Barritt: World Cup is opportunity to evolve
SARACENS skipper Brad Barritt has thrown down the gauntlet to his young guns by urging them to improve standards and lay claim to a firstteam jersey.
With 14 Saracens players missing during the World Cup, including eight of England’s 31-man squad, last season’s domestic and European double winners will be fully stretched in the opening weeks of the campaign and again during the subsequent Six Nations.
Younger stars such as forwards Ben Earl, Andy Christie, Joel Kpoku, Josh Ibuanokpe and Sam Wainwright are likely to be given chances, while among the backs aiming to impress are Matt Gallagher, Max Malins, Ali Crossdale, Tom Whiteley and Elliott Obatoyinbo.
Barritt said: “It’s been a really long, drawn-out preseason but it’s given lots of young boys the opportunity to get familiar with the team. Some have played before, others haven’t, but we’ve got to see this as a huge positive for the wider group.
“The whole squad is going to get tested but it’s the bits you work on in preseason that give these guys confidence to go into the season firing. Winning the double last season creates a sense of euphoria and accomplishment within the club, but from day one now it counts for nothing and the challenge for the greater group is to stake a claim for a Saracens shirt.”
Barritt added: “Minus our internationals, 80 per cent of the current Saracens squad weren’t involved in either the Premiership or Champions Cup finals, so it’s a clean slate and an opportunity for the team to evolve – just as Saracens teams have done before.
“The way in which we won the league in 2011 was very different to the way we won in 2019 and the team and the game are changing at a rapid pace. We therefore have to be at the forefront of innovation and how we’re going to operate to be successful again.
“Last season, I’d say the Premiership was as competitive as it has been for a very long time. Results never went the way you anticipated and between third and ninth was tightly congested.
“Bristol were hugely competitive and it’s crazy to think that a good team like Newcastle, who reached the play-offs the previous year, ended up being relegated.
“With that in mind, you have to ensure that everyone in your team is committed to the cause and shares the vision of working together. What I’m seeing in preseason is hugely encouraging and our guys are fully focussed on that task.”
Meanwhile, Barritt believes the leadership qualities he has helped instil in England’s core of Saracens players will provide a significant boost to their World Cup chances.
With Owen Farrell, George Kruis, Maro Itoje, Jamie George and the Vunipola brothers looking nailed on in England’s gun XV, he said: “That’s hugely beneficial for England.
“In terms of my own leadership style, I like to empower the people around me and within that group you’ve got some of the core leaders at Saracens who now have that experience, who are not afraid of speaking up, giving their input or driving things forward.
“In Owen I see a great leader who leads from the front and will not ask anything of the team that he’s not willing to do himself.
“We try to get people who back up what they say, so whether it’s someone leading from the front at the set-piece like Jamie, Maro or George, we always like to empower people who are doing the job and respect and trust their judgement under pressure.”
Barritt, who suffered bitter World Cup disappointment with England in 2015, added: “England will have as good a chance as anyone in Japan, but World Cups come down to fine margins and those often dictate your momentum during tournaments.
“It’s not bonus-point dependent or on flashy stuff, it’s about the core cogs working together and guys being able to find a way to win.”