Saracens F.C.
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- For other uses of 'Saracen' or 'Saracens', see Saracen (disambiguation).
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| Full name | Saracens Rugby Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Sarries, The Men in Black | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1876 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union | Rugby Football Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Watford, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground(s) | Vicarage Road | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 19,920 Being Expanded to 23,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Mark Sinderberry |
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| Coach | Alan Gaffney |
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| Captain |  Neil de Kock (playing),  Richard Hill (club) |
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| Most caps | Kris Chesney 290 (Premiership) |
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| Top scorer |  Glen Jackson866 (Premiership) |
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| Most tries |  Thomas Castaignède25 (Premiership) |
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| League | Guinness Premiership | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007-08 | 8th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Saracens Rugby Football Club, also known as Saracens F.C. or usually just Saracens, are a professional rugby union team based in Watford, England. They are currently members of the Guinness Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England. The team was established in 1876.
As well as competing in the Guinness Premiership, the Saracens take part in the EDF Energy Cup, as well as the European rugby cups. The club's colours are black and red. The team play their home games at Vicarage Road.
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[edit] History
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This article or section may be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective. (March 2008) |
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[edit] Origins
Saracens were founded in 1876 by the Old Boys of the Philological School in Marylebone, London (later to become St Marylebone Grammar School). Saracens amalgamated with neighbouring club Crusaders two years later. In 1892 Saracens moved from Crown Lane, Southgate, to Firs Farm, Winchmore Hill then played on nine different grounds before the move to Bramley Road for the 1939/40 season (although the war actually prevented them from playing there until 1945).
After their inaugural match against Blackheath they had to wait another nine years before Harlequins offered to include them on their fixture list. Saracens found it difficult to get games against first class sides as the facilities at Bramley Road were so poor.
The club produced a number of internationals in pre-league era, such as hooker John Steeds who won five caps for England from 1949-50, Vic Harding a lock also for England from 1961-62 and George Sheriff an England back-rower from 1966-67.
The club enjoyed fixtures with the leading clubs for many years and enjoyed a particularly successful time in the 1970s when they reached the semi-finals of the National Cup (now the EDF Energy Cup). Special games played at Bramley Road during this period include the 1971 match against a select International XV. It was a fantastic occasion, as a 5,000 strong crowd (the largest ever to watch a rugby union game in North London at the time) came to watch a magnificent contest, ending Saracens 34 International XV 34.
[edit] The Courage leagues
After some bleak years in the early 1980's, the club responded to the challenge of the Courage Leagues, and with Floyd Steadman as captain and Tony Russ as coach, they won the second division in 1989 with a 100% record. The next year in the first division they surprised many by finishing fourth in the league behind Wasps, Gloucester and Bath.
But within the space of two years, Saracens had lost Leonard to Harlequins, Ryan to Wasps and Clarke to Bath and they were fast becoming a nursery for the more prestigious clubs. The 1992/93 season saw the leagues restructured with Saracens, along with three other clubs, being relegated to the second division. In 1993/94 Saracens finished third and narrowly missed out on promotion but the following year they finished as champions and were again back in the top flight. Saracens seesaw existence over the nineties was about to continue in 1995/96 where they again found themselves at the wrong end of the table along with West Hartlepool but they were saved by the expansion of the league from 10 to 12 teams.
[edit] The professional era
[edit] 1996-97
In November of 1995 Saracens gained the financial backing of Nigel Wray and this enabled the club to recruit the likes of Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella, Francois Pienaar and Kyran Bracken. Saracens moved again to Enfield F.C.'s ground, Southbury Road, and they started the new season with a victory over title favourites Leicester but only finished seventh just missing out on Heineken Cup qualification.
[edit] 1997-98
The 1997/98 season, was a landmark year. They began a ground share with Watford F.C. and their 22,000 all seater Vicarage Road Stadium, which continues to this day. The appointment of Peter Deakin as Marketing Director saw Saracens splashed all over the broadsheets, tabloids, magazines and TV and with the help of a small band of be-fezzed followers that had been following the club for a number of years, the year of the Fez began.
Close season signings like Danny Grewcock, Roberto Grau, Gavin Johnson and Ryan Constable now joined forces with the home grown talent of Tony Diprose, Richard Hill and Steve Ravenscroft to form a side that would prove a significant force during the season losing only 3 games during the season to finish second in the Premiership, missing out narrowly to Newcastle, another club that had embraced the changes that the professional had brought. Newcastle havn't repeated this success since.
