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Saracens up the Championship ante by naming a star-studded XV to face Bedford that includes Itoje and co

(Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Promotion-chasing Saracens have massively upped the ante ahead of their latest Championship match on Sunday against Bedford, Mark McCall recalling England internationals Elliot Daly, Mako Vunipola, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola for their first competitive outing at club level in quite a considerable time. 

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Daly, Itoje and Billy Vunipola last lined out for Saracens in the final Gallagher Premiership match of last season, the October 4 draw with Bath 27 weeks ago while Mako Vunipola’s most recent appearance came in the previous week’s agonising Heineken Champions Cup semi-final loss to Racing in Paris.     

They all now come back into a Saracens team skippered by England colleague Jamie George, who made his return to club action in the recent win at Richmond. 

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Northampton and Wales out-half Dan Biggar guests on RugbyPass All Access

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Northampton and Wales out-half Dan Biggar guests on RugbyPass All Access

The latest team selection comes at the end of a week where Owen Farrell was announced as the permanent skipper at a club looking to rebuild following its automatic demotion for repeated salary cap breaches. Farrell misses out this Sunday, though, with what was vaguely described as a “slight strain”.  

“All of the international players are ready to crack on with rugby now,” said McCall on the Saracens website. “They are back in with their teammates. It’s great to have them back and they are all keen to roll their sleeves up.

“The history of these players coming back from international windows has always been really positive. They have been amazing the attitude they have brought. They have brought a real life to the place and it has been incredibly positive.

“It’s a time of the season which our players have always enjoyed. We have always played important games over April and May in the last few years and as it happens some of the games we are going to play are going to be as important.”

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SARACENS (vs Bedford, Sunday): 15. Elliott Obatoyinbo; 14. Alex Lewington, 13, Elliot Daly, 12. Duncan Taylor, 11. Sean Maitland; 10. Manu Vunipola, 9. Aled Davies; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jamie George (capt), 3. Vincent Koch, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Joel Kpoku, 6. Andy Christie, 7. Jackson Wray, 8. Billy Vunipola. Reps: 16. Ethan Lewis, 17. Ralph Adams-Hale, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Callum Hunter-Hill, 20. Janco Venter, 21. Tom Whiteley, 22. Juan Pablo Socino, 23. Dom Morris.

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AM 8 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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