English star Daly eager to build momentum as Leinster duel appears on horizon
ENGLAND star Elliot Daly wants Saracens to use their return to action at Bristol on Saturday to start building momentum ahead of next month’s Champions Cup quarter-final tie with Leinster.
The Gallagher Premiership will resume tomorrow, 159 days after the coronavirus pandemic brought it to a halt.
Saracens have little to play for after they were relegated after repeated salary cap breaches, but, with a last-eight European clash pencilled in for September 19, Mark McCall’s side have a target to focus on.
“We have quite a few games to get into form again, to play well as a team and create some momentum ahead of that because we will need it against a good Leinster side,” Daly said. “To build for that, it will take our whole squad to get us there. These next few games in the Premiership are important to get momentum going.
“Usually winning games gives you momentum and playing well, so there is a big emphasis on what we do here as a team and as a club to try and push forward.”
If Saracens can get past Leinster, the team they beat in the final in 2019, they will play in the last-four a week later, while the final is set to be staged in Marseille on October 17.
Were McCall’s men to make it there, they could have to juggle life in the Championship with the glamour of another Champions Cup final. Sarries back Daly added: “We know exactly what we need to do in this block of games leading up to the quarter-finals.
“After that I think we will logically look at it if we make it through to the semi-finals, the next block of games and after that as well.
Mentality
“If we are playing in the Championship and the Champions Cup at the same time, however it works I think for us it will be the ‘next game’ mentality.
“Our squad is very good, the quality is all around and, if we do need to chop and change and bring people in, I think everyone is happy to do that.”
Daly was one of several England players to sign a long-term contract at
Saracens recently in a major show of faith to the club.
Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Mako and Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje are all staying put despite relegation, ahead of next summer when the British and Irish Lions travel to South Africa.
Daly would love to be part of Warren Gatland’s squad and hopes he will be judged on his displays in an England shirt.
“I think Warren and the coaches will look at international games more than the club games,” the 27-year-old said.
“Personally I just need to get into that form where, if I am playing for England on that level, I just need try and play my best rugby to show myself off in that way.”
When the Premiership returns tomorrow night all eyes will be on whether Harlequins and Sale follow the examples set by football and cricket in taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Ex-Wasps wing Daly revealed the Saracens squad were yet to talk about the issue ahead of Saturday’s game at Bristol, but highlighted the work of team-mate Itoje in calling for change.
He said: “I think for me, it is supporting my team-mates and we have some people in our group, Maro especially, doing stuff on his platform, so to support someone like that is what I want to do.
“Obviously we will have a chat about it as a squad and, whatever we do, we will do together.”
Premiership players and staff have undergone regular Covid-19 tests in the build-up to the season restarting.
It has emerged that, should a club be unable to fulfil a fixture because of coronavirus, then the opposing team would be awarded a bonuspoint win by a 20-0 scoreline, subject to ratification by a Premiership panel.
Meanwhile, Alex Goode has signed a new contract with Saracens which will see the full-back continue at Allianz Park until 2023, the club confirmed yesterday
The deal means the 32-year-old will spend almost 20 years with the club, whose academy side he joined before going on to appear for the first team in 2008.