Most tourist guides give you the lowdown on the place you’re about to visit. But ours is different. It’s about the team, not the place.
Name:
Saracens
Location:
StoneX Stadium, Saracens
Population:
23
Things to see:
Their trophy cabinet - Over the past decade or so, Saracens have won five premiership titles and three European Cups. It takes Saracens longer to clean their trophy cabinet than it does for most teams to clean their changing rooms. Plus, they’re also 11 points clear at the top of English Premiership this season.
Alex Lozowski – one of the most underrated players in their squad – arguably the league. A genuine triple threat centre, the likes of which are rare in modern rugby. Played plenty of rugby at ten and it shows. His hands are as good as anyone’s in the league. And his feet are as good as many player’s hands.
Owen Farrell – many portray him as the ‘Marmite’ figure in English rugby. But he isn’t, he’s the butter, especially at Saracens. If you love a line-breaking ten, Farrell may not be your man. But your you’re looking for a player who can distribute and kick, to an elite level, Farrell would be your choice.
Famous landmarks:
Alex Goode is almost a permanent landmark at Saracens. To the point that on an ordnance survey map of Hendon, Goode is featured alongside two churches, a river, and a steep incline. At 34 Goode has played just one season away from the club when he took a gig in Japan. He is the club’s most capped player and remains one of the most consistent players in the league.
Things to avoid:
Billy Vunipola
Billy V may be out of contention for England selection, but that doesn’t mean he has become any less painful to tackle. Off the base of the scrum, or from a ruck pick-up, he still has the power to turn full grown men into little pots of human pate.
Getting stepped
Saracens’ have an unfair reputation for being a ‘kicking’ team. So this may come as a surprise. But this season, they are leading the league in defenders beaten. It doesn’t seem a very ‘Saracensy’ stat, but you can’t ignore the data. Nick Tompkins will have undoubtedly helped with in this regard – his feet move so smoothly they look like something produced by Aardman Animations.
Not conceding too many penalties
This may seem obvious. But it is particularly important when playing Saracens. They have the fourth lowest penalty count in the league. Which is a worry for all opposition teams. It means there are few easy opportunities to clear your half or gain territory. Even more worrying is it that it will lead to few opportunities to setup attacking lineouts/ mauls in their half.
Jamie George
In a world of centres and backrow forwards being converted to hooker, Jamie George is very much a player who was destined to play at two as soon as the egg was fertilised in his mother’s womb. Excellent scrummager, solid lineout thrower and a player who rarely loses the ball in contact. The perfect hooker.
Focusing on the older players
As a rugby supporter looking at Saracens, it’s very easy to focus on their senior players – of which there are stacks. But they have a stable of good youngsters in the squad also. Itoje will always get the headlines at lock, but Tizzard looks like the real deal.
What to pack:
A backrow who can drop ball carriers, fast.
With Billy Vunipola, they have one of the best carriers in the league - Billy V is second in the league for carries this season, just one behind Gloucester’s Ruan Ackerman. And in Ben Earl they also have one of the best all-court backrow forwards. With Billy V carrying, and Ben Earl on the jackal, your backrow/ loosehead needs to be over the ball faster than a pigeon on kebab.
A back three who can cope with a kicking game.
Farrell kicks a lot. Not in a bad way, it’s just that modern rugby requires an enormous amount of tactical kicking in order to create space elsewhere. Like Jonny Sexton, Farrell doesn’t shy away from this aspect of the game and accepts it as a necessary evil. But it’s bad news if you’re playing in the opposition’s back three, as you’ll be fielding more balls than one of those little buggies at the driving range.
Thank you for reading this guide to the Saracens. We hope you enjoy the trip!