TEAM NEWS | Northampton Saints v Saracens Men (GPR - Rd 17)
Joe Shaw is under no illusions about the significance of Saracens’ must-win clash against Northampton Saints this weekend.
With play-off ambitions hanging in the balance, the Saracens Head Coach recognises that Saturday’s showdown in the East Midlands is nothing short of season-defining as they look to get back in to semi-final contention.
Three changes have been made to the starting line-up that produced the impressive win over Newcastle Falcons last weekend.
Two of those changes come in the front row. Eroni Mawi retains his spot, with Jamie George and Marco Riccioni returning to the pack.
The second row remains unchanged, as Maro Itoje partners former Saint Nick Isiekwe in the engine room.
After scoring a hat-trick at StoneX last Saturday, Juan Martin Gonzalez moves to blindside flanker, with Ben Earl shifting to openside to accommodate Tom Willis in the starting line-up.
The backline remains the same. Ivan Van Zyl and Fergus Burke continue at half back, with Nick Tompkins at inside centre and Elliot Daly outside him at 13.
Rotimi Segun has been cleared to play and will start on the left wing. Tobias Elliott retains his spot on the right wing after an impressive performance against Newcastle, while Alex Goode makes his 401st club appearance from full-back.
The bench features a six-two split between forwards and backs, with Hugh Tizard returning to the matchday squad. Phil Brantingham is also back for his first appearance since picking up a knee injury at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March.
After scoring his first Premiership try last weekend, Charlie Bracken continues to provide impact off the bench, while Angus Hall is selected to cover the rest of the backline.
Shaw knows the scale of the challenge against the Champions Cup finalists and is preparing his side accordingly.
“We know we'll have to step it up against this Northampton side. It's a must win fixture on the road so having prepared well in the week we'll give it our all this Saturday!”
Saracens Men team to play Northampton Saints:
1 Eroni Mawi
2 Jamie George
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Maro Itoje (c)
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Juan Martin Gonzalez
7 Ben Earl
8 Tom Willis
9 Ivan van Zyl
10 Fergus Burke
11 Rotimi Segun
12 Nick Tompkins
13 Elliot Daly
14 Tobias Elliott
15 Alex Goode
Replacements:
16 Theo Dan
17 Phil Brantingham
18 Alec Clarey
19 Hugh Tizard
20 Theo McFarland
21 Andy Onyeama-Christie
22 Charlie Bracken
23 Angus Hall
