ISSUE 15
V SARACENS
WED 9 SEP | KICK-OFF: 6PM
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DIMES
Back To Winning Ways
SARACENS
Opponents Overview
MANU TUILAGI
In-Form Against His Former Side
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS A Win At Welford Road
SHARKS QUIZ Sharks v Saracens
SHARKS Q&A
With Ewan Ashman
TEAMSHEET
Squads & Match Officials
DIMES’ POST-MATCH INTERVIEW AFTER THE WIN OVER LEICESTER
Good afternoon and welcome to the third edition of our digital matchday programme. We have a busy old week up at the AJ Bell, kicking off with a visit from Gallagher Premiership Champions Saracens tonight. It was fantastic to pick up the win against Leicester on Saturday, I honestly can’t remember the last time we picked up a bonus point victory at Welford Road. Regardless of form it’s always a tough place to go and win, so it’s fair to say I was a happy man on Saturday night. However, the business end of the season is now upon us, and we have the first of two tough challenges tonight in the Premiership. I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mark McCall and his squad who have travelled north ahead of tonight’s match. Although they lost last week to a determined Wasps side who are right in the mix for a top four place with us, Saracens have been consistently performing throughout the season and have not let up for any side since their relegation was confirmed. We are definitely expecting a fierce encounter this evening.
We then face Bath Rugby on Sunday afternoon, which is now looking like one of, if not the most important fixture of our season to date. There is no real breathing space between the top five clubs in the league at the moment, but I think by the end of this week we could see a gap opening up at the top as we head into the penultimate round of the regular season. Over the next four rounds, every result will make a difference. The coaching team and I have a task on our hands in getting the rotation of our squad just right but more importantly, we just need to keep the lads firing on all cylinders over the next few weeks and that hard work starts tonight against Saracens. It was fantastic to see Harlequins complete their pilot game with live crowds on site, it seemed to work really well, and we are continually hopeful that we will be able to welcome the Sharks Family back to the AJ Bell in the near future. Until then, look after yourselves and stay glued to BT Sport! All the best, Dimes
FORM:
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It’s been a strange year for most in the rugby world with five months of the sport postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but little have experienced a more turbulent than Saracens. Read more >
The Londoners were penalised for salary cap breaches in November 2019 which resulted in a fine of over £5m and a points deduction of 35. Without their World Cup contingent when the news hit, Mark McCall’s side were forced to travel to Gloucester with a young squad immediately after the news broke but they managed to silence a rowdy Shed with victory at Kingsholm. Impressive performances continued as Sarries began to hurtle towards a plus total and Leicester Tigers in 11th. That was until January, however.
18 28 05.09.20 | Allianz Park
Premiership Rugby hit the Men in Black with automatic relegation for their wrongdoing and docked a further 70 points. Nine players departed the club in the summer – most notably Ben Spencer (Bath) and George Kruis (Panasonic Wild Knights) – but several have joined including Wales international Aled Davies and Argentine midfielder Juan Pablo Socino. Six players from the Academy have graduated to the senior squad with a further four players in the Saracens youth system making their first-team debuts. A further six are out on loan furthering their development before returning for the 2021/22 campaign. They may be in the Championship next term but the future looks bright for Saracens.
2
LEAGUE POSITION
12
HEAD 2 HEAD
12 6 MARLAND YARDE
WINS
TOP TRY SCORER
32 7 BILLY VUNIPOLA
ONE TO WATCH...
MANU VUNIPOLA Broadening his experience week on week, Vunipola has graduated into Saracens’ senior squad after proving his credentials on the first team stage this season. Cast into the fly-half spotlight due to Owen Farrell’s Rugby World Cup involvement, the England Under-20 international looked at home in the 10 jersey, excelling in some difficult circumstances – notwithstanding a chorus of boos from the Shed at Gloucester! He kicked a winning penalty in a last-gasp win over London Irish in the pouring November rain and has collected 64 points in 13 matches. Vunipola also made his European debut this season, featuring in five of Saracens six pool matches, slotting four conversions and six penalties.
