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'Mr Saracens' compliment highlights huge challenge facing Ospreys

By PA
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Toby Booth believes his Ospreys side will face the best team in England by some distance when they tackle Heineken Champions Cup round-of-16 opponents Saracens on Sunday. While the Ospreys contest their first top-flight European knockout game for 12 years, Saracens are on familiar territory.

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The three-time European champions are among the fancied front-runners to lift this season’s trophy, four years after their last European success. Having coached at the Premiership’s sharp end with Bath and London Irish, Ospreys boss Booth readily acknowledges Saracens’ achievements.

Not only are they in the last 16 of Europe, Saracens also lead English rugby’s flagship domestic competition by 11 points and have secured a home playoff tie with three games remaining. “We are playing against currently the best team in the Premiership by some distance,” Booth said.

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“I have come from that world, I know how tough it is, and you are not going to be top of that pile without a considerable amount of resources, effort and quality of players. They don’t have many weaknesses and we know it is a very difficult challenge. They are very efficient, and if they get their tails up they can be very difficult.

“They are used to winning, they are used to being in these fixtures, and the biggest thing to get past first of all is the mindset of what they have got. They are very competitive, they will be in your face, very aggressive, and you have got to deal with that pressure.”

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Central to Saracens’ sustained excellence has been rugby director Mark McCall, the mastermind of his club’s success in domestic and European tournaments. Booth added: “He is Mr Saracens. The cornerstone, the person who has set the tone. He has brought his own people through, he has promoted from within. The Saracens entity is a very impressive one, and he is the person that sits at the centre of it.

“You hear their players on various podcasts and things, and how they conduct themselves. Even in that Championship season (after Saracens were relegated for salary cap breaches), a lot of the big players stayed around, which tells you a lot, and the ones that went on loan all went back, and that tells you a lot as well.

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“They believe in what they are doing, they are very committed to what Saracens stand for. That is the sign of a really good culture, which is led by the man at the top.”

Ospreys have excelled in the Champions Cup this season, beating French heavyweights Montpellier home and away, while concluding the pool stage by defeating Leicester at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. They will, though, be without Wales flanker Jac Morgan, who has undergone ankle surgery and is set to miss the rest of this season.

“Adversity and the underdog tag can bring a lot of enjoyment. We have earnt some respect,” Booth added. “It is 12 years since we have been in this situation. It is very hard to qualify for the competition, and we said we would enjoy it. We are enjoying the journey and we will embrace it with both hands.”

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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
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LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith' Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith'
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