News: Match Preview Saints v Saracens
By David Lowrence
April 19 2010
This will be Saracens' third visit to the Gardens this season, Saints having hosted them twice in the LV= Cup, with the Premiership match at Wembley, this means the tally this year is Saints 2 Saracens 1. This looks like being one of the toughest matches of the season for Saints.
Guinness Premiership Round 21 Saints v Saracens Saturday 24th April, Franklin's Gardens. KO 3pm When I volunteered to write this preview, it was just after the last visit of Saracens on 14th March. it looked to be fairly a fairly straightforward preview. How much has gone on since then! A divertissement caused by a change of heart by one of the Franklin's Favourites, A shiny new Cup courtesy of a visit to Worcester, and the rescheduling of our postponed Bath match to ensure that we face our visitors on the third match in seven days. Oh yes, Saracens have started to score tries again. Negative comments from some quarters notwithstanding, the colourful sight of the black and red supporters at the Gardens is usually the cue for some good banter and much ale to flow. I hope this visit will be no exception. The two previous games at the Gardens this year were in the LV= cup, so I expect to see quite a different side from Watford run out on Saturday. Given the win against Harlequins Last week, Saracens will be on a roll, and will field their strongest side. Brits particularly will be a handful, and I am sure their entire front row will be "Up for it". Saracens have slipped from their position at the top of the Table following their barnstorming first half, but in the last few games they have rediscovered an ability to run the ball and score tries. Make no mistake, they are on a mission, and will be a handful. Last Saturday they beat a peculiarly out of sorts Harlequins at Wembley, with Brits being allowed to run amok, and the team scoring five tries. Given our defensive record this season, I suspect that Saracens may have their work cut out to do that again, and Saints will give as good as they get in the "Running Rugby" stakes. Two evenly matched sides, so it should be an entertaining afternoon. Courtesy of Statbunker, the following stats show how the Saracens have been performing Guinness Premiership 09/10 Saracens Top Scorers Pts Name Nat. Try Pen. Con DG 127 Derick Hougaard South Africa 1 7 30 6 123 Glen Jackson New Zealand 1 17 27 1 25 Schalk Brits South Africa 5 0 0 0 25 Andy Saull England 5 0 0 0 20 Alex Goode England 2 2 1 1 15 Ernst Joubert South Africa 3 0 0 0 15 Chris Wyles England 3 0 0 0 15 Noah Cato England 3 0 0 0 15 Kameli Ratuvou Fiji 3 0 0 0 10 Bradley Barritt South Africa 2 0 0 0 10 Richard Haughton England 2 0 0 0 5 Wikus van Heerden South Africa 1 0 0 0 5 Michael Tagacakibau Fiji 1 0 0 0 5 Justin Melck South Africa 1 0 0 0 5 Neil de Koch South Africa 1 0 0 0 Guinness Premiership 09/10 / Attacking Stats Comparison Fields Saracens Saints Premiership Average Matches Played 20 19 19.83 Total Tries 34 38 30.33 Av. Mins per Try 47.06 40.00 26 mins Total Points 420 394 359.58 Home Points 263 232 202.17 Away Points 157 162 157.42 First Half Points 234 186 191.83 Second Half Points 186 208 167.75 Home Tries 21 24 17.00 Away Tries 13 14 13.33 Penalty Tries 0 0 1.08 First Half Tries 18 18 14.67 Second Half Tries 16 