No Mako, Billy or Owen – but can Saracens still challenge?
It’s all change at the StoneX Stadium. But with change comes a refresh and that could be no bad thing for Mark McCall’s men. How will they get on this year? Well, here’s our Saracens Gallagher Premiership preview…
Discussion points
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There’s been a revolving door at Sarries’ St Albans training ground as players come and go. Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers, with 266 England caps between them, are the tip of an iceberg – the club has seen five loosehead props alone depart.
All of which makes it difficult to discern whether the 2023 champions will resemble the classy team that fought to gritty wins at Bath and Bristol in late season or the shambolic outfit that leaked 65 points at Exeter and 100 points across two games in Bordeaux.
They conceded six scrum penalties in the losing semi-final at Saints. The academy talent is not in question and if this is the start of a transitional period for the six-time Premiership champions, nobody should be surprised if it leads to a new era of dominance.
Key player
Ben Earl has been in fine form for club and country (Getty Images)
Take your pick. Maro Itoje gives away too many penalties and collects too many cards but he’s the boss in almost every match he plays. And as for Ben Earl, commentator Dave Flatman put it well after the win at Bristol: “He was machine-like. You often hear grunts on the ref mic – people being hit by Earl.”
One to watch
Replacing Farrell is critical and Fergus Burke, presumably, will be the man to do it. With an English mother and Scottish grandma, the ex-NZ U20 fly-half qualifies for three countries and has Test ambitions. At 24, he’s in his early days but if his pinpoint punts to the corner are anything to go by, he’ll be quite an asset.
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Coaches’ box
Ex-England hooker Rob Webber joins as assistant forwards & transition coach after a spell at Chicago Hounds. A home-grown unit under DoR Mark McCall features Joe Shaw (head), Adam Powell (defence), Kevin Sorrell (backs) and Ian Peel (forwards).
Prediction
Excepting their relegation for breaching the salary cap, Sarries are play-off regulars. But this could be the year they fall short.
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