The Springbok factor that has English giants worried

SPOTLIGHT: Saracens boss Mark McCall says his team will be up against a Bulls side that has proven that they can be a danger in all areas of the game.

The two sides will meet in a Champions Cup Round One clash in London on Saturday and the English giants are bracing themselves for their toughest challenge of the season so far.

Saracens went down 16-27 to the Bulls in Pretoria during last season’s Champions Cup, but they have home advantage this time around at the start of a pool phase that also sees McCall’s team face Stade Francais, Munster and Castres.

The story continues below…

“The Bulls are a heck of a proposition,” said McCall.

“They have a lot of Springboks in their team, they are very well coached and they are going to be a big challenge.

“They have got a strong record on the road, especially this season.

“I think they have won four away from home in the URC [United Rugby Championship], and we know they are going to go full-strength as well.

“It is about us a little bit. We want to respond to the setback [a loss to Newcastle] we had on Friday in the right way.

“South African rugby is on a real high at the moment. Their national team has been phenomenal, and we know what a big challenge this is going to be. It is a good test of where we are at.

“They have got a great set-piece, an incredibly clever kicking game, and are a big danger on the outside.

“You put all that together, and you have got a pretty good team, but we have got a pretty good team ourselves and we are looking forward to matching up against them.”

The story continues below…

McCall has lost centre Alex Lozowski due to a hamstring injury that forced him off just before half-time in the 12-17 defeat to Newcastle, but Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Nick Isiekwe and Ben Earl are all available following England’s Nations Series campaign.

On that defeat to the Falcons in the Premiership last weekend, McCall added: “It was a very disappointing performance, and we have discussed why.

“It is the first kind of major bump in the road for this group, to be honest. It has been the exception and not the rule.

“A number of things didn’t go the way we wanted them to. We have been fantastic all season at dealing with that, getting on with the next thing with a clear head, but we weren’t able to do that.

“We have been absolutely delighted with the fight and spirit this group has shown all year. We have got an opportunity to react and respond against the Bulls.”

Source: PA