Consolation for missing out on the league title came in the then principal domestic cup competition, the Tetley Bitter Cup. Saracens beat Wasps 48-18 in the cup final at Twickenham, in doing so equaling Bath's cup-final record score of 48 points. Their run had included a 59 point win over Blackheath, a 14-13 victory over Leicester, a quarter final 36-30 win over a Richmond, followed by a victory over Northampton. It was the first major silverware that Saracens had won in their 122-year history and no trophies have followed since. The game was also notable for being the last competitive game for two legends of the sport, Lynagh and Sella; some years later these same two players were to become the inaugural members of Saracen's Hall of Fame.
[edit] 1998-99
After a solid start to 1998/99 season, Saracens were rocked in December when they lost to third from bottom London Scottish in a shock defeat at home, but a win against Bedford and West Hartlepool and a draw with Wasps still saw them in touch with leaders Leicester. The second half of the season was a roller coaster ride with Saracens going from eighth and out of European contention after a run of four loses, to eventually finishing third as London's top club.
[edit] 1999-00
The 1999/2000 season saw more big name players move to Vicarage Road with Mark Mapletoft, Thierry Lacroix, Scott Murray and Dan Luger joining the club along with Darragh O'Mahony and the up and coming Julian White. With the squad ravaged by World Cup duty and then injury the club's first attempt at the Heineken Cup was not a happy one. They lost 3 games by a couple of points in the last seconds of the game and didn't make the quarter finals.
With a few games left they were looking at a possible failure to qualify for Europe again, but Kyran Bracken returned from a ten month injury to inspire Saracens into fourth place and Heineken Cup qualification.
[edit] 2000-01
2000/01 saw another difficult start to the season. By October Saracens had effectively crashed out of the Heineken Cup with back to back defeats to Cardiff and with the team shorn of internationals due to the Autumn Tests the final blow was dealt when Thomas Castaignède suffered an achilles injury.
The results went downhill fast and a 5th place finish saw the club miss out on the final Heineken Cup place.
[edit] 2001-02
The 2001/02 season brought many changes, with established players such as Luger, Grewcock, White, Wallace and, much to the consternation of his loyal fan club, Tony Diprose, all leaving the club. Further weakened with the news that Castaignède was likely to miss the whole of the coming season, Francois Pienaar, now in full control of coaching operations opted to make use of a crop of younger players coming through the club system.
After a reasonable start to the season Saracens found themselves in their by then accustomed top half of the table position but then the curse of the Autumn Internationals once again took its toll, and Saracens' performances weakened drastically. Entering the New Year Saracens were again flirting with relegation danger, and soon exited all cup competitions. With morale sinking Pienaar stepped down from his various roles with the club after a five-year stay.
Lacking a coach the senior players took charge, the moral problem seemed to have passed, but results remained sketchy and the Saracens ended up in a lowly 10th place.
[edit] 2002-03
All Black legend Wayne Shelford took over the coaching reins for the 2002/2003 season, while the playing squad saw the arrival of the likes of Andy Goode, Christian Califano, Craig Quinnell amongst several signings of established players. In a repetition of the pattern of some of the preceding seasons, Saracens once again got off to a flying start, beating Bath and Bristol.
Once again though, sound defeats, this season administered by London rivals, Wasps and Irish, seemed to shatter the team's confidence, to such an extent that once again by early in the new year Saracens were once again uncomfortably close to the relegation zone, the only real success coming in an impressive run in the then Parker Pen Cup.
The club once again rallied towards the tail end of the season, with victories over Bristol, and then high flying Sale securing a 5th place in the table that seemed unlikely at the turn of the year, and a place in the play off system for the remaining European Cup place. A comfortable win over 4th placed Leeds in the play off semi-final brought an astonishingly tight final against Leicester.
With temperatures soaring at Franklin's Gardens, 80 minutes was not enough to separate the teams, with a late rally by Saracens tying the scores at 20-20. Ultimately, a Neil Back try was to see Leicester through, but at least it appeared that Saracen's had rediscovered their fighting spirit.
[edit] 2003-04
The late rally was not enough to save Shelford, and he and most of the rest of the coaching staff paid the price for the weak season, being replaced by the experienced Australia and Leicester player, Rod Kafer, at that time a relative newcomer to a coaching roll, for the 2003/04 season. Key signings included Fijian Simon Raiwalui, former French captain Raphael Ibanez, Springbok Cobus Visagie and All Black Taine Randell.
