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Smit linked with Saracens switch
- Thread starter TRF_Cymro
- Start date
gingergenius
First XV
Smit plays hooker and prop.
So we have the best hooker in the Premiership, Schalk Brits. We have the best young English hooker, Jamie George. We have top class props in Nieto and Stevens, and very good backup with du Plessis, Gill and Parr.
Where does a man who is too old to play hooker and not good enough to play prop fit in? Fair enough he's a big name, but if we're going to make big name signings I'd rather it was in the backs where we're weaker.
So we have the best hooker in the Premiership, Schalk Brits. We have the best young English hooker, Jamie George. We have top class props in Nieto and Stevens, and very good backup with du Plessis, Gill and Parr.
Where does a man who is too old to play hooker and not good enough to play prop fit in? Fair enough he's a big name, but if we're going to make big name signings I'd rather it was in the backs where we're weaker.
Like GG said - no need for him at all, and I imagine he'd cost a fair bit
A "Bums on seats" signing. Unless Brits is off.
Great signing. For the Sharks that is.
Maybe Brits is returning to South Africa to have a chance at being selected for the Springboks
Shaggy
First XV
Amobokoboko
Waikato Junglist
Well it are the SAracens.
superrprop
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So does that mean saracens overtake ulster as s.a. b team?
I don't think Ulster ever had more South Africans than Saracens
superrprop
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I know but it's a joke (admittedly not great) accuracy isn't necessary.
Muse_Cubed
Academy Player
There must be an excellent biltong shop somewhere in Watford, must have a look next time I go to that hole of a town...
gingergenius
First XV
what difference does it make whether our foreigners are mostly south african or not? we still have pretty much the same proportion of british players as the other premiership clubs do.
In fact if you pick Sarries' likely starting lineup (fitness allowing) for the semi-final there'll be four South Africans (Brits, Botha, Joubert and de Kock), one of whom, Botha, is England qualified. Add that to Stevens and Barritt (SA raised, English family), Nieto (Italian), Burger (Namibian), Wyles (English raised, US family) and Borthwick, Saull, Farrell, Short, Goode and Strettle (all English through and through, 4 of them from our own academy) and the picture's not 'SAFFAcens' at all.
And I really hope Brits doesn't head back home.
In fact if you pick Sarries' likely starting lineup (fitness allowing) for the semi-final there'll be four South Africans (Brits, Botha, Joubert and de Kock), one of whom, Botha, is England qualified. Add that to Stevens and Barritt (SA raised, English family), Nieto (Italian), Burger (Namibian), Wyles (English raised, US family) and Borthwick, Saull, Farrell, Short, Goode and Strettle (all English through and through, 4 of them from our own academy) and the picture's not 'SAFFAcens' at all.
And I really hope Brits doesn't head back home.
Because Saracens had the South African investors and effectively turned into the Stormers reserve squad (not to mention the dumping of all the longstanding squad members which they had to make a sharp u-turn in the decision not long after the agreement came into being).
There is now a small stream of English players (or qualified players) coming through, but there was nothing of the sort 3-4 years ago.
As it stands the only who'd likely be successful in an England shirt qualifies for the same reason as Hape. And he's not as good as Allen either.
There is now a small stream of English players (or qualified players) coming through, but there was nothing of the sort 3-4 years ago.
As it stands the only who'd likely be successful in an England shirt qualifies for the same reason as Hape. And he's not as good as Allen either.
Barritt?
He didn't qualify through residency, he did it because his family is English
Que?
Fair enough. Still believe the rest are just good players with good backup.
Fair enough. Still believe the rest are just good players with good backup.
lucky number 7
International
Britts is the best thing about Saracens...I was watching him in the Sarries last match and his style of play is fantastic ..picks wonderful lines , fantastic step and always seems to beat the first one or two tacklers ..really exciting ..however there seemed to be little else in the way of go forward ball save for him
A simple way to describe Brits: The player Bath fans have always thought Lee Mears was!
A superb runner in the loose (more like a cross between a centre and a good openside), but flakey in the scrum and lineout.
A superb runner in the loose (more like a cross between a centre and a good openside), but flakey in the scrum and lineout.
gingergenius
First XV
Hold on, that was only 2009. Before 2009 we were a standard prem club like all the others, but a little too fond of a big name signing and not too fond of success. Dumping all the players out was way out of order, whether it happened in the end or not.
But the fact is, for 09/10 and 10/11 we've suddenly become known as Saffacens, when in fact there's probably more English talent coming through the club now than there was in 2008! And for all the rumours about Schalk Burger/ Bryan Habana etc., what the club is essentially is somewhere with a fair few South Africans on the playing and coaching staff, but far from a majority... And go to a Sarries game, you don't notice any Saffa fans do you? They're all from West/ North London and Hertfordshire.
And successful in an England shirt...? Stevens, Saull, Goode, Strettle and Barritt would all make a wider England squad if I was picking now, even if they wouldn't make the 22. They're players who've had at least 2 good seasons in the premiership (might backdate a wee bit with Stevens). Then there's guys like Short, George and Farrell who are well worth looking at how they develop, in particular Farrell. And it remains to be seen whether Saints can get hold of Cato next year and make the most out of his potential.
