Billy Vunipola retained on bench as Saracens make four XV changes
Billy Vunipola has kept his place on the Saracens bench in the club’s first match since his arrest and fine in Spain on a team bonding session. The back-rower, who was a 57th-minute introduction last time out at The Rec on April 26, found himself tasered twice in a bar in Mallorca before he was arrested.
Following his payment of a €240 fine following an express trial after he was charged with resisting the law, a Saracens investigation concluded with the club taking no further action against their player.
However, the 31-year-old, who next season will be joining Montpellier on a two-year deal, learned on Thursday that an RFU warning about his behaviour would remain on his record for the next five years and could be used in any future disciplinary hearings.
With the fall-out from the Spanish incident now complete, Vunipola will take his place on a Saracens bench that has a six forwards/two backs split for this Saturday’s trip to fourth-place Bristol.
Having pipped Bath 15-12 to keep hold of second place, the Londoners have decided to change three of their starting pack with Mako Vunipola, Marco Riccioni and Hugh Tizard all promoted from the bench in place of Eroni Mawi, Christian Judge and Nick Isiekwe.
Mawi and Isiekwe are both named on the bench on this occasion but it will be Ollie Hoskins who provides the tighthead back-up to Riccioni. Another bench switch sees Theo McFarland included at the expense of Toby Knight for what is poised to be the Samoan’s 5oth club appearance.
Meanwhile, the sole starting XV backline change sees Ivan van Zyl named at No9, with Aled Davies dropping to the bench.
Director of rugby Mark McCall told the Saracens website: “We know we are playing against a team who have got a pile of momentum. They are really clear about how they want to play, and they are running a lot of ball but they do it in a really well-organised, well-coached way.
“They don’t mind making the odd mistake, and they will keep going on it so we are going to have to be at our very best defensively on Saturday.
“Quietly we have been gathering a bit of momentum. We have won four out of our last five Premiership matches and we have got 20 points out of the last 25, which is really timely for us.
“Within those matches, we have had a couple of really good performances, very different performances really, the Quins game at Tottenham where we showed a different side of ourselves, and the Bath game a really gritty win down there.
“So those two important wins for us, and just performances that remind you what you are capable of, which is really important.”
Saracens (vs Bristol, Saturday): 15. Elliot Daly; 14. Rotimi Segun, 13. Lucio Cinti, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Tom Parton; 10. Owen Farrell (capt), 9. Ivan van Zyl; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jamie George, 3. Marco Riccioni, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Hugh Tizard, 6. Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7. Ben Earl, 8. Tom Willis. Reps: 16. Theo Dan, 17. Eroni Mawi, 18. Ollie Hoskins, 19. Nick Isiekwe, 20. Theo McFarland, 21. Billy Vunipola, 22. Aled Davies, 23. Alex Goode
Comments on RugbyPass
Rayasi is now 7 or 8 years into his pro career, albeit one that started when he was young. At 27, as an outside back in NZ, he is probably closer to heading overseas than he is to the ABs. To get on the selectors radar he needs to have a great NPC, then another great SR campaign in 2025. Ben Lam was never really able to do that, he was a feast or famine type player. Three great games, then goes missing for the next 3.
8 Go to commentsDupont sees opportunities where there wasn’t one until he makes it so. Utter class.
1 Go to commentsThese are the guys that do the cohesion predictions? That will be a very interesting review and they have likely already told the Crusaders of their expections for them given such a young and inexperienced squad without all their injured and departed players. I wonder if any of that will get leaked out, perhaps only if the cohesion metric predicted such a season? Actually even that would like badly upon the backoffice, I suspect it likely we will never know what Gain Line Analytics made of this season now! Unless the PUs put its publication to vote?
12 Go to commentsCurrently across the super franchises the forwards choices for Robertson is in the luxury of the competitions depth for selection . However same can’t be said regarding selection of the backs, especially the inside backs. I believe that’s where his dilemma will be. If he can’t get mouanga for the start then he should forget him and move on.
30 Go to commentsIf they had another round up their sleeve then no doubt the sadas wouldv been top8. I say leave things alone and get into the next season I rekon the turn around will carry on.
12 Go to commentsSimilar to Arran Smith in his style of application.
5 Go to commentsSave your money. Just learn from the bad stuff and play better next year. Lost loads of key players and had half the team out broken for most of the season.
12 Go to commentsJosh Ioane has been great for opposition teams all season. The sooner the Chiefs unload him to MP the better.
8 Go to commentsMunster have very good back row stocks nowadays, lots of guys with very high potential. Okeke is unlucky not to get a contract. If he came along 10 years ago, he almost certainly would have. Could be very good for Coventry.
1 Go to commentsGreat article! Love that you point out so much that is positive, and back it up with quotes and clips.
1 Go to commentsNo scapegoats. No knee-jerk reactions. Just excuses in an expensive report under file 13. I’ll give the saders some free consulting - no planning after Razor. Just let things fall flat to rebuild. Easy.
12 Go to commentsJosh Bayliss was the early sub for Barbeary
1 Go to commentsHis deficiencies in defence must be major and beyond rebuilding because on attack he has a unique set of skills matched only by a combination of Mark Telea, Shaun Stevenson and Etene Nanai Seturo. His aerial and kicking game is next level and he displays a contempt for one on one situations. We've become obsessed with our no. 11 being a power weapon ignoring the better multi faceted option. Mark Telea is helping to change that mind set, Salesi Rayasi would advance that too.
8 Go to commentsWayne barnes should join the Queen
271 Go to commentsHope both you dirty mutts get cancer and die
41 Go to commentsOqueef was on the saffa pay roll , needs his head stomped
180 Go to commentsChiefs miss a tight 5 of serious grunt. Missing Guzzlers.scrum power and the Blues have spent the last.few yrs nicking their props. Will have to start better than recent matches to stop the Reds.
8 Go to commentsWith the civil war going on over in NZR you have to wonder if these guys can afford to throw money around on consulting firms? Consultants just going to charge them thousands for the privilege of telling them that the brain drain is hurting them, they played like pork chops & maybe some insights gleaned from reading the various rugby blog posts with a couple of graphs thrown in to dicky the report up. My suggestion is they forego the consultants and get a subscription to watch the URC, English Premiership, Top14 and EPCR competitions so that they can learn a bit from all the players and coaches that have left already NZ.
12 Go to commentsI am pleased about the progress of Canada and their recent success. What concerns me slightly is the the PWR league in England has become the breeding ground for other countries’ players with nearly half of Canada’s team playing there. Long term sustainability of good international teams depends on developing their own leagues and systems. They cannot rely upon England forever.
1 Go to commentsShe has a good sense of the perfect fly half but I agree with her mother about the disfiguring tattoos. I shall watch her progress with interest.
1 Go to comments