Saracens player ratings: ‘Absolutely elite’ Tom Willis increases Steve Borthwick’s pain as Owen Farrell ‘shows his class’
Tom Willis and Owen Farrell in action for Saracens.
Following a 30-21 victory over Gloucester in the Gallagher PREM clash at Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Saracens.
Backs
15 Elliot Daly: Showed his skill set at times in shifting the ball to the outside, but he won’t be very happy with his chip over the top when in space in the opposition 22. 6
14 Rotimi Segun: Teen sensation Noah Caluori has taken plenty of headlines on that right wing, but Segun was kind to remind everyone that he is pretty damn good, too. The speedster was exceptional and incredibly powerful in contact. 8
13 Lucio Cinti: A solid performance on both sides of the ball as he did his job efficiently, but Cinti has had better performances for Saracens this season. 6
12 Nick Tompkins: Similar to Cinti, Tompkins did plenty of good things in attack and defence without truly being a standout. However, there was still plenty to like about some of his touches with the ball. 7
11 Max Malins: It was ultimately a quiet day for the England back-three player. While Segun was ubiquitous, Malins could not quite influence the game like his wing team-mate. 5
10 Owen Farrell: An understated but very controlled display from the England legend, who marshalled the first half particularly well against the wind. Farrell showed his class throughout, although they would have liked to have been more clinical after the break. 8
9 Ivan Van Zyl (c): Like Farrell, the scrum-half executed nicely and did his job effectively to keep Sarries in control of the game despite Gloucester never giving up. 7
Forwards
8 Tom Willis: The Londoners will certainly miss him next season after Willis put in another exceptional shift. The number eight was obviously a huge presence in the carry, but it’s every part of his game which is absolutely elite. Whether it was pilfering, counter-rucking or putting in his tackles, Willis was absolutely huge. England are doing well enough without him, but Steve Borthwick will be disappointed not to have him available from next season. 9
7 Andy Onyeama-Christie: One big hit was a standout while he did plenty of other good work around the field. He was effective enough at close quarters, which helped his other back-row colleagues shine. 6
6 Theo McFarland: Demonstrated his basketball background by rising above Tomos Williams to score, and that athleticism was also useful in other facets, particularly the lineout, as they constantly disrupted Gloucester’s ball. 7
5 Hugh Tizard: Was busy around the field and good in the set-piece as the Saracens lock pairing played their part in this victory. 7
4 Nick Isiekwe: Both Isiekwe and Tizard are known more for their athleticism rather than their power, but they both put themselves about and did some effective work in the tight exchanges. 7
3 Marcus Street: The scrum was a good battle with Street winning the odd penalty and the Gloucester loosehead, Val Rapava Ruskin, getting his own battle. Ultimately, it was the Cherry and Whites who edged the scrum – perhaps their only area of ascendancy. 5
2 Theo Dan: Some great work in the loose as always. For 55 minutes, Dan was a huge part of this Saracens’ performance before he gave way to the hugely experienced Jamie George. 8
1 Rhys Carre: Scrummaging with mixed but Carre showed his worth elsewhere with some massive carries in the loose. His work ethic was excellent. 7
Replacements: Jamie George and Eroni Mawi came on to good effect while the bench ultimately managed to keep Gloucester at arm’s length but if they had been more accurate, Saracens could have put 50 points on the hosts. Ben Earl was profligate when in a good position, but he wasn’t the only one to waste chances after the break. Earl was part of a Sarries bench which ended in credit, but it could have been even better. 7