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TEAM
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EXETER BRISTOL SALE WASPS BATH NORTHAMPTON GLOUCESTER HARLEQUINS LONDON IRISH WORCESTER LEICESTER SARACENS
FUL L L E AGUE TA BL E
POINTS
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SARACENS V SALE SHARKS, VICARAGE ROAD TH 12 NOV, 2010 | FINAL SCORE: 28-13 Dave Seymour on the charge with Eifion Lewis-Roberts
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WELCOME TO THE SHARKS FAMILY
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MANU TUILAGI’S POST-MATCH INTERVIEW AFTER A WIN AT LEICESTER. HIS FIRST TIME AT WELFORD ROAD AS PART OF THE VISITING SIDE IN 11 YEARS.
TOGETHERNESS. IT’S WHAT MAKES RUGBY, RUGBY.
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WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE
17
36
SAT 28 SEP 2019 ALLIANZ PARK
Sale Sharks recorded their first away victory over Saracens at Allianz Park in a dominant Premiership Rugby Cup display early on in the season. READ THE FULL MATCH REPORT
SLEEP
MEETINGS & EVENTS
DINING
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WEDDINGS
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MHAIRI GRIEVE “THE CULTURE OF SALE SHARKS IS ATTRACTIVE - WHAT THEY HAVE SET OUT FOR THE WOMEN’S TEAM WAS A MASSIVE SELLING POINT. ”
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Rugby. Tackled. Read match previews, insight and analysis throughout the Gallagher Premiership from some of the biggest names in rugby, including Owen Slot, Stephen Jones and Alex Lowe. Only in The Times and The Sunday Times or visit thetimes.co.uk/premrugby
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COACHING STAFF
STEVE DIAMOND DIRECTOR OF RUGBY
PAUL DEACON
ATTACK/SKILLS COACH
MIKE FORSHAW
PETE ANGLESEA
JON CALLARD
DORIAN WEST FORWARDS COACH
HUGH JENNER
PERFORMANCE ANALYST
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ROB HEALD
ROBBIE DICKSON
PETER ALLEN
LUKE ISAKKA
SCOTT NEEDHAM
JOHN KIRKPATRICK
RICK SWABY
ANDREW JIBSON
KICKING COACH
ASSISTANT PERFORMANCE ANALYST
TEAM MANAGER
DEFENCE COACH
KIT MANAGER
HEAD OF S&C
ROB SIMPSON S&C COACH
JOSH WALKER
PERFORMANCE ANALYST
FORWARDS COACH
PHYSIOTHERAPIST
KIT MANAGER
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HEAD OF SPORTS SCIENCE
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SPORTS REHABILITATOR
ASSISTANT MANAGER
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TEAMSHEET Simon Hammersley Tom Roebuck Sam James Sam Hill Arron Reed Rob du Preez Will Cliff
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
Elliott Obatoyinbo Dom Morris Duncan Taylor Juan Pablo Socino Rotimi Segun Manu Vunipola Tom Whiteley
Valery Morozov Curtis Langdon WillGriff John Matt Postlethwaite James Phillips Cameron Neild Ben Curry (c) Dan Du Preez
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sam Crean Tom Woolstencroft Alec Clarey Joel Kpoku Callum Hunter-Hill Calum Clark Sean Reffell Andy Christie
Akker van der Merwe Bevan Rodd Jake Cooper-Woolley Cobus Wiese Tom Curry Faf De Klerk Tom Curtis Marland Yarde
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Kapeli Pifeleti Robin Hislop Josh Ibuanokpe Cameron Boon Janco Venter Alex Day Will Hooley Harry Sloan
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys Assistant Referees: Wayne Falla & Peter Allan TMO: Trevor Fisher WED 9 SEP | AJ BELL STADIUM | KICK-OFF: 6PM
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YO U R LO C A L
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Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55, Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland. Company Number: SC108909. ARTUK-1294
THE GALLAGHER WAY. SINCE 1927.