Sarries Match thread

[JonnyD]

Frustrating viewing.
Back to our old ways, kicks out in the full, handling errors galore, cannot string any phases together, lacking the intensity and leadership from last weekend.
Or... just getting beaten by a far superior side

[Chunky24]

Sarries just have so many big carriers who make the gain line and more every time, allows them to dictate the next phases so effectively and efficiently, same carriers also dominate in defence.

[JonnyD]

So great to have Jimmy back and could instantly see him glue things back together but with WLR half hearted again Daly trying too much yet again our back we’re just terrible again, although Watson have his all. (Bassett has had a very quiet few months - needed that pass front Daly before he cut inside)

Hampson falling over caused me to swear a lot at the tv and my children to run off to tell their mum!!

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Didnt get to watch the game, and based on what I've read I'm not too disappointed about that.

Not a surprising result, but depressing all the same after chiefs.

[Dgwasp]

I think Sarries executed their game plan very well today.  We were starved of any free ball and too quickly resorted to trying silly things.  We defended well in sections and some players really worked hard and I can't complain about the team effort.

[Fats]

Basset very disappointing. Really seems to have gone off the boil.

Simmo looked out of his comfort zone.

Shields was disappointing to say the least.

As a team too many knock-ons and poor fielding. Tackling not at our best.

We deserved to lose heavily.

[Neils]

Well just got back from that. I can say I was fuming at half time and still angry at the end. However a two hour windy drive back has calmed me down a little.
I must admit watching the EAs pre match practicing their high kicks to each other laughing concerned me. They know what we do and countered it well. We played into their hands and blew it big time.
Looking at the other board is depressing.
My thoughts on players today are generally the forwards played well. Nathan gave too many solo penalties away and just laughed. I thought Myall stood up (unlike others elsewhere). The backs - yea gods! Marcus stood out as the only one trying. I thought Lima was better and improving but still some silly options trying too hard. Gaby was ok but still has a problem passing. Josh looks out of sorts but who can blame him. Joe was abysmal - too slow and useless kicking. That leaves us with Willie and the EA boy. Willie at least tries. Daly should not be on our pitch.
When Jimmy came on things picked up with his cajoling and yet more when JJ came on. They must start next week.

Finally very strange Reflink with 20 mins to go. TMO seemed to challenge Barnes on a ball going forwards and the Reflink died. Ho hum.

[westwaleswasp]

Roll on next year, eh? Although if I am honest  if we don't pick up at least a second row and another back three or wing/centre,  I feel we will be not much better off.

[Heathen]

Roll on next year, eh? Although if I am honest  if we don't pick up at least a second row and another back three or wing/centre,  I feel we will be not much better off.

Totally agree.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Well, it is the day after. It was darned cold in the stadium.

We got our backsides handed to us. That was the best side in Europe and the difference, the gulf between us and them, was very obvious within seconds of the kick off.

Things only improved when Gopps, Juan de Jongh and Hampson came on. They ruthlessly exploited our weaknesses over and over again, and we kept putting high balls up without having any quality chase in place.

Frankly, I cannot see how any other team could have beaten that Sarries side.

Strangely, I was not disappointed. The lads gave it their all. It wasn't good enough is all. Elliot played one of his best games of the season, as did WLR. We clearly had trained to a game plan. It didn't work. The pack were great.

But. We coughed up the ball way too many times, kicked without a decent chase and ran the ball over and over into a brick wall. The trick/long passes, the little chips over, rarely worked.

[Westy68]

Roll on next year, eh? Although if I am honest  if we don't pick up at least a second row and another back three or wing/centre,  I feel we will be not much better off.

Totally agree.

Absolutely agree with this. Second row is a must, I’ve said it all season Rowlands is not good enough, we should let him go and pay a lot of money for a quality lock.

We will be in the same position next season if we don’t make the right signings.

We can still make top 6, if launchbury and Gaskell are fit.

Don’t see the point of top 4 as it will be a so one sided affair. Also just want this season over.

Please make the signings

[BG]

Well I've managed not to post anything until the day after.

I think the score reflects the current points difference between us and Sarries in the league and possibly points to us catching Exeter last week on an off day. Sarries are pretty much a team full of international (or international quality) players and it showed especially at the breakdown.

They secured quick fast ball all day where as they disrupted our ball leading to Simpson flapping his arms for 5 secs before getting the ball away. He didn't have one of  his best days, poor passing and kicking but was that because of the pressure Sarries put on us?

