Bordeaux vs Saracens - Sat 5.30pm

[Banquo]

Chastening experience for Saracens. They simply cant compete with the top teams at this level. They look an old team, in real need of fresh legs.

Yes, and have too many average players. Van Zyl and Maitland were especially pants I thought.

[Banquo]

Chastening experience for Saracens. They simply cant compete with the top teams at this level. They look an old team, in real need of fresh legs.

With Farrell and BillyV going it's the end of a era a bit. If Mako goes as well the rebuild really will be in full swing. There's younger players coming in but looking at that back three in particular they could definitely use some fresh legs or at least Parton staying fit.

Agreed, Maitland was pony and Lewington iffy, and Daly has forgotten how to run.

[twitchy]

Chastening experience for Saracens. They simply cant compete with the top teams at this level. They look an old team, in real need of fresh legs.

They could compete when they broke the salary cap. They can't when they don't (or it takes a few seasons of careful planning to build up to it). I don't see any 'big takeaways' from these results really.

[Captainhaircut]

Said it a while ago, they have stayed too loyal to players well past their best. Billy, Mako, Maitland all getting new deals in the past few years.

It’s left them with any underpowered pack at the top level and a backline that really offers no threat at all. A pair of half backs who offer no running threat, a centre partnership which is much of nothing and a back 3 that can barely run.

Not sure how complete their recruitment is. Brantingham, Carre, Burke, Johnson and I think I saw Spink looks ok. Need a tighthead, new back 3 and a scrum half as well though…

[Mikey Brown]

At least Tom Willis looked good.

[twitchy]

Said it a while ago, they have stayed too loyal to players well past their best. Billy, Mako, Maitland all getting new deals in the past few years.

It’s left them with any underpowered pack at the top level and a backline that really offers no threat at all. A pair of half backs who offer no running threat, a centre partnership which is much of nothing and a back 3 that can barely run.

Not sure how complete their recruitment is. Brantingham, Carre, Burke, Johnson and I think I saw Spink looks ok. Need a tighthead, new back 3 and a scrum half as well though…

What does this say about quins who they put 50+ by a few weeks back?

[Scrumhead]

Nothing … Saracens were excellent that day, Quins were awful.

Since then Saracens have lost heavily to Saints and Bordeaux and Quins have beaten good Bath and Glasgow sides.

I very much doubt Quins will beat Bordeaux in France, but I’m not basing that solely on getting whipped by Saracens post 6N.

[FKAS]

Said it a while ago, they have stayed too loyal to players well past their best. Billy, Mako, Maitland all getting new deals in the past few years.

It’s left them with any underpowered pack at the top level and a backline that really offers no threat at all. A pair of half backs who offer no running threat, a centre partnership which is much of nothing and a back 3 that can barely run.

Not sure how complete their recruitment is. Brantingham, Carre, Burke, Johnson and I think I saw Spink looks ok. Need a tighthead, new back 3 and a scrum half as well though…

Riccioni is coming back from injury. When fit he's a good tighthead. Ollie Hoskins is also a good tighthead but injured as well.

Parton was a good addition to the back three over the summer but it does feel like they could do with another player to come in.

A flyhalf with ambition to drive this team, should help them significantly. Scrum half is a bit of an ongoing issue though.

[Puja]

Said it a while ago, they have stayed too loyal to players well past their best. Billy, Mako, Maitland all getting new deals in the past few years.

It’s left them with any underpowered pack at the top level and a backline that really offers no threat at all. A pair of half backs who offer no running threat, a centre partnership which is much of nothing and a back 3 that can barely run.

Not sure how complete their recruitment is. Brantingham, Carre, Burke, Johnson and I think I saw Spink looks ok. Need a tighthead, new back 3 and a scrum half as well though…

Riccioni is coming back from injury. When fit he's a good tighthead. Ollie Hoskins is also a good tighthead but injured as well.

Parton was a good addition to the back three over the summer but it does feel like they could do with another player to come in.

A flyhalf with ambition to drive this team, should help them significantly. Scrum half is a bit of an ongoing issue though.

Feels like Saracens have been getting by without a decent scrum-half for ages now. Would the last really good one have been Wigglesworth in his pomp? Spencer was fine, but always with significant flaws.

Puja

[p/d]

Bracken

[Puja]

Bracken

With their lack of signings at scrum-half, feels like they're waiting for the next Bracken to come through before they'll have another good 9.

Puja

[FKAS]

Bracken

With their lack of signings at scrum-half, feels like they're waiting for the next Bracken to come through before they'll have another good 9.

Puja

It does feel like they've been trying to play clever and discover a scrum half rather than bring in someone that can definitely do the job. Van Zyl and Aled Davies both had international caps when they joined but have done little of note since they did and never looked likely to ever be fixtures with their respective international sides. Gareth Simpson really is just a safe pair of hands. For a club that's normally so good at getting valie for money signings in, it's an area of failure.