Touch... Pause.... Engage

Here's Jonny!!

The autumn internationals start tomorrow with a much depleted England line-up taking on the apparantly mis-firing Wallabies at HQ. My day has been built around it!

Only one Wasp, Tim Payne at tight-head, in the line-up but injuries have ravaged us badly. Though this is no excuse for our appaulling defeat to Leeds last Sunday at home, briefly known as knock-on central.
We constantly turned over the ball, went backward in the scrum and lost an appualing number of our own lineouts.

All praise to Leeds who scrapped hard from the start and held on for the win that I can't help feeling that we simply handed over. Following on from the mauling we gave Gloucester the previous week it was like watching a completely different team.
Still, third in the table is still a very good start to the season so far.

Two weeks of the Anglo-Welsh now and then Premiership away to Sarries , to which I have picked up tickets.

Speaking of Sarries, I and many other's I know, including Sarries season ticket holders, have become increasingly worried about the overt Afrikan-isation of a long established British club.
I read an interview with Nigel Wray, the chairman, and fair enough the South African investors are all about finance as is making the club more appealing for South African ex-pats but it just feels wrong!

Am I jealous of their unbeaten Premiership run, of course, but thats not it. They've got there by beating everyone they've played even if only closely and via some dodgy ref decisions. That's rugby, that's sport.
It's the manner of it, the manner of everything. Not what they're doing but how.

A strong, relativley negative, kicking game.
FOUR high profile games at Wembley with a Springbok tour game.
The stated intention to leave Watford for somewhere better.
Agressive marketing and the ability to cut away "dead wood".
The desire to win at all costs and ugly if necessary.
The cheerleader and THAT anthem.

I do however acknowledge the amount of work that Saracens do in the local community with amateur teams, coaching classes and school visits.
All extremely laudable.

All things that other teams have done previously but the collective just comes across as too much.

I can't get away from it becoming a potential loose-loose situation.
If Saracens are put back on thier heals then little has been gained whilst the souls of the club has been put at massive risk.
If Saracens make the top four then well done to them but how many other of the "lesser" teams will employ the same methods. That would surely risk Premiership rugby as a whole, wouldn't it?

Rant ends