Saracens F.C.

For other uses of 'Saracen' or 'Saracens', see Saracen (disambiguation).

Saracens

File:Saracens badge.png
Full name	Saracens Rugby Football Club
Union	Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Sarries, The Men in Black
Founded	1876
Location	Watford, England
Ground(s)	Vicarage Road (Capacity: 19,920 Being Expanded to 23,500)
Chairman	Edward Griffiths
Coach(es)	Brendan Venter
Captain(s)	Steve Borthwick
Most caps	Kris Chesney 321 (Premiership)
Top scorer	Glen Jackson 866 (Premiership)
Most tries	Thomas Castaignède 25 (Premiership)
League(s)	Guinness Premiership
2007-08	8th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.saracens.com

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. Now incorporated as Saracens Ltd, the club was established in 1876 as the Saracens Football Club.

As well as competing in the Guinness Premiership, Saracens take part in the EDF Energy Cup and European rugby cups. The club's colours are black and red. The team play their home games at Vicarage Road.

History

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.

The Courage leagues

After some bleak years in the early 1980s, 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.

The professional era

1996-97

In November 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.

The Saracens at a home match.

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 haven'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.

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.

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.

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 tendon injury.

The results went downhill fast and a 5th place finish saw the club miss out on the final Heineken Cup place.

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.

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.

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.

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 wild card 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.

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.

2006-07

Main article: Saracens F.C. 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.

2007-08

Main article: Saracens F.C. 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.

International relationships

Following the Saracens tour of Japan they have developed a relationship with Fukuoka Sanix Blues. 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. In 2008/09 season the new owners (a South African consortium) appointed Brendan Venter as head coach and almost immediately announced a clear out of mostly English players to be replaced by South Africans to the outrage of the British press and a portion of the fans.

Players

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Schalk Brits Hooker South Africa Fabio Ongaro Hooker Italy Ethienne Reynecke Hooker South Africa Matías Agüero Prop Italy Rhys Gill Prop Wales Tom Mercey Prop England Carlos Nieto Prop Italy Richard Skuse Prop England Frik Venter Prop South Africa Steve Borthwick Lock England (C) Mouritz Botha Lock South Africa Tom Ryder Lock England Hayden Smith Lock United States Harry Spencer Lock England Hugh Vyvyan Lock England Donald Barrell Flanker England Ernst Joubert Flanker South Africa Andy Saull Flanker England Wikus van Heerden Flanker South Africa (VC) Jackson Wray Flanker England Justin Melck Number 8 South Africa Michael Owen Number 8 Wales

Player Position Union Kevin Barrett Scrum-half England Neil de Kock Scrum-half South Africa Justin Marshall Scrum-half New Zealand Mosese Rauluni Scrum-half Fiji Alex Goode Fly-half England Derick Hougaard Fly-half South Africa Glen Jackson Fly-half New Zealand Brad Barritt Centre South Africa Tom Casson Centre England Owen Farrell Centre England Adam Powell Centre England Kevin Sorrell Centre England Noah Cato Wing England Richard Haughton Wing England Rodd Penney Wing England Kameli Ratuvou Wing Fiji Michael Tagicakibau Wing Fiji Michael Horak Fullback England Edd Thrower Fullback England Chris Wyles Fullback United States

Signings for the 2009/10 Season

• Kevin Barrett (Exeter Chiefs)
• Michael Horak (Benetton Treviso)
• Richard Skuse (London Irish)
• Michael Tagicakibau (London Welsh)
• Carlos Nieto (Gloucester)
• Mouritz Botha (Bedford Blues)
• Schalk Brits (Stormers)
• Derick Hougaard (Leicester Tigers)
• Ernst Joubert (Lions)
• Justin Melck (Munster)
• Ethienne Reynecke (Lions)
• Frik Venter (Sharks)
• Rhys Gill (Cardiff Blues)

Players leaving for the 2009/10 Season

• Francisco Leonelli (Argentina)
• Ben Jacobs (London Wasps)
• Matt Cairns
• Kris Chesney (Toulon)
• Andy Farrell (Retiring, Coaching at Saracens)
• Andy Kyriacou (Ulster)
• Nick Lloyd
• Dan Scarbrough (Racing Métro)
• David Seymour (Sale Sharks)
• Ben Skirving (Bath)
• Alex Walker (Newcastle Falcons)
• Mickey Wilson (Viadana)
• Chris Jack (Western Province)
• Cencus Johnston (Toulouse)
• Gordon Ross
• Cobus Visagie (Retiring, Coaching at Saracens)

Current England Elite Squad

• Steve Borthwick

Current England Saxons Squad

• Bradley Barritt
• Tom Mercey

Other internationally capped players

Hugh Vyvyan Kameli Ratuvou Mosese Rauluni Michael Tagicakibau Matías Agüero Carlos Nieto Fabio Ongaro

Justin Marshall Schalk Brits Neil de Kock Wikus van Heerden Hayden Smith Chris Wyles Michael Owen

Other international honours

Donald Barrell (England U18, U16) Richard Haughton (England Sevens, Saxons, U21, U18) Tom Mercey (England Saxons, U21, U19, U16) Rodd Penney (England Sevens) Adam Powell (England U19, U18, U16)

Tom Ryder (England U21, U19, U18, U16) Andy Saull (England U19, U16) Edd Thrower (England U21, U19, U18) Glen Jackson (NZ Māori)

Hall of Fame

The following players have been inducted into the Saracens Hall of Fame.

Michael Lynagh

Philippe Sella

Other notable former players

Abdelatif Benazzi Shane Byrne Ben Broster Kyran Bracken Thomas Castaignède George Chuter Tony Diprose David Flatman Roberto Grau Christian Martin Danny Grewcock Richard Hill Tim Horan Tony Daly Raphael Ibanez Kensuke Iwabuchi Paddy Johns Thierry Lacroix Jason Leonard Dan Luger Scott Murray Darragh O'Mahony Francois Pienaar Simon Raiwalui Taine Randell Dean Ryan Tom Shanklin Julian White Paul Wallace

Club honours

• Tetley's Bitter Cup
  • Champions: 1998

Competitive performance

Current season

Heineken Cup 2007-08

2007-08 Heineken Cup Pool 4 Table
Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points for	Points against	Tries for	Tries against	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
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

EDF Energy Cup 2007-08

2007-08 EDF Energy Cup Pool D Table
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

Historic seasons

Season	Premiership			Domestic Cup		European Cup
	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

Sources

• The article has largely been taken from the history section of the official Saracens website (link below)
• 'The Saracen', Matchday programmes 1998-2007

External links

• Official site
• Fansite