Sarries vs Newcastle

[Epaminondas Pules]

Saracens Men team to play Newcastle Falcons:

1 Eroni Mawi
2 Theo Dan
3 Alec Clarey
4 Maro Itoje (c)
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Theo McFarland
7 Juan Martin Gonzalez
8 Ben Earl
9 Ivan van Zyl
10 Fergus Burke
11 Rotimi Segun
12 Nick Tompkins
13 Elliot Daly
14 Tobias Elliott
15 Alex Goode

Replacements:

16 Jamie George
17 Sam Crean
18 Harvey Beaton
19 Tom Willis
20 Andy Onyeama-Christie
21 Charlie Bracken
22 Louie Johnson
23 Angus Hall

400th appearance for Goode! That's some going! Good to see Luoie johnson on the bench, and more game time for Bracken C and Gus Hall!

[Epaminondas Pules]

Newcastle Falcons team v Saracens (Saturday, 3pm, StoneX Stadium, live on Discovery+)

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 John Hawkins, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Cameron Neild, 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Micky Rewcastle, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Oscar Usher, 20 Tom Gordon, 21 Joe Davis, 22 Max Clark, 23 Oli Spencer.

Not available for selection: Eduardo Bello, Tim Cardall, John Kelly, Kiran McDonald, Jacob Oliver, Richard Palframan, Philip van der Walt.

Ben Redshaw is available, but Steve Diamond gonna be Steve Diamond!

[Puja]

Newcastle Falcons team v Saracens (Saturday, 3pm, StoneX Stadium, live on Discovery+)

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 John Hawkins, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Cameron Neild, 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Micky Rewcastle, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Oscar Usher, 20 Tom Gordon, 21 Joe Davis, 22 Max Clark, 23 Oli Spencer.

Not available for selection: Eduardo Bello, Tim Cardall, John Kelly, Kiran McDonald, Jacob Oliver, Richard Palframan, Philip van der Walt.

Ben Redshaw is available, but Steve Diamond gonna be Steve Diamond!

Chick spared the Diamond disdain though?

Puja

[Epaminondas Pules]

Newcastle Falcons team v Saracens (Saturday, 3pm, StoneX Stadium, live on Discovery+)

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 John Hawkins, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Cameron Neild, 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Micky Rewcastle, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Oscar Usher, 20 Tom Gordon, 21 Joe Davis, 22 Max Clark, 23 Oli Spencer.

Not available for selection: Eduardo Bello, Tim Cardall, John Kelly, Kiran McDonald, Jacob Oliver, Richard Palframan, Philip van der Walt.

Ben Redshaw is available, but Steve Diamond gonna be Steve Diamond!

Chick spared the Diamond disdain though?

Puja

Too senior a player for them to push aside.

[FKAS]

Looks like Diamond has gone for as much physicality as he has available. Odd Wilkinson is not in the squad despite the lack of flyhalf cover for Falcons in there.

Not sure why Sarries are sending Itoje out for this one. Pretty sure he could be allowed a rare weekend off here.

[Puja]

Not sure why Sarries are sending Itoje out for this one. Pretty sure he could be allowed a rare weekend off here.

Agreed - while I wouldn't want the wholesale rotation that I just complained about for Bath and Saints, the poor sod is massively overworked. This is going to be his 25th start of the season for Saracens and England, and he's played 80 minutes for 21 of them (the exceptions being substituted for 6 minutes in R1, getting injured and going off at half-time in R2, and getting 2 yellow cards in Rounds 8 and 10).

If we assume that Saracens do not play him for the last two games of the season (unlikely), that they do not qualify for the playoffs (possible, but unlikely given their last three games are Falcons and a disinterested Saints and Bath), and that the Lions only pick him for two of the six pre-test games (unlikely), he will still have played 30 matches, nearly all of them for 80 minutes. I can quite easily see a situation where that's 35 starts.

How he is not broken already, I do not know, but he will be if he keeps getting flogged like this.

Puja

[FKAS]

Exactly, couldn't Sodeke do a job in this game?

[Banquo]

Exactly, couldn't Sudoku do a job in this game?

Its a puzzle

[Puja]

Exactly, couldn't Sodeke do a job in this game?

Apart from anything else, they've got a very decent lock in McFarland blocking TWillis from a place in the backrow. It's hardly as if they're short-handed.

Puja

[FKAS]

Exactly, couldn't Sodeke do a job in this game?

Apart from anything else, they've got a very decent lock in McFarland blocking TWillis from a place in the backrow. It's hardly as if they're short-handed.

Puja

I was assuming that T Willis was getting a bit of rotated rest. Iirc they've alternated him and Earl a few times. Logical, makes sense. Why Itoje doesn't get the same treatment I'm unsure?

[Which Tyler]

Why Itoje doesn't get the same treatment I'm unsure?

Will always be wanted for a summer tour, so will always be granted permission to exceed 30 matches

[FKAS]

Why Itoje doesn't get the same treatment I'm unsure?

Will always be wanted for a summer tour, so will always be granted permission to exceed 30 matches

Why risk burning out your best player? Especially against a Newcastle side you should be beating easily.

[Which Tyler]

Why Itoje doesn't get the same treatment I'm unsure?

Will always be wanted for a summer tour, so will always be granted permission to exceed 30 matches

Why risk burning out your best player? Especially against a Newcastle side you should be beating easily.

I didn't say I approve!


Elsewhere, looks like Red Bull are looking to buy Newcastle - even though falcons already have wings.

And with everyone jumping to the winged Castore,that'll be 3 pairs of wings on one bird!
Sponsorship with Maxipads next?

[Captainhaircut]

Isn’t Itoje going to go over his game limit?

If so, why the hell is he playing in this game? Earl too.

[Beasties]

Earl asking to refresh his memory of being an 8 for the Lions tour?

[Puja]

Thank gods Itoje wasn't rested. Sarries might've been in trouble if they'd not had him.

Puja