The change of faces did little to change the pattern of consistent inconsistency of previous seasons. Once again, the early rounds saw a false dawn as Saracens found themselves in the top three, and again the club coped badly with the international call-ups for the 2003 World Cup, once again finding themselves near the foot of the table. Only the long gap to bottom place Rotherham avoided any serious relegation danger. The victorious return of Richard Hill and Kyran Bracken from World Cup duty brought somewhat more upbeat performances for the second half of the season, but it still took a rare away victory at London Irish to claim the same 10th place of two seasons before.
[edit] 2004-05
2004/05 saw a bold strengthening of the squad, for once eschewing their cosmopolitan recruitment policy and securing mainly English based players, possibly with one eye on the effect that international call-ups had had in previous seasons. In came Kevin Yates, Iain Fullarton, Alex Sanderson, Dan Scarbrough and Hugh Vyvyan, while Matt Cairns returned to the club and Steve Diamond arrived at the club as forwards coach. Another signing who was to become a prominent part of the Saracens line up was fly half Glen Jackson from New Zealand.
The season got off to the best off all possible starts with Saracens scoring a victory over reigning champions Wasps at the first ever London 'Double Header' at Twickenham. Once again, Saracen's winter malaise struck, and after inconsistent performances, Diamond took over the coaching duties from Kafer. The New Year brought a string of convincing performances, and a long unbeaten run saw the club finish the season back up in the top half of the table, in 5th place.
Once again in the wildcard system for a European Cup place, Worcester were comfortably beaten, setting up the chance to end the season where it had begun, back at Twickenham. A late try secured victory over Gloucester and a place in the next season's Heineken Cup was ensured.
[edit] 2005-06
There was further shuffling of the coaching pack in 2005/06 with Diamond becoming Director of Rugby and defensive coach Mike Ford taking over the front line coaching role. In a reversal of the previous seasons outcome Saracens lost their opening double-header game against Wasps, but unlike some previous seasons, this did not immediately trigger a run of bad results, and indeed until December Saracens progressed well. The Christmas season saw the start of a calamitous dip in form and going in to the final months of the season the prospect of ending up in another relegation scrap seemed very real.
Diamond parted company with the club, with Ford taking over full control of the team, assisted by former Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones in a consulting role. Results improved, and an away win at Sale who were to be champions that season even brought the prospect of another Heineken cup place.
A few disappointing results at the end of the season took some of the shine off the improved run of form, with Saracens ending the season in 10th place. The seasons end also brought to a close the distinguished playing career of Kyran Bracken.
[edit] 2006-07
With Mike Ford being offered a role in the England set-up, former Leinster, Munster and Australia coach Alan Gaffney was appointed coach for the 2006 campaign. Amongst the new signings was South African, Neil de Kock, a player who was to be influential in what was to be the club's best season since 2000. Once again, Saracens were narrowly defeated by Wasps in the London double-header.
This was to be followed by what turned out to be a good away draw at Bristol in the context of the excellent season that Bristol would go on to have, before a bonus point win was secured against the Newcastle Falcons. A morale-boosting run of results followed, losing only three times between October and the following March. No individual result could quite produce the reaction that the return of England's Richard Hill to top flight action, with supporters of both clubs giving Hill a huge ovation on his return to the pitch after 18 months of knee reconstruction, capping off his comeback with a try.
This period also saw the long awaited arrival of former Great Britain Rugby League captain, Andy Farrell, initially at flanker, but later at centre, the position at which he went on to take his England debut.
With the prospect of a place in the Premiership play-offs becoming ever more real, Saracens were also progressing well in the European Challenge Cup. They qualified for the knockout stages as second seeds, with only an away draw at Glasgow spoiling their group stage progression. A further win at the quarter-final stage against Glasgow saw Saracens host Bath for the semi-final, only to lose to ultimate runners up of the competition.
Results in the Premiership went Saracens' way, leaving them with the possibility of ending up anywhere from second to fifth as the final round of matches approached. After a day of games almost all of which had significant consequences in terms of positions at the top, and at the foot of the table, Saracens found themselves in the Premiership playoffs for the first time, squeezing Wasps in to a rare 5th place position, out of playoff contention.