20 15.67 First 10 mins Tries 5 5 2.58 Last 10 mins Tries 5 9 5.00 Tries By Forward 15 10 9.42 Tries By Backs 19 28 19.67 Drop Goal 8 2 3.00 Home Drop Goal 3 1 1.83 Away Drop Goal 5 1 1.17 First Half Drop Goal 6 1 1.50 Second Half Drop Goal 2 1 1.50 Penalty 58 52 52.25 Home Penalty 39 27 29.17 Away Penalty 19 25 23.08 First Half Penalty 34 25 31.33 Second Half Penalty 24 27 20.92 Sin Bin 9 3 7.08 Red Card 0 0 0.50 Kick rate 65% 65% 70% Head to Head Home Team VS Away Team Result Date Saints 20 - 15 Saracens Lose 14/02/2009 Saints 13 - 35 Saracens Won 18/11/2006 Saints 58 - 17 Saracens Lose 18/02/2006 Saints 20 - 21 Saracens Won 05/02/2005 Saints 24 - 3 Saracens Lose 27/03/2004 Saints 34 - 25 Saracens Lose 08/02/2003 Saints 52 - 27 Saracens Lose 27/04/2002 Saints 25 - 14 Saracens Lose 31/03/2001 Saints 8 - 32 Saracens Won 09/10/1999 Saints 18 - 21 Saracens Won 06/02/1999 Saints 13 - 19 Saracens Won 08/11/1997 Saints 17 - 10 Saracens Lose 08/02/1997 Saracens 19 - 16 Saints Won 12/09/2009 Saracens 26 - 12 Saints Won 27/09/2008 Saracens 38 - 15 Saints Won 27/12/2006 Saracens 28 - 22 Saints Won 05/11/2005 Saracens 23 - 12 Saints Won 10/10/2004 Saracens 18 - 22 Saints Lose 15/02/2004 Saracens 31 - 19 Saints Won 28/09/2002 Saracens 25 - 20 Saints Won 23/09/2001 Saracens 10 - 30 Saints Lose 03/12/2000 Saracens 29 - 24 Saints Won 17/05/2000 Saracens 34 - 7 Saints Won 06/09/1998 Saracens 43 - 20 Saints Won 14/05/1998 Saracens 24 - 23 Saints Won 29/10/1996 Overall : Won 16 / Drawn 0 / Lost 9 Guinness Premiership 09/10 Saracens Away Match History Date Home Score Result First Last Gate 09/04/2010 Sale 19 - 30 Won Hougaard Goode 6952 03/04/2010 Gloucester 29 - 28 Lose Burns Burns 13338 07/03/2010 Leeds 19 - 12 Lose Hougaard Ford 4031 21/02/2010 Wasps 9 - 0 Lose Cipriani Cipriani 8530 27/12/2009 L/Irish 23 - 19 Lose Malone Malone 19734 27/11/2009 Worcester 12 - 12 Draw Walker Walker 10027 31/10/2009 Bath 11 - 12 Won Davis Davis 11700 04/10/2009 Newcastle 15 - 22 Won Gopperth Gopperth 5453 19/09/2009 Harlequins 9 - 22 Won Evans Evans 9209 Guinness Premiership 09/10 Saints Home Record - Top Scorers Total Name Nationality Tries Cons Pen DG 69 Stephen Myler England 0 9 16 1 45 Chris Ashton England 9 0 0 0 42 Shane Geraghty England 1 5 9 0 16 Bruce Reihana New Zealand 2 0 2 0 15 Phil Dowson England 3 0 0 0 10 Jon Clarke England 2 0 0 0 5 Ben Foden England 1 0 0 0 5 Petrus Johannes Juandre Kruger South Africa 1 0 0 0 5 Roger Wilson Ireland 1 0 0 0 5 Paul Diggin England 1 0 0 0 5 Soane Tonga'uiha Tonga 1 0 0 0 5 Dylan Hartley England 1 0 0 0 5 Lee Dickson England 1 0 0 0 I am no expert on Saracens' week by week selection policy (or latest injuries), but I expect their team to look something like this: 15. Alex Goode 1. Matias Aguero With a slightly better knowledge of Saints selections I think our team will be: 15 Ben Foden Following a gutsy performance by the rotated squad at Bath on Tuesday night, where the Rec Residents expected to blow us away, the returnees will want to write their names on the shirts with permanent ink Large on the Sarries board has expressed a wish that "win lose or draw, I hope Sarries kick the living daylights out of Saints at Uphill Gardeners next Saturday" A particularly Large-like piece of bravado but I fear he will continue to live in hype. Close. Saints by 6.
