NEXT UP | Sarries end regular season at Kingsholm
Next up for Saracens is a tricky Gallagher Premiership clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday, June 4th.
Following the club’s defeat to Toulon in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup Mark McCall’s men will have a week off to recuperate after what was a bruising encounter with Northampton Saints this afternoon.
Gloucester will be a crucial game for the hosts who will be vying for a place in the top four and will be cheered on by a packed house at Kingsholm.
Whatever the permutations going into the game Saracens will at the very least want to ensure they take momentum with them into the play-offs. Saracens will be full of confidence heading into this fixture after they thrashed the Cherry & Whites on their own patch 44-15 in the quarter-final of the Challenge Cup. They scored five tries in total with Aled Davies, Maro Itoje, Nick Tompkins, Jamie George, and Duncan Taylor touching down.
But there will be no danger of underestimating Gloucester who are the only side to have beaten Saracens at the StoneX Stadium in the Gallagher Premiership this season. Back in January Gloucester ran out 25-24 victors with Fraser Balmain, Jack Singleton, and Lewis Ludlow scoring tries for George Skivington’s side.
Gloucester have several top international class players with Welsh wing Louis Rees-Zammit among the deadliest finishers in world rugby at this moment in time, with Jonny May, Chris Harris, and Santiago Carreras players to watch out for.
Up-front the likes of Argentinian lock Matias Alemanno, Jordy Reid, and Ruan Ackermann will give the Saracens pack plenty to think about when they lock horns. Gloucester will be desperate to prove they are far better than they showed the last time they played Saracens.
"Obviously the scoreline is not very flattering, but it gives us a good check point to see where we are at with a few areas,” said head coach Skivington.
"I thought we made it easy for them the second half, if I'm honest, with the amount of penalties we gave away. I think they came from a good place; I think the boys were trying to get us on the right foot, but we gave them off the kick-off three penalties straight away."
"Lots to learn, we step away from it, I thought they were very, very good, they are very good. And we'll definitely learn some good lessons tonight."
Following this difficult assignment at Kingsholm Saracens will be in the business end of the season as the Premiership enters its play off phase. Their opponents for the semi-final haven’t been decided yet, but Sarries will be at a packed out StoneX Stadium as they target a place in the Twickenham grand final.
