beat over two legs in June to regain their top-flight status.
The 24-year-old Malins earned all eight of his England caps – including two starts – over the course of last season where he played 13 times in the Premiership for Pat Lam’s Bristol, but he will now hope to mark his Saracens return with an encouraging performance in an XV that includes Joe Simpson, the ex-England scrum-half who agreed to a short-term loan deal at the club last week.
"It’s an unpleasant part of the job"
– Telling some players that had played for England in the 2019 World Cup final they weren't wanted next week was tough for Eddie Jones?#England
https://t.co/deTDVDUg0d— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 21, 2021
Malins and Ben Earl, who also spent last year at Bristol, left the Bears on the back of effusive praise from their boss Lam. “Two good men,” remarked the Bears boss. “I really enjoyed my time with them and we will follow their careers closely because they are not just rugby players now, they are people that we really know well.”
SARACENS (vs Ealing, Friday)
15. Max Malins; 14. Ben Harris, 13. Brandon Jackson, 12. Josh Hallett, 11. Elliott Obatoyinbo; 10. Manu Vunipola, 9. Joe Simpson; 1 Eroni Mawi, 2. Ethan Lewis, 3. Sam Wainwright, 4. Callum Hunter-Hill, 5. Theo McFarland, 6. Ollie Stonham, 7. Sean Reffell, 8 Andy Christie (capt). Reps: 16. Kapeli Pifeleti, 17. Sam Crean, 18. Harvey Beaton, 19. Cameron Boon, 20. Janco Venter, 21. Ruben de Haas, 22. Josh Sharp, 23. Francis Moore 24. Theo Dan, 25. Sam Stanley, 26. Toby Knight, 27. Craig Duncan, 28. Ben Chambers.
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'It was a shock to us with how the refereeing is a bit different, no TMO, a lot of players are niggly and trying to get in your head'
The rise of @EObatoyinbo has been a major positive of @Saracens Championship journey. He talks to Liam Heagney ???https://t.co/YQmamiYXQu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 6, 2021
