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Skelton's contract extension highlights how Saracens are still the team to beat

By Josh Raisey

27 Aug 2019

Will Skelton has landed himself an extended deal at Saracens

After failing to make Michael Cheika’s Australia squad for next month’s World Cup, Saracens lock Will Skelton responded on Monday by signing a new two-year deal with the Champions Cup winners.

There had been rumours for months that the Wallabies were going to find a way to wrangle the 27-year-old into their Test squad even though Skelton, with only 18 caps, was not eligible to be picked under the Giteau rule which states that any overseas player should have over 60 international caps.

Like former Exeter scrum-half Nic White and ex-Sale Sharks midfielder James O’Connor have done, Skelton would have needed to move back to Super Rugby in order to get into the squad for Japan.

A move like that would have seriously weakened Saracens going into next season, and fans on social media are wary of how strong Sarries are with him.

The transformation that Skelton has gone through since arriving in north London in 2017 is staggering. He has shed a lot of weight, has since become fitter, more mobile and more powerful.

?? Saracens can confirm @SkeltonWilliam has committed his future to the club! ??https://t.co/9gRwZt46q2
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) August 26, 2019

His international career had stalled when he was still in Australia, but he has undoubtedly reinvented himself with Mark McCall’s team and would surely have made the Wallabies team if he were allowed.

Such has his transformation been that he started in both the Champions Cup and the Premiership finals, forcing England lock Maro Itoje to play as a loose forward. Those on Twitter seem all too aware of how crucial Skelton is to Saracens and the way they play.

Rugby Australia are looking beyond World Cup 2019 and considering what tweaks can be done to the Giteau rule https://t.co/lbYHxAQB1L
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 27, 2019

Losing him would have left a huge dent in their pack, so this contract extension is a statement of intent by the club and a sign that they will still be the team to beat going into next season. This is what has been said:

Skelton was an integral part of Sarries winning the title last season with his physicality and handling – securing him long-term is a big statement by Mark McCall's side. https://t.co/8vCwHjO8qp
— Andrew (@AMSinclair97) August 26, 2019

Brilliant piece of business for both player and club. Skelton has reinvented himself at Saracens. https://t.co/KS8Mg9XTK0
— Miles (@MilesBennettRGB) August 26, 2019

Brilliant news ! Been fantastic since he first arrived at Saracens & it getting better & better ! Huge news ahead of a new season ! ???
— Kate (@k_iddon) August 26, 2019

Great news to have the big man signed up. Looking forward to see you rumble your way through more defensive lines this season @SkeltonWilliam #ForeverSarries
— Joe Sheehan (@jodys75) August 26, 2019

https://twitter.com/dcollen/status/1165948331408973824?s=20

Fab news, here's to another two barnstorming years!
— Oliver Archer (@trombiker) August 26, 2019

With England and British and Irish Lion Elliot Daly arriving at Allianz Park next season, as well as the likes of Jack Singleton and Rhys Carre, there will be no let-up from Saracens in their pursuit of a fourth European title and further Premiership honours.

However, as good as those signings are, retaining Skelton may prove to be the best bit of business for the club all summer.

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Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 34 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 41 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

There is a continued murmur in local circles about reciprocal bi annual tours between SA and Argentine. Whether it's full blooded test tours or development tours or a mixture - ie touring with a "test" 20 and a development 20 the cream of which will be used in tests. We actually really enjoy playing the Argies and I believe they enjoy playing us. It goes back seventy years to the Junior Bok tours to Argentine involving Isaac van Heerden.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 48 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 49 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 53 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 57 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.

"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"

After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 2 hours ago

How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour