Tag Archives: brad barritt

Sean McMahon reporting from St James Park, Newcastle.  Saracens captain Brad Barritt believes his side are in “great condition” ahead of their Heineken Champions Cup final with Leinster at St James Park on Saturday.  Mark McCall’s side more or less have a full-strength side to choose from with Michael Rhodes the only major absence from the squad. In fact, Rhodes’ …

As Wasps go in desperate search of a third league victory, Saracens' Brad Barritt gets set to earn his 200th club appearance at home.

With England being spoilt for choice in terms of depth and the quality of talent available to the coaching team, we take a look at the players who have largely been ignored since the Eddie Jones era began back in December 2015. David Wilson One of three tighthead props in Stuart Lancaster’s 2015 World Cup squad, experienced head Wilson has …

Does being at one club make you more likely to represent England than another? We take a look at the players who have been capped since the beginning of Stuart Lancaster’s time in charge and see if there are any correlations between capped players and the clubs they play at. This writer recently wrote a piece where it was suggested …

Fans, referees, and players have yet to get fully acquainted with World Rugby’s latest tackle directives. The game between the Exeter Chiefs and Saracens last weekend saw Richard Barrington sent off for a high tackle on Geoff Parling, a red card that was subsequently rescinded, as Brad Barritt’s initial challenge sent the England lock falling in the direction of the prop’s …

Rugby’s new tackle laws appear to be taking their toll, as players struggle to adapt to their interpretation. On Friday night Ulster’s Sean Reidy was sent to the sin bin following a high challenge on Scarlets’ scrum half Aled Davis. While the referee was right to sanction the Irish flanker, it was hard not to feel a degree of sympathy for him as …

England take on South Africa in a mouth-watering fixture where the home team will be hoping for their first victory over the Springboks in almost a decade. However, a number of South African-born players have gone on to wear the white jersey and we’ve put together a team of those players and those who could go on to carry the …

Although the rivalry between the Leicester Tigers and Saracens may only be a modern incarnation, they have both given rise to two of the best club teams in the history of English rugby. While the core of the Leicester team may have had it’s roots in the amateur era, they were completely professional in their approach. The Tigers won four Premiership titles …

Does England waste talent? It’s something fans of the Red Rose have been asking themselves for decades and it’s something a number of high-profile names in the game have accused the country of doing, including World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Graham Henry. A while back this writer put together an England ‘Wasted Talent’ XV made up of players who were …

With the arrival of Bristol being confirmed after an aggregate victory over Doncaster in the Championship play-off final, the number of Premiership clubs with multi-millionaire backers is on the rise, emulating the extraordinary amount of investment from private owners in Premier League football. Newly-promoted Championship winners Bristol are owned by Stephen Lansdown, who also runs Bristol Sport, meaning he has …

Eddie Jones has named three squads in the past couple of days: his squad to tour Australia, his Saxons squad to head to South Africa and finally his extended squad to take on Wales in the one-off Test this coming Sunday. Yet, there are still a number of players who will count themselves very unlucky to not be involved. We …

Despite finishing the season as losing finalists in last year’s Aviva Premiership, Bath has seemed out of sorts, out of ideas and at times out of control. What has happened to a team that looked like it would go on to build a new legacy in its already vibrant history? Having been one of the dominant clubs of the first …

In Saturday’s European Champions Cup semi-final, Wasps played with reckless abandon at times and lit up the Madejski Stadium with some wonderful running rugby. However, it was Saracens’ ruthless efficiency and tactical awareness that won the game for them, not unlike the famous cup-winning Munster teams of old. Wasps’ potency is found within their back division: the sharp delivery of …

Stuart Lancaster’s time in charge of England ended with scathing criticism from both the media and fans alike, but now that the dust has settled, is it time to re-evaluate his tenure and what he achieved with England? Lancaster’s time in charge of England ended where it began: a miserable World Cup curtailed with an early exit. Back in 2011, …

For too long the type of rugby played by top clubs and international teams has been divided by a false dichotomy: ping pong or basketball? Focus on the set-piece, stick it up the jumper and turn the back division into a set of kick-and-chasers. Alternatively, forget about scrums and lineouts and throw the ball about as much as possible. Too …

How do you solve a problem like an England centre partnership? Not since the heady days of 2003 have we seen a consistent 12 and 13 combination and it is no surprise that the team has only won one major tournament in 13 years. After Will Greenwood and Mike Tindall were split up, we’ve seen endless chop and change with the …

This southern hemisphere Six Nations XV should act as a wake up call. With the Six Nations nearly upon us, the various coaches from the competing nations have begun the process of naming their squads. While it is interesting to read and listen to the debates surrounding the inclusion of certain players, it is hard not to notice the number …