MATCH REACTION | Lewis Sones (PWR Up Rd 3)

Assistant Coach Lewis Sones was pleased with how his side managed to grind out a victory over Trailfinders on Saturday.

For the second week in a row, Saracens recovered from a half-time deficit to secure the win and Sones believes that the win will serve as a crucial learning opportunity for his side.

“It was a tough win that we had to grind out. It wasn’t perfect, but it was really important that the players found a way to win. Credit to Trailfinders, they came and gave us a really strong test which will serve us well for when we face them again in the league in two weeks’ time.”

Victories over Harlequins and Trailfinders in the PWR Up pre-season series mean that Sarries will go into the start of the league campaign with some real momentum behind them, with Sones feeling that his side have learnt a lot about themselves in the last two weeks.

“There are a few things to work on, but to come out of this pre-season block with two wins at the end of it is really positive. We picked up some really important learnings too.”

After a free-flowing match against Harlequins, Saracens had to grind out the win on Saturday and Sones was proud of how his side had rallied and come together in those difficult periods.

“Against Quins, most things seemed to go our way but that wasn’t the case on Saturday, and we were made to work for a lot of things to go our way. It was about coming together as a team in adversity and looking at how we problem-solve on the pitch.”

The last two matches have given some newer and younger faces in the Saracens squad an opportunity to show what they can do, with Sones highlighting the work of academy graduate Chloe Flanagan, who impressed in her first start of the season.

“Chloe was really positive throughout the game. She came through our academy as a 16-year-old and she’s beginning to really kick-on now in the senior squad and push for more minutes and starts. Her chop tackling was outstanding, and she was constantly looking for work throughout. Her performance epitomised what being a Saracen is all about.”

Another young gun who stood out was fullback Jemma-Jo Linkins, with Sones believing that his side have unearthed a real talent in the back three.

“I was really pleased with Jemma-Jo Linkins. Across the last two games, we’ve seen some real glimpses of her potential that she showed in the cup last year. We’re seeing that more and more in a Saracens shirt and she was positive in all of her involvements on Saturday. She’s another player that we’re really excited about and she’s definitely one to keep an eye on for the future.”

With plenty of young talent in the squad, the more experienced players have been on hand to impart their knowledge, with Sones being left delighted at how his whole squad are constantly supporting each other.

“The more experienced players really stood up for us and have been great in terms of helping the younger players in our squad at the moment. That’s a massive positive and as a group, everyone is learning off of each other at the moment which is only going to help us as the season goes on.”