The campaign was to end with a heavy defeat away at Gloucester, however, overall the season represented a significant advance on those of recent years. After the end of the season there was to be personal success for Glen Jackson, whose league topping 400 points for the season and consistent high-level performances almost every week saw him awarded the PRA Player of the Year Award by his fellow professionals. On a sadder note the mercurial Thomas Castaignède, one of the most enduringly popular players at the club decided to bring his club rugby career to an end after providing many years of entertaining rugby at its best both for Saracens and France.
[edit] 2007-08
Preparation for the 2007/08 seasons saw somewhat less activity in comings and goings from the squad, reflecting the relatively solid 2006/07 season. Among signings to date, specialist cover for Glen Jackson came in the form of Scotland fly half Gordon Ross, while South African utility back Brent Russell is highly regarded by many Springbok fans.
The most spectacular signing though was that of All Black second row Chris Jack, widely regarded as the world's best in his position, who joined Saracens after the 2007 World Cup. In addition to his all-round game, Saracens will be hoping that Jack will bring some solidity to a Saracens' line-out which was one of the areas where they were consistently pressured last season.
The loss of Glen Jackson and Brent Russell for the opening of the season due to pre-season injuries represented a significant blow to the club, but nonetheless the season began well with a return to winning ways against Wasps in the opening day London double-header. Defeat at the first home game by early pace setters Gloucester brought the team down to earth, before a solid away win at struggling Leeds, revenge for the previous season's home and away defeats away at Worcester, and a win back at Vicarage Road over Leicester. Defensive frailties saw Saracens go into the Autumn Premiership break for cup matches third in the table, but also with the third worst defensive record, after a defeat away at Sale.
The first round of cup competition saw Saracens win comfortably away at Leeds in the EDF Energy Cup, despite conceding four tries. Another bonus point win over Bristol back at Vicarage Road positioned Saracens well with maximum points ahead of a difficult away trip to Llanelli. Turning to Europe, Saracens' return to Heineken Cup action also saw the return of Glasgow Warriors to Vicarge Road. As in the two European Challenge Cup home games against the same team in the previous season, Saracens ran out bonus point winners, albeit not without defensive frailties causing anxious moments going into the final minutes of the game. The following weekend Saracens lost out by a single point against Biarritz Olympique being denied by a penalty scored from the half-way line in the dying moments of the match.
The brief return to Guinness Premiership action at the end of November saw Saracens come out top in a tight battle at home against London Irish, with the lead changing hands several times. Cup action in the form of the final round of EDF Energy Cup pool stage games, where Saracens failed once again to win away in Wales, but taking a losing bonus point and a try bonus too was enough to see them qualify for the semi-final stage for the first time in their Anglo-Welsh cup history, ahead of their opponents Llanelli Scarlets. Further progress was then made in the Heineken Cup in an impressive ten try to one defeat of Viadana at home in a game which saw the first team debuts for Chris Jack and Brent Russell. Viadana almost took their revenge in the return fixture the following week, where Saracens conceded a 26-3 half time lead to the Italians, before showing composure in the second half to score 31 unanswered points and take the win that would see them enter the New Year at the head of their Heineken Cup pool.
The return to premiership action over Christmas and the New Year began well for Saracens with a win away at London rivals Harlequins, however once again defensive weakness and coming out of the blocks slowly saw Saracens take only a losing bonus point from their final fixture of 2007 in the Premiership, though it was enough to see them go into the New Year in third place in the domestic league.
The build up to the first game of 2008 was dominated by talk away from the field of play, with the news that former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones was to succeed Alan Gaffney at the top of the coaching subject with Gaffney adopting the same consulting role Jones had been providing, whilst rumours of substantial cash investment from South African rugby interests abounded. When the focus returned to on-field matters Saracens suffered a second successive defeat in the Premiership, this time away at Bristol, failing even to take a losing bonus point for the first time in any competition in the season and raising fears of the all too familiar Saracens' winter slump.
[edit] International relationships
Following the Saracens tour of Japan they have devloped a relationship with Fukuoka Sanix Bombs. They played Sanix at Global Arena at the start of Buck Shelford's reign as head coach and won comfortably, though they had a harder game on the same tour in Tokyo against Suntory Sungoliath.
[edit] Players
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Other internationally capped players
Tom Walker England
Matt Walker England
[edit] World Cup 2007 participants
[edit] Other international honours
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[edit] Hall of Fame
The following players have been inducted into the Saracens Hall of Fame.
