WAITING IN THE LONG GRASS
SCANDAL-HIT SARACENS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN OFF AHEAD OF SATURDAY’S MEETING WITH LEINSTER, BUT THEY REMAIN A VERY REAL THREAT
SO, can anyone stop Leinster? Their Pro14 triumph – a third in succession – was the latest landmark achievement.
Today is officially 509 days since Leo Cullen’s squad were last defeated in a league which has become something of a procession in recent years. Saturday night’s emphatic victory over Ulster was Leinster’s 25th in a row in all competitions.
Their last loss came against Saracens in that thrilling European Champions Cup final at a sun-drenched St James’ Park on May 11 of last year. The province’s quest for a record fifth European star was ruthlessly dashed by the juggernaut London outfit.
A lot of things have changed since that meeting on Tyneside 17 months ago. Saracens will arrive in Dublin a shadow of their former selves in the wake of a harrowing 12 months. The salary-cap scandal has seen a galaxy of stars leave the club on loan – or for good – while the dominant force of English and European rugby for the past decade will suffer the ignominy of playing in the Championship next season. The likes of Coventry, Jersey and the Cornish Pirates will be providing the opposition – quite the fall from grace for such a heavyweight operation.
Still, they fancy their chances next Saturday in the Aviva. Their assistant coach Alex Sanderson was in fighting mood following his side’s 40-17 win over Exeter on Sunday afternoon. All of Saracens’ frontliners sat out that stroll around Allianz Park, but Sanderson was in a bullish mood ahead of their European meeting with Leinster on Saturday.
‘They’re a very good team, we are by far and away the huge underdogs,’ he said with a wry grin.
‘But we’re not going to go there without a fight, you know? We’ve got a few little plans up our sleeve and I think we’re the only team to beat them in the last couple of years so maybe there’s a seed of doubt in their minds as well?’
That last point rings very true. It was telling last week when Stuart Lancaster was speaking to a group of journalists on a Zoom call to preview this looming European clash. Without prompting, the Leinster senior coach – with more than a hint of sarcasm – rued the fact that the reward for his side finishing top seeds, after an unbeaten pool campaign, was a meeting with Saracens, the side which denied them the title the previous season. Only nine players from the matchday 23 which faced Leinster that day in Newcastle remain in Saracens’ ranks at the moment. Big names like Liam Williams, Will Skelton and George Kruis have moved to new clubs while players such as Alex Lozowski have been loaned out to rival clubs so Saracens could get back under the £7million salary cap in the Premiership. Their talisman and out-half Owen Farrell is currently serving a five-game ban for a reckless high tackle. There is no doubt that Mark McCall’s squad has been severely depleted but their starting team still packs a considerable punch. Leo Cullen described the ‘world class’ talent at their disposal last week and the Leinster boss wasn’t just being diplomatic. McCall is likely to select a pack containing the Vunipola brothers, Jamie George, Vincent Koch and Maro Itoje later this week. That’s three Test Lions, a World Cup-winning Springbok tighthead and arguably the best No8 in the world right there. It’s not too shabby.
Richard Wigglesworth is likely to start and the wily Saracens scrum-half is one of the best box kickers in the game. Jordan Larmour, Hugo Keenan and James Lowe will be doing plenty of highball fielding this week over in UCD. A barrage of high balls will be coming their way via Wigglesworth. A backline featuring Brad Barritt, Elliot Daly, Sean Maitland and Alex Goode cannot be underestimated either.
Then there’s the emotional element with Wigglesworth and Barritt – two stalwarts of the club – set to move on in the coming weeks once this current campaign is sorted. Even if Saracens overcame all the current obstacles and managed to retain their European crown, further humiliation would be in store. They would be ineligible for the tournament on the basis that they would be competing in England’s second tier. They won’t lack motivation this weekend.
Saracens have never been the most popular club even before they had the book thrown at them last November for their salary cap indiscretions. They have always revelled in their bad-guy status. If anything, recent events have galvanised this squad even more.
‘Most people hate us anyway and this is just more of a reason to not like us,’ said Jackson Wray, the workhorse flanker who is part of the furniture at Saracens.
‘In many ways it’s brought us closer because you know people are coming at you from all angles.’
Just under a year and a half ago, Saracens and Leinster played out an epic European final. It felt like the beginning of a great rivalry which could potentially define the next decade. One squad has soared to greater heights while the other has fallen from grace.
Leinster are on a seemingly unstoppable run, but Saracens – for all their recent troubles – have all the requisite firepower and motivation to derail this Blue machine.
“Saracens have always revelled in their bad-guy status”