by Even the many who resent Saracens, and they will indulge in some schadenfreude right now, you wouldn’t imagine them posting 50 points in their wildest dreams. Dogged resilience has been a pillar of the club’s success for over a decade. A defeat like the one suffered by Saracens in Bordeaux, at the hands of Matthieu Jalibert and his friends, was rare.
A 55-15 loss on Sunday afternoon was a great low point which has also set up a crucial fortnight for Mark McCall and his team. To stay in the hunt for trophies, the rot must be stopped immediately.
We can talk about regression to the mean and add some context to Saracens’ slump. Five of their seven Premier League and Champions Cup defeats have come at Sandy Park, Loftus Versveld, AJ Bell Stadium, Welford Road and now Stade Chaban-Dalmas. Winning at any of those places would be great. All the same, however, they seem to be caught in a multifaceted spiral.
The Owen Farrell situation and the end of an era
World Cup years have traditionally been difficult for Saracens as they have had to manage resources after having many internationals participate in the competition. A 65-10 loss to Exeter Chiefs on the opening day of this Premier League campaign strengthened.
Subsequent distractions for their skipper have made matters worse, first with Owen Farrell announcing his England sacking and then with news of a possible move to Racing 92. They have also reinforced how Saracens face a significant transition period, which McCall admitted before losing 19-10 to Leicester Tigers.
As well as Farrell, two other boys, Mako and Billy Vunipola, are likely to leave the club this summer. A good number of first-team players are also set to depart. In the past, Saracens have managed the inevitable cup well, maintaining momentum despite saying goodbye to club legends such as Brad Barritt and Richard Wigglesworth. However, this measure of arrival and progress will be challenging.
First, it would take extraordinary powers of focus that would not affect players. Before the weekend, Farrell’s form was mixed. Against Tigers in the East Midlands, for example, he coughed up an interception that gifted Dan Kelly a try but also directed some slick attacking, from first-step strikes and clever kick passes. Sunday was more difficult.
Farrell threw two early error passes – one bouncing off the head of Maro Itoje – before kicking out in full. He walked back 10 meters to question referee Chris Busby and then, in the second half, his cut-back brought down Bordeaux’s eighth try through Pablo Uberti.
At 32, Farrell still has plenty to offer and a change of scenery would certainly change that. He was in charge during last season’s Premier League final and for most of the World Cup semi-final against South Africa. It is understandable, however, that at the moment he looks like his mind is boggled. And, given his influence, that has hurt Saracens.
Saracens would be a very different place without Farrell, Mako and Billy who would require other leaders to assert themselves and recruit a new half. That said, with Ben Earl among those re-signing and the arrivals of Phil Brantingham and Rhys Carré, they will have plenty of quality for the new era. It will not be easy to make an odd time interval, after other clubs such as Bath and Exeter have consolidated so clearly.
Condensed casualty list
Injuries to key players are difficult enough to deal with and Saracens lacked confidence without Tom Willis and Alex Lozowski. Even in the short time since their arrival in August, the former were close to pulling down a spot in the back of a strong front line. Willis will return from knee surgery in March. Lozowski, a flinty and athletic midfielder, is facing an extended layoff due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. Callum Hunter-Hill, who has developed into a mobile and formidable lock, is poised to be fit after the Six Nations.
By then, Saracens could be facing an uphill battle to reach the play-offs. It could be argued that the number of injuries in the front row has done more damage. Among the loose forwards, Eroni Mawi, Ralph Adams-Hale and Tom West, and Mako Vunipola are also currently suspended. Kepeli Pifeleti and Tom Woolstencroft were unable to support the winner. At tight end, Marco Riccioni and Ollie Hoskins, the latter signed as injury cover for Alec Clarey in the first instance, are unavailable. Previously able to rely on the scrum as pressure relief, Saracens were under the pump.
Penalties and bleeding scrum try
When the sides are playing well, different aspects of their game are in sync. Saracens seem disjointed, their chain of performances often broken by a steady stream of scrum penalties – the most decisive at Sale and Leicester – and porous defending. Strangely, they looked as high as ever at the Twickenham Stoop on November 18 when Harlequins were thrashed 38-10. However, even with the bonus points from subsequent home wins over Bristol Bears and Connacht, Saracens posted a total of 67 points; a sure-fire sign that their attack had to cover other shortcomings. This is hard to remedy during a marathon game block.
In Bordeaux, Saracens conceded three quick tries and found themselves 19-3 behind before the end of the first quarter. After missing a chance to try at half-time, when Logovi’i Mulipola was up on the verge of being broken down by the brilliant Yoram Moefana, they had to open the cover and push to score a free. . -run come back. That only created more problems, as Bordeaux are kings on the counter and feast on transition chances. Official statistics note that Saracens completed 64 tackles and lost 33; ghastly ratio. Romain Buros and Louis Bielle-Biarrey were the main culprits, beating 13 defenders between them. Damian Penaud managed to reach a huge 142 meters with the ball in his hand. Bordeaux’s mix of speed and muscle, coordinated by a dancing Jalibert, was superb.
Saracens can’t stop the Six Nations break. They have a week to regroup and land some countermeasures of their own. Beat Lyon handily and they will keep their Champions Cup final dreams alive at Tottenham, which would be a fitting last dance for any leavers. On January 27, Exeter visit the StoneX Stadium. Rob Baxter’s men will relish the pain for Saracens.
Sitting sixth on the Premier League ladder, their title defense is wobbling. They have overcome choppy patches before and pushed on to win silverware. Doing so would make this time a major achievement for McCall.