Saracens VS Saints
Home : Won 11 / Drawn 0 / Lost 2
Away : Won 5 / Drawn 0 / Lost 7
14. Kameli Ratovou
13. Adam Powell
12. Brad Barritt
11. Rodd Penney
10. Glen Jackson
9. Justin Marshall
2. Schalk Brits
3. Petrus du Plessis
4. Hugh Vyvyan
5. Tom Ryder
6. Jacques Burger
7. Andy Saull
8. Ernst Joubert
Replacements
16. Fabio Ongoro
17. Kas Lealamanua
18. Richard Skuse
19. Mouritz Botha
20. Justin Melck
21. Neil de Kock
22. Derick Hougaard
23. Michael Tagicakibau
14 Chris Ashton
13 Jon Clarke
12 James Downey
11 Bruce Reihana
10 Stephen Myler
9 Lee Dickson
1 Soane Tonga'uiha
2 Dylan Hartley
3 Euan Murray
4 Mark Easter
5 Juandre Kruger
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Phil Dowson
8 Roger Wilson
Replacements
16 Brett Sharman
17 Regardt Dreyer
18 Brian Mujati
19 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
20 Neil Best
21 Alan Dickens
22 Shane Geraghty
23 Joe Ansbro
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A couple of weeks ago I suggested on here that Soane may be rested for this game, I still think he might be. As you stated the Sarries front row will be hyped up for this game, and don't need any inflaming comments from Large to make things worse.
Let us hope nothing silly goes on.
I do believe that the conversation will have taken place between Tiny and the coaches but I reckon he's a nailed on cert to start.
Actually I would expect Tiny to be an absolute 'cert' for this game.
Why do you think Mark Easter will start in the second row - do you know something?
And is Steve Borthwick is injured? Sarries line out last week was terrible.
The real question is to who starts at Fly half for us. If its Hougaard then you will see more kicking (though not as much as before), where as Glen Jackson runs the ball more. Either way I expect you'll see both at some point in the afternoon.
I'm afraid work commitments mean I'm missing this one in person, should be a great match though!
One thing we know for sure is that Sarries will have to chase the win. Could be an interesting afternoon!
Dylan will need his biggest and most disciplined game of this season to keep Brits under wraps.
Dowse will need to sit on Saull from minutes 1 to 80.
Don't give the ball to Goode
Clean out their line out please Juandre.
Front row.....do them up front!
COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!
Good preview, mate.
If Large thinks our boys are going to sit there any take ANY sort of kicking on OUR patch, in front of OUR fans, then he's probably been in the pub too long.
We have the squad to win this.
May the best team win, fairly and squarely. Saints by 9.
Come On You Saints
Saint til I die
Making a statement of intent for the semi-final is probably our realistic aim.
I suspect much will depend on how our scrum goes- in recent weeks it has been a big concern.
then sarries did it!
who is Jacksons replacement? Ronan O'Gara?
1) Allegations were never even made, let alone substantiated. Rumour and here-say should not be thrown around without thought, it is damaging to the game as a whole and to all concerned. This sites guidelines are here and here.
2) One member's comment supplied without context in no way represents the views of the poster, their fellow board members or the club they support.
3) The Saracens board is here; anyone is welcome at any time.
You will see a nice open game of rugby in front of fanatical supporters in a great stadium at the weekend. I'm sure Saracens will play their part, but I hope and expect Saints to win. You won't see Easter at 4 though.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:04:23:02:01:32 by Undersizedprop.
not strictly true in my experience...
Quote:Haslam
Andy, three points;
1) Allegations were never even made, let alone substantiated. Rumour and here-say should not be thrown around without thought, it is damaging to the game as a whole and to all concerned. This sites guidelines are here and here.
2) One member's comment supplied without context in no way represents the views of the poster, their fellow board members or the club they support.
3) The Saracens board is here; anyone is welcome at any time.
To reply to you points.
1) Enough said on that matter, I could say more but I wont.
2) Sorry dont get your point, this is a homophobic comment from a high profile Saracens supporter. I never said all Saracens fans were homophobes or that the club is. Large is at Saracens and has made a homophobic comment.
3) I know where the board is I meant the comment. Oh and SaintsDuncan is correct.