Exclusive: Koch on Saracens, Lions and Super Rugby

Saracens prop Vincent Koch has spoken exclusively to Planet Rugby about the British & Irish Lions, Super Rugby and the Springboks.

The 27-year-old is set to embark on his second season at the club and had a busy summer ahead of what he hopes will be a positive campaign.

Koch admits to finding pre-season especially tough after his recent wedding in Durban, as he looks to put in the hard yards before 2017/18.

But he is enjoying every second of training, despite joking that he is feeling the effects of his enjoyable visit back to his home country.

“It has been tough, I am hanging in at the moment but it is going well and we are training really hard,” said the refreshed tighthead prop.

“I went back to South Africa and got married in June, which was a lovely day, and then we went on our honeymoon so I enjoyed my break and that is probably why I am struggling in pre-season at the moment. It was a lovely break and exactly what was needed after a long season.”

Saracens are currently without their Lions tourists after their exploits in New Zealand and Koch admitted he was delighted for the players involved from the club, with Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Owen Farrell having all featured in the Test side.

“They’ve got a few weeks still on holiday and I think in two weeks’ time they join us again. They deserve a break just to get their head off rugby a bit,” Koch said before praising the tourists. “The whole Lions group was amazing. We all backed them against New Zealand, especially the Sarries guys, and you could definitely see they are top class players and credit to them, they really delivered.”

Koch is of course proud of his front-row colleagues at Saracens and stated that hooker George can be particularly happy with his showings.

“Jamie and I had a chat and he was just happy to go on the Lions tour and for him to get the starting position as the hooker is so great. He deserves all of it and you have to give credit to Mako as well for helping him. Both of them impressed and had a good Lions tour and hopefully can bring back all the experience to Saracens,” the prop said as the club look to build on back-to-back Champions Cup triumphs.

Before they launch their Premiership campaign though there’s a good deal of work to be done on the training field, with a game in Bermuda in August also seeing them prepare for 2017/18 with a week of work there, something the former Stormers tighthead is looking forward to.

When asked about his former team, who face off with the Chiefs on Saturday in a Super Rugby Qualifier, a confident Koch revealed he would be a keen observer of the head-to-head at Newlands, which has produced two high-scoring and entertaining contests over the past 12 months.

“I will always be a Stormer, it is in my blood,” he stated as the Capetonians look to book a spot in the final four. “Hopefully they can rectify what happened last year against the Chiefs so I’m definitely rooting for them. The guys are positive. I think Siya Kolisi and the team are ready for this one and know it is going to be a challenge but they’re up for it and the preparations for this week will be good.”

Before the Stormers match, the other two remaining South African outfits in the play-offs, the Lions and Sharks, clash at Ellis Park. And Koch believes the Lions and Stormers have been flying the flag this season and thinks that can only benefit the Springboks moving forward.

“The vibe those players are going to bring into the Springbok camp will be important. What the Lions and Stormers are doing at the moment is giving them freedom but with some structure and that will definitely help them in August when the Rugby Championship starts,” he added.

For now though Koch’s main focus is his club duties and readying himself for another strong campaign in Saracens colours, with attempting to wrestle the Premiership crown back from Exeter sure to be top of the North Londonders’ agenda as well as hunting that European treble.