Having Willis or Young (also Launchbury) in the team transforms us because we then challenge at the breakdown, without them we stand off and let the opposition have phase after phase.

In most games this season Myall, Rowlands, Gaskell have come out favourably against their opponents, unfortunately Sarries had 3 international 2nd rows on the pitch.

I wonder what McCall is thinking about the signing of Daly? At the moment he wouldn't get in their team and perhaps even squad.

Conversely I wonder if Dai is questioning whether he should have let Daly go as soon as Daly informed him of his intentions. I'm guessing Dai couldn't have predicted the drop in Daly's form though.

[Rossm]

Well that was disappointing. I had high hopes until the team was announced and learned that both Joe Launch and Jamma hadn't recovered from their knocks sustained at Sandy Park. From then on I didn't expect much from this game - particularly as the estate agents had pretty much put out their best 23.
Will Rowlands is an enigma to me. He looks the part but (IMO) flatters to deceive. He seems most of the time to go through the motions but not much more. He gives away some seriously dumb penalties. And he gives me the impression that he is a pacifist. Kearnan is now a bit lightweight to be playing lock at this level. He is approximately at least a stone or two lighter than any of the other locks on the field yesterday so he gets out-muscled.
I am puzzled why Dai doesn't start Charlie Matthews. He added some much needed aggression when he came on yesterday and I doubt if he would do worse than the starters yesterday.
Poor Joe Simpson. Star against Exe. Had a mare yesterday. Threw an interception early on and gifted the EA an easy try. Did that unsettle him? Probably. He reverted to arm waving, dithering and poor box kicking when we were crying out for quick ball. The EA are the last defence you want to give time for them to get set. Things perked up when Craig came on. Mind you the oppo had gone off the boil in the 2nd half and only got 1 penalty. I'm really surprised they didn't go for the TBP before taking the foot off the pedal.

Positives: Not many, though our scrum was solid and better than theirs. Line out went pretty well also.

Some serious selection thought should go on before the next game. What about moving Nathan into the second row with Charlie, if Joe and Jamma are still out and bringing Tom Willis into the back row? Will Gopps be fully match fit to start against Bath? JdeJ deserves a start. Josh Bassett seems to have lost his mojo. Dare we try a youngster on the wing?

[Chilham]

There were one or two terrible performances yesterday.

Joe Simpson had possibly the worst game I've seen him play.  Even more slow and ponderous at the breakdown than I've ever seen him (has he got the "yips"), passes intercepted, box-kicks out on the full, it was truly awful.  Giving the Sarries defence that much time to organise themselves just played to their 'wolfpack' mentality.  For me, he's the sole reason we weren't competitive yesterday.

Joe and Willie lost the kicking battle with Spencer and Goode, giving-up territory and possession.  Elliot and Lima continue to under-perform and were possibly the worst of our backs.  Gaby and Josh pretty-much going through the motions although to be honest, Josh never had the ball in space.  Marcus the sole shining light, always looking dangerous.

The scrum was solid, and the lineout mostly worked.  Nazaam was industrious but we rarely competed at the breakdown, desperately missing Thomas and Jack.  Nathan showed-up well but he can't be expected to carry the pack.  I thought Kearnan had a better match than most give him credit for.  Sure, he's no Joe, and James has more power, but he wasn't the only one to lack punch in the defensive line.  Will had a poor game.  Ashley was more subdued that usual, and whilst Kiaran and Zurabi went well in the tight, they were pretty-much absent in the lose.

Great to see Jimmy back, and I thought Juan, Craig and Tom added some dynamism from the bench.  For me, we need all four of those on from the start next week.  Jimmy, for his bossing and organisation, Juan because he's playing better than Elliot, Craig because we can't be giving Bath's defence the time to organise themselves that Joe gives them, and swap Tom and Ashley, for his impact off the bench.

Until we get Launch', James, YY and Jack back, we'll be trying to squeeze out results, but those are the changes I'd be looking to make.

[jamestaylor002]

I wasn't particularly disappointed by the result, because we had the best European team in Saracens out there. Dai certainly got what he wanted! Although I'd have expected us to give them more of a game rather than it being the training run for Saracens that it turned out to be.
Elliot looked like he had a better game than previous weeks but was that a chance to compare himself to his new team mates? Joe looked like a rabbit in the headlights, I think the early interception try summed his whole game up.
Saracens also showing that some sections of their fans have almost no class whatsoever.