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Saracens get it right at the second time of asking in the Championship, beating Jersey in round two

By Sam Smith
(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Saracens have bounced back from last weekend’s Championship baptism of fire, using the fuel of their shock defeat at Cornish Pirates to help them get the better of Jersey Reds by 45-13 in London. The 2019 Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup winners made headlines around the rugby world for their 17-25 defeat at Mennaye Field.

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That loss made it clear how awkward their second-tier campaign could be, with every opposition team trying to get up for what would essentially be a cup final against the fallen giants of English and European rugby. Mark McCall didn’t overact to their loss to the Pirates, making just one enforced change to his starting line-up.

With Sean Maitland called-up to start for Scotland in their Guinness Six Nations match with Ireland on Sunday, Rotimi Segun was promoted from the bench and Saracens quickly assumed control at the Stonex Stadium, bagging the four-try bonus point before the interval despite falling behind a Jersey penalty in the opening minutes.

Video Spacer

The XV – stats and snapshots ahead of Six Nations round four

Rob Vickerman and Andy Clarke come together to give an in-depth analysis of where it’s gone right for Wales in this year’s Six Nations.

Video Spacer

The XV – stats and snapshots ahead of Six Nations round four

Rob Vickerman and Andy Clarke come together to give an in-depth analysis of where it’s gone right for Wales in this year’s Six Nations.

Segun and Duncan Taylor were involved in getting the show on the road, keeping possession alive in the lead-up to Alex Lewington’s tenth-minute try.

The right-winger struck again 17 minutes later following some Manu Vunipola invention, Elliott Obatoyinbo then added the third on 31 minutes and the bonus-clinching try arrived two minutes from half-time through Taylor.

Ahead 24-6 at the break, Obatoyinbo kept the scoreboard ticking seven minutes after the restart with his second try and even though Jersey quickly struck back to make it 31-13, Saracens powered home with tries from Segun and skipper Jackson Wray.

The result will buoy the Saracens contingent away from the club on Test duty. England’s Manu Vunipola said in midweek after the loss to Pirates: “As a Sarries player it was a shock with the result but you just feel more for the players. You are gutted for them and it is tough but when you are in this (with England) it is very hard to split your time and focus.”

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Jonathan Foster 1 hour ago
Scott Lawrence: 'I think the forward pass for the Fiji try was a pivotal moment in the game'

In this match, Fiji’s performance was exceptional, and the statistics reflect that they were the superior team on the day.


For instance:


Possession: Fiji controlled 59% of the possession during the match, while the USA only had 41% (RugbyPass, 2024). This allowed Fiji to apply constant pressure on USA’s defense and create more opportunities for scoring.


Territory: Fiji spent 64% of the match in USA’s half, keeping the Americans under sustained pressure (World Rugby, 2024).


Offensive Play: Fiji made 7 line breaks, compared to USA’s 3. In addition, Fiji completed 12 offloads while USA only managed 5, highlighting Fiji's superior attacking ability and ball handling (World Rugby, 2024).


Scrums and Rucks: Fiji was dominant in the scrums, winning 100% of their own scrums (8 out of 8), whereas USA only won 71% of theirs (5 out of 7).


Additionally, Fiji won 6 turnovers compared to USA’s 2 (ESPN, 2024). This scrummaging and breakdown superiority was a critical factor in controlling the game.


Additionally, while forward passes can be contentious, it’s important to note that USA was also guilty of making 3 forward passes during the match, which resulted in lost opportunities and turnovers (RugbyPass, 2024).


These key errors disrupted momentum and contributed to their inability to maintain a sustained attack.


References

ESPN. (2024). Fiji vs USA match report. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/rugby/match


RugbyPass. (2024). Scott Lawrence on the Fiji match and forward pass controversy. Retrieved from https://www.rugbypass.com/news


World Rugby. (2024). Fiji triumphs over USA in a thrilling encounter. Retrieved from https://www.world.rugby.com

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J
JW 3 hours ago
‘Did Conrad really score that many’: Rieko Ioane dismisses All Blacks drought

Indeed, but I also appreciate how Razor now has him covering the backfield more. Are they conflicting uses? Who was it that covered the Arg game, John(?), no it was a YTer (squidge?) suggested Jordies role was to chase and support the wing for a tap back.


That turnover try was actually a great example of were Jordies boot could have been used for territory instead of attacking (contestable). Hansen talking again about 'learnings' about what part of the field they want to play in. I would have thought that would be a basic principle about how the coaches want to play and it would be a bit late now to be learning that.


Nevrtheless we wait and see. One Barretts carrying though I'd suggest he only has a mandate to bring some physicality, not in how he does it. You can see how out of kilter he gets when he tries to do anything other than a simple cart up and pop. Just look at least week when he had two players on the outside to hit in multiple ways and he just indecisively takes the tackle before giving a poor overhead pop. That he still got the pass away hints at what he is "capable of" but as you saw, with free license, its just far off the mark. I've decided Rieko is my 12 from now on. I'd like Jordie to remain primarly at 12 at the Hurricans, as I feel that's were his best alround game can be kept in good shape, and you never know perhaps he will fill into the position after a while, but I'd like to try other centers essentially. But yes, if Razor/Hansen can get both him and Dmac humming in partnership they could also essentially cover many of the fb roles which aren't Jordans strength. Also obv happy to see Rieko tried on the wing just now I think that's more likely to fail than a Rieko/Proctor midfield.

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