[edit] Other notable former players
[edit] Club honours
- Tetley's Bitter Cup
- Champions: 1998
[edit] Competitive performance
[edit] Current season
[edit] Guinness Premiership 2007-08
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| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | ||||
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| Gloucester Rugby | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 551 | 377 | 174 | 7 | 7 | 74 | ||||
| London Wasps (C) | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 599 | 459 | 140 | 7 | 3 | 70 | ||||
| Bath Rugby | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 526 | 387 | 139 | 6 | 3 | 69 | ||||
| Leicester Tigers | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 539 | 428 | 111 | 6 | 6 | 64 | ||||
| Sale Sharks | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 481 | 374 | 107 | 4 | 3 | 63 | ||||
| Harlequins | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 480 | 440 | 40 | 7 | 8 | 63 | ||||
| London Irish | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 433 | 382 | 51 | 2 | 5 | 59 | ||||
| Saracens | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 533 | 525 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 52 | ||||
| Bristol Rugby | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 393 | 473 | -80 | 3 | 5 | 37* | ||||
| Worcester Warriors | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 387 | 472 | -85 | 1 | 7 | 36 | ||||
| Newcastle Falcons | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 333 | 542 | -209 | 1 | 5 | 34 | ||||
| Leeds Carnegie (R) | 22 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 336 | 732 | -396 | 0 | 2 | 12 | ||||
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* Bristol Rugby deducted one point for fielding an ineligible player in the match against London Wasps on 22nd December 2007 |
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| Green background are play off places.Pink background is the relegation place Reference www.guinnesspremiership.com: Updated 2008-05-04 --- Current English Leagues |
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[edit] Heineken Cup 2007-08
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| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Tries for | Tries against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||
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| Saracens |
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 225 | 119 | 27 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 24 | |||
| Biarritz |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 109 | 116 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 18 | |||
 Glasgow Warriors |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 130 | 127 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 16 | |||
 Viadana |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 106 | 208 | 12 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Reference www.ercrugby.com: Updated 2008-01-19 --- 2007-08 Heineken Cup Pools | ||||||||||||||
[edit] EDF Energy Cup 2007-08
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| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Tries for | Tries against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saracens |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 123 | 79 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 12 | |||
 Llanelli Scarlets |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 106 | 69 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |||
| Bristol |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 46 | 69 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |||
| Leeds Carnegie |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 60 | 118 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |||
| Reference www.edfenergycup.com: Updated 2007-12-03 --- 2007-08 EDF Energy Cup | ||||||||||||||
EDF Energy Cup Semi-Final: Saracens v Neath-Swansea Ospreys, 22 March 2008, Millennium Stadium
[edit] Historic seasons
| Season | Premiership | Domestic Cup | European Cup | ||||
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| Competition | Final Position | Points | Competition | Performance | Competition | Performance | |
| 2006-07 Details |
Guinness Premiership | 4th (Lost in SF) | 63 | EDF Energy Anglo-Welsh Cup |
3rd in Pool | European Challenge Cup | SF |
| 2005-06 | Guinness Premiership | 10th | 46 | Powergen Anglo-Welsh Cup |
4th in Pool | Heineken Cup | 2nd in Pool |
| 2004-05 | Zurich Premiership | 5th | 57 | Powergen Cup | QF | Parker Pen Challenge Cup | QF |
| 2003-04 | Zurich Premiership | 10th | 39 | Powergen Cup | QF | Parker Pen Challenge Cup | QF |
| 2002-03 | Zurich Premiership | 8th | 42 | Powergen Cup | QF | Parker Pen Challenge Cup | SF |
| 2001-02 | Zurich Premiership | 10th | 34 | Powergen Cup | QF | Parker Pen Shield | QF |
| 2000-01 | Zurich Premiership | 5th | 58 | Powergen Cup | QF | Heineken Cup | 2nd in Pool |
| 1999-00 | Allied Dunbar Premiership | 4th | 28 | Tetley Bitter Cup | Last 16 | Heineken Cup | 2nd in Pool |
| 1998-99 | Allied Dunbar Premiership | 3rd | 33 | Tetley Bitter Cup | QF | No English Teams | N/A |
| 1997-98 | Allied Dunbar Premiership | 2nd | 37 | Tetley Bitter Cup | Winner | European Shield | 2nd in Pool |
[edit] Sources
- History of Saracens
- 'The Saracen', Matchday programmes 1998-2007
[edit] External links
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