Champs bring in Burnley boss to help end their mini-slump
SARACENS have turned to Burnley boss Sean Dyche to help them avoid another mid-season slump.
The English champions are in France where they need victory at Lyon in the Champions Cup tomorrow to avoid a hat-trick of away defeats.
England star Richard Wigglesworth insists there is no chance of a repeat of 12 months ago when the north Londoners endured their worst losing run for 15 years before recovering spectacularly to win the Premiership.
But the club is taking no chances and this week responded to successive losses at Exeter and
Sale by inviting Dyche (above) to address the squad.
Sarries boss Mark McCall revealed: “Sean talked about things which are really important for us with how we have been the last couple of weeks – about remembering what made us successful in the past and not steering too far away from it.
“He admitted that last year Burnley overachieved and said he
FLOOD MUST STEM THE TIDE
FORMER England fly-half Toby Flood returns from injury on a mission to keep Newcastle’s improbable Champions Cup dream alive.
Flood (right) and his side are rock bottom of the Premiership yet go to Montpellier with a 100 per cent record against felt that with a little bit of success, sometimes, some players – even marginally – can take little short-cuts and get distracted by small things.
“Those small things can then have quite a big impact on a team. It was a good reminder for us to make sure we are not taking those short-cuts.” Burnley, who finished seventh and qualified for Europe last season, have rallied after a dreadful start to this campaign to win three in a row in all competitions.
Few expect Sarries’ mini-slump to continue, given they boast one of only three 100 per cent records in Europe’s top competition and lie second in the Premiership.
But Wigglesworth said: “It is no secret we are searching for our best. We weren’t happy on our winning run, so we certainly aren’t going to be after a couple of losses.
“What Sean referred to is subliminal. You don’t know you’re doing it. What I do know is that standards across the board are improving, so we also need to get better.”
McCall agreed: “We are not French opposition in Europe this season.
When the sides met in October the Falcons produced a 38-phase attack eight minutes into added time to stun the visitors.
But back-to-back defeats by Edinburgh means lightning must getting things our own way, the way we used to. So we have to fight for everything.”
He has identified that Saracens need to improve their emotional response to adversity.
“That has been a massive strength of ours down the years, but I don’t think as a group we are handling small or large setbacks as well as we can,” he added. “Our rugby flows from how we feel.”
The return to fitness of Maro Itoje (bottom left) provides a timely boost and Billy Vunipola (top left) will be better for his first 80 minutes in three months last week. strike twice or their Euro hopes will almost certainly die.
Boss Dean Richards said: “They have a team of superstars, but we’re not bothered about that. “We’ve come up against teams like that before and beaten them.”
LIFE’S GR-EIGHT FOR OWENS
WALES hooker Ken Owens will again prepare for the Six Nations by playing out of position at No.8.
Scarlets skipper Owens retains the shirt he wore in last week’s win over Dragons for the Champions Cup clash at home to Leicester. Warren Gatland names his Wales squad next week and there are just 20 days before they kick off their Six Nations campaign in France.
Owens (right) acquitted himself well in his first game at the back of the scrum, carrying 12 times for 27 metres and making six tackles and a turnover. “It shows the true leader he is,” said Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac. “For a British Lion to play from the front row to the loose forwards at this level of the game shows he is putting the jersey first, the club first.”