Leinster v Salarysins

[blockhead]

If we win, and the players are shaking hands out on the pitch.
How about "We'll meet again"-Ross Parker and Hughie Charles.

y'now the one
We'll meet again
Don't know where
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

More be-fitting of a great rival, arguably our greatest ever rival.

[Peg Leg]

If we win, and the players are shaking hands out on the pitch.
How about "We'll meet again"-Ross Parker and Hughie Charles.

y'now the one
We'll meet again
Don't know where
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

More be-fitting of a great rival, arguably our greatest ever rival.

Nah

[ronk]

Suggest away, all suggestions welcome (I actually considered Hank Williams, but it didn't fit my indie/ska groove )

I'm easy to please - anything from Johnny Cash!

Ring of fire

[Oldschool]

Given the potential for conspiracy theories regardless of the result.
PARANOID

[riocard911]

"Dollar Bill Blues" - Townes Van Zandt

[Twist]

Saracens lost 41-14 to Quinn today. This was their starting 23


15 Matt Gallagher (44)
14 Alex Lewington (42)
13 Alex Lozowski (104)
12 Brad Barritt [COPYRIGHT SIGN] (254)
11 Rotimi Segun (25)
10 Manu Vunipola (17)
9 Richard Wigglesworth (243)
1 Richard Barrington (184)
2 Jack Singleton (9)
3 Vincent Koch (76)
4 Callum Hunter-Hill (9)
5 Joel Kpoku (24)
6 Nick Isiekwe (80)
7 Calum Clark (47)
8 Jackson Wray (241)

Replacements

16 Tom Woolstencroft (28)
17 Titi Lamositele (88)
18 Josh Ibuanokpe (7)
19 Andy Christie (5)
20 Sean Reffell (14)
21 Ben Spencer (169)
22 Dom Morris (13)
23 Elliott Obatoyinbo (7)

[FLIP]

That's a pretty second string side for them, more so than they put out against the Ospreys

Edit: Barritt pulled out before the game, Wray was Captain instead. Luke Pearse demanded that Saracens provide a different captain in his place after Wray lost the plot.

[Ruckedtobits]

Saracens lost 41-14 to Quinn today. This was their starting 23


15 Matt Gallagher (44)
14 Alex Lewington (42)
13 Alex Lozowski (104)
12 Brad Barritt [COPYRIGHT SIGN] (254)
11 Rotimi Segun (25)
10 Manu Vunipola (17)
9 Richard Wigglesworth (243)
1 Richard Barrington (184)
2 Jack Singleton (9)
3 Vincent Koch (76)
4 Callum Hunter-Hill (9)
5 Joel Kpoku (24)
6 Nick Isiekwe (80)
7 Calum Clark (47)
8 Jackson Wray (241)

Replacements

16 Tom Woolstencroft (28)
17 Titi Lamositele (88)
18 Josh Ibuanokpe (7)
19 Andy Christie (5)
20 Sean Reffell (14)
21 Ben Spencer (169)
22 Dom Morris (13)
23 Elliott Obatoyinbo (7)

Barritt didn't play and was replaced by Morris. Jackson Wray was captain and had problems all day with Luke Pearce (Ref).

Sarries were beaten out the door by a smart Harlequins team directed by Care & Smith at half-back but driven by a back-row in which Dombrack & Robshaw which should give Leinster a lot of clues as to how to play this Sarries team.

Sarries DoR McCall spoke beforehand about how this week had been very tough for the Sarries players who had not departed to English Camp as they realised that they had no certain future with the Club and would spent the next 4/5 months playing meaningless games.

It was painfully evident that the Sarries players had little or no resolve In the game and no appetite for commitment when it mattered. Facing teams, and players, who are ambitious or chasing Play-off positions, or a new Contract, will be increasingly difficult for them with the overhang of uncertainty which pervades that Club.

