Morris No to Munster shows love of Sarries
WHEN push came to shove there was only one place Dom Morris wanted to be.
Even though there was an opportunity to join Munster, and potentially represent Ireland courtesy of his Irish-born grandmother, the 24-year-old centre had no intention of leaving the club he grew up supporting.
Hard-running centre Morris played for England at U20s level and helped them to the 2017 Six Nations title. And having cemented himself as the glue of the Saracens backline Morris insists his best route to international rugby is by remaining at the StoneX Stadium.
“For me there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” said Morris when asked why he turned down a move to Munster.
“Saracens is just a great environment to be in. As a player I’m still learning, and there are such big names here that you can take so many learnings from training and games.
“I’ve made friends over the years that it’d be hard to leave. I’ve got my family nearby, and I’m very pleased to be part of this club.
“It’d be an honour to play international rugby full stop. I’d be happy with either (Ireland or England), but for now my focus is on Sarries, playing my best rugby, and hopefully things will fall into place after that.”
Morris is a player who epitomises the Saracens culture: a local talent who has benefited from the club’s world class development pathway and has reached the top through sheer hard work.
He has been fortunate to learn from the likes of Owen Farrell, Marcelo Bosch, Alex Goode and Richard Wigglesworth down the years. And he insists the competition for places in Mark McCall’s squad will push him to become a better player.
“In my early years at Saracens Marcelo Bosch, right, was my mentor. He was really good to me and gave me a lot of confidence in my game.
“I used to go through a lot of clips with him when I was on loan at other clubs like Bedford.
“I think that’s what helped me push on here. I got to play with him a few times which was helpful, and he gave me a lot of confidence to believe in myself a bit more.
“On a personal level I’ve been pleased with the amount of game time I’ve been getting. I think I’ve gone pretty well, but there’s always work ons, and I’m constantly looking for ways to improve.”
Mark McCall’s side currently sit in second spot in the Premiership table, eight points behind leaders Leicester Tigers.
Considering this is the club’s first season since getting promoted back into
English rugby’s top-flight, Morris is happy with where they are, but insists there is more to come.
“I think we’ve got a keen eye on making an impact in the Premiership this season,” said Morris.
“Getting to the play-offs would be the best step, then it’s about pushing on and winning those games. We are striving to get in that top four, and then we can really get excited.”