PREVIEW: Saracens vs Wasps - Gallagher Premiership Round 9
- Charlie Hynes
- Dec 1, 2018
- 2 min read
A number of internationals are set to return to both sides as first placed Saracens host third placed Wasps at Allianz Park.
The home side see the likes of Jamie George, Maro Itoje and Liam Williams , who wins his 50th appearance for the club, return. Wasps also see the return of a number of key men with Elliot Daly, Nathan Hughes and Brad Shields returning from England camp whilst Michele Campagnaro will make his debut for the club after joining from Exeter in the international window.
Saracens have an opportunity to go top today after Exeter Chiefs’ unexpected 28-26 loss to Harlequins at the Stoop on Friday night. Saracens come into this game as the only unbeaten side so far this season in the Gallagher Premiership after beating Leicester Tigers last weekend.
Wasps have just ended a seven-game losing run after their win over Bristol Bears and will look to try and break clear of the chasing pack behind them with Gloucester, Quins and Tigers looking to pounce on any slip ups.
Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young has stressed the importance of his sides defence this weekend after it had come under recent criticism. Young said ‘We’ve got to be stringent in defence, we can’t give easy points away and our set-piece has got to get parity’.
‘For us it’s about backing up last week’s performance, trying to get some momentum going into Europe and we certainly want to come away with something’.
Returning England utility back Alex Lozowski has made it clear that his side must not underestimate his former club Wasps, saying “We have to prepare for a Wasps team who are going to come and play their best game because we know they’re capable of it.
“They have some phenomenal players in their team who are capable of really hurting us on the day so even though they’ve had a few mixed results so far this season, we’re really preparing for them coming down and playing their best 80 minutes of rugby.”
Saracens: Williams; Maitland, Lozowski, Barritt (capt), Lewington; Goode, Wigglesworth; Lamositele, George, Koch, Itoje, Skelton, Rhodes, Clark, Wray.
Replacements: Woolstencroft, Adams-Hale, Figallo, Isiekwe, Day, Earl, Spencer, Tompkins.
Wasps: Le Roux; Neal, Daly (capt), Le Bourgeois, Campagnaro; Sopoaga, Hampson; B Harris, A Harris, Brookes, Rowlands, Myall, Shields, Carr, Hughes.
Replacements: Oghre, Zhvania, Daniels, Matthews, Morris, Porter, Searle, De Jongh.
(Sources: https://www.saracens.com/news-article/match-preview-wasps-h
https://www.wasps.co.uk/news/press-notes-thursday-29-november/
https://www.wasps.co.uk/news/campagnaro-set-for-wasps-debut-at-saracens/ )
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