Sarries may have 6/8 players in 6N Squads for the next 8 weeks but that still means that about 14/17 of their quarter-final match day Squad will be in a position of playing matches of no consequence for the next two months. It is inconceivable that within that environment they will maintain the team-work and hard-nosed outlook which created the Sarries repuration over the past decade.

[riocard911]

An entertaining take on the current state of play in today's Observer under the headline:

The sorry tale of Saracens still leaves questions to be answered

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... ap-scandal

[joooooe]

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club

There is little cultured about that club, though they do have the Boy George at hooker.

[arsebiscuits1]

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club

There is little cultured about that club, though they do have the Boy George at hooker.

Careful what you call him. You might end up with a fine and a touchline ban

[Blue not red blood]

Fat Boy Slim perhaps

[Ruckedtobits]

Just in case anybody thinks that it going to get easier for Sarries now that the 6N has arrived, here's a reminder of their games before they face us in Aviva in the first weekend of April:

• v Sale (H) on 15th Feb;
  v Wasps (A) on 21st Feb;
  v Saints (A) on 28th Feb;
  v Leicester (H) on 7th March;
  v Bristol (A) on 20th March;
  v Quins (H) on 27th March

.

This would make a tasty fixture list during the Six Nations for Sarries at any stage of the past 5 seasons. Only Leicester are not currently competing for a Play-Off position, and even they have a new Head Coach with his own objectives. This Season, every one of the six teams they have to face will approach the game with a different ferocity and expectation and their respective Head Coaches may not have to remind them of their bonus payments arrangements

[Oldschool]

Just in case anybody thinks that it going to get easier for Sarries SECONDS now that the 6N has arrived, here's a reminder of their games before they face us in Aviva in the first weekend of April:

• v Sale (H) on 15th Feb;
  v Wasps (A) on 21st Feb;
  v Saints (A) on 28th Feb;
  v Leicester (H) on 7th March;
  v Bristol (A) on 20th March;
  v Quins (H) on 27th March

.

This would make a tasty fixture list during the Six Nations for Sarries at any stage of the past 5 seasons. Only Leicester are not currently competing for a Play-Off position, and even they have a new Head Coach with his own objectives. This Season, every one of the six teams they have to face will approach the game with a different ferocity and expectation and their respective Head Coaches may not have to remind them of their bonus payments arrangements

Don't want you falling foul of the "Trades Description Act" now do we?

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Just in case anybody thinks that it going to get easier for Sarries now that the 6N has arrived, here's a reminder of their games before they face us in Aviva in the first weekend of April:

• v Sale (H) on 15th Feb;
  v Wasps (A) on 21st Feb;
  v Saints (A) on 28th Feb;
  v Leicester (H) on 7th March;
  v Bristol (A) on 20th March;
  v Quins (H) on 27th March

.

This would make a tasty fixture list during the Six Nations for Sarries at any stage of the past 5 seasons. Only Leicester are not currently competing for a Play-Off position, and even they have a new Head Coach with his own objectives. This Season, every one of the six teams they have to face will approach the game with a different ferocity and expectation and their respective Head Coaches may not have to remind them of their bonus payments arrangements

Do they really care about those games now that they are going to be relegated? My guess is they don't and their game v quins on the 27th march will be the first "full squad" game for Saracens* after the 6N. Looks like a tough fixture list..but I reckon their eyes will be on the HC come april.

[bluemagic]

Great to see Doris get the start for Ireland. Exposure for our number eights at test match physicality is vital before Saracens. Likewise with Kelleher off the bench. As good as both have been for us this season they will not have faced a physical battle like this before.

On a similar note good to see Larmour getting exposure at fullback for Ireland. Would love to see him get a run of games there to really test his positioning, kicking etc. before Saracens come to town.

Let’s hope Deegan gets similar exposure.

[Ruckedtobits]

Just in case anybody thinks that it going to get easier for Sarries now that the 6N has arrived, here's a reminder of their games before they face us in Aviva in the first weekend of April:

• v Sale (H) on 15th Feb;
  v Wasps (A) on 21st Feb;
  v Saints (A) on 28th Feb;
  v Leicester (H) on 7th March;
  v Bristol (A) on 20th March;
  v Quins (H) on 27th March

.

This would make a tasty fixture list during the Six Nations for Sarries at any stage of the past 5 seasons. Only Leicester are not currently competing for a Play-Off position, and even they have a new Head Coach with his own objectives. This Season, every one of the six teams they have to face will approach the game with a different ferocity and expectation and their respective Head Coaches may not have to remind them of their bonus payments arrangements

Do they really care about those games now that they are going to be relegated? My guess is they don't and their game v quins on the 27th march will be the first "full squad" game for Saracens* after the 6N. Looks like a tough fixture list..but I reckon their eyes will be on the HC come april.

That's exactly the point. If 2/3rds of the Sarries Squad who will face us in April have spent the previous 2 months getting picked off by teams with more motivation and comparable talent, that will create an impossible environment in which to prepare a Squad for a major, one-off, knock-out game.

Everybody in professional rugby in the Northern Hemisphere is aware of how difficult it is, in normal circumstances, to re-integrate returning internationals into a Club scene. Trying to do so when that Club scene has been mired in confusion and controversy about next year's contracts, fixture lists or even Coaches, will be well nigh impossible.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Just in case anybody thinks that it going to get easier for Sarries now that the 6N has arrived, here's a reminder of their games before they face us in Aviva in the first weekend of April:

• v Sale (H) on 15th Feb;
  v Wasps (A) on 21st Feb;
  v Saints (A) on 28th Feb;
  v Leicester (H) on 7th March;
  v Bristol (A) on 20th March;
  v Quins (H) on 27th March

.

This would make a tasty fixture list during the Six Nations for Sarries at any stage of the past 5 seasons. Only Leicester are not currently competing for a Play-Off position, and even they have a new Head Coach with his own objectives. This Season, every one of the six teams they have to face will approach the game with a different ferocity and expectation and their respective Head Coaches may not have to remind them of their bonus payments arrangements

Do they really care about those games now that they are going to be relegated? My guess is they don't and their game v quins on the 27th march will be the first "full squad" game for Saracens* after the 6N. Looks like a tough fixture list..but I reckon their eyes will be on the HC come april.

That's exactly the point. If 2/3rds of the Sarries Squad who will face us in April have spent the previous 2 months getting picked off by teams with more motivation and comparable talent, that will create an impossible environment in which to prepare a Squad for a major, one-off, knock-out game.

Everybody in professional rugby in the Northern Hemisphere is aware of how difficult it is, in normal circumstances, to re-integrate returning internationals into a Club scene. Trying to do so when that Club scene has been mired in confusion and controversy about next year's contracts, fixture lists or even Coaches, will be well nigh impossible.

Leaving aside the controversy, couldn't the same of what you said be said about 2\3rds of the Leinster 1st team on 6N duty?

[Ruckedtobits]

14 Leinster in Irish Squad. The other Leinster players in an unbeaten environment facing games to stay unbeaten at the top of their League and make case for inclusion in European Cup Squad. I consider that the diametrically opposite position compared to Sarries.

[ronk]

That's exactly the point. If 2/3rds of the Sarries Squad who will face us in April have spent the previous 2 months getting picked off by teams with more motivation and comparable talent, that will create an impossible environment in which to prepare a Squad for a major, one-off, knock-out game.

Everybody in professional rugby in the Northern Hemisphere is aware of how difficult it is, in normal circumstances, to re-integrate returning internationals into a Club scene. Trying to do so when that Club scene has been mired in confusion and controversy about next year's contracts, fixture lists or even Coaches, will be well nigh impossible.

It wasn't a problem for Saracens in other years. They are used to the calendar at this level.

It's possible that relegation will hurt them in the QF but they could just as easily be stronger.