The winning pragmatism of Saracens F.C.

Rugby is changing. It wants to embrace the new, but doesn’t want to let go of the old. It is the old that is so against Saracens.

Over the course of the history of rugby, the number of points for tries has slowly risen. Before rule changes towards the end of the 1880’s, a try was awarded no points, and instead only gave you a ‘try at goal’, which would decide the outcome of the game. One team could score a multitude of tries and miss their goals, whereas the opposition could score a goal from their one try and win 1-0. Over time, people realised that tries were the exciting part of the game, and the number of points awarded has steadily risen, from 3 points in 1905 through to 4 points in 1971, and then 5 points in April 1992. These changes put the aesthetic of the game at the forefront.

However, changes in August 1995 would go on to have a profound impact; rugby became professional. Since then, and more so now as the game grows, rugby has been trying to find its feet, caught between its old values, and the pressures of professionalism. The crowds who fill the seats at the weekend, as well as the TV money-orientated Friday games, want entertainment, they want to see tries. 

Professional sport is a business though. The only thing that a business is judged on is the bottom line. Many clubs at the dawn of professionalism found wealthy backers who spent a lot of money and put a lot of risk into winning at the top level, many of whom lost out to the ruin of their clubs; Richmond and London Scottish two cases in point. Business is about balancing risk against reward, and in a professional sport this permeates onto the field - winning comes first, entertainment comes second. Can you blame a club for pursuing this route when it is the measure of their season? 

This is how Saracens approach their rugby - they are a machine built for winning, and one that runs well oiled. Calling their style of rugby boring or defensive undermines the quality of their strategy, and the effectiveness of their players. Each player on the field plays a very specific role depending on their skill set, and Mark McCall has fit each player, like a piece of a jigsaw, into the larger game plan. Saracens strangle the opposition, each of their forwards equally adept at winning the ball on the floor, and once the turnover has been made, the trusty boot of Owen Farrell pins the opposition back in their own half. The risk of conceding points in this area is far less than nearer their own try line. 

Saracens do however run a very high risk defence. Their defensive line moves forward at pace, often broken so that the players can get up in the faces of the opposition before they receive the ball. If this isn’t executed correctly, it leaves holes in the midfield, as well as space in behind. This defensive strategy of Paul Gustard (who has since left for England) puts the opposition under huge amounts of pressure, and in the face of the onrushing defenders, players are left with few options; kick the ball away and forfeit possession, pass it on and risk making a mistake, or cut back inside towards your forwards. Each of these plays into Saracens hands: kicking the ball away gives the back three the option to run, and Alex Goode has shown his capacity for doing so; pass it on will work if you play a very deep attacking line, and go around the slow guys in the middle, but once Saracens have pushed up, they drift wide and you still struggle to get over the gain line; taking it back inside to your forwards runs the risk of the Saracens poachers getting over the top.

This approach is different to older blitz defence methods in that players aim to advance with their hips straight, such that they are pressing as a single line towards the opposition, rather then facing back towards the forward pack (or towards the touch-line for a drift defence). This cohesive approach shuts down the space that the opposition have to work in, and gives the upper hand to the defender. This ultimately gives those players who are less proficient at tackling a better chance, which serves to move the outcome of the game away from individual battles to the effectiveness of the system. Once the tackle has been made, they always aim for pairs at the breakdown, looking to disrupt the ball and cause as much strife as they can. It is this dogged work ethic that wears the opposition down and eventually culminates in the ball being turned over. 

Once it is back in Saracens hands, here again they balance risk versus reward. If they can see the opposition is presenting a broken field, they play with a high tempo and try to play through it. If the opposition has the opportunity to reorganise, depending on field position, Saracens will put the ball into the corners, and heap the pressure back onto the opposition.

This is where Owen Farrell becomes such a big part. I have talked about the quality of his game management before, and his decision making and dictation of the tempo during the game ensure Saracens are not pursuing unnecessary risks or exposing themselves to a counter-attack. His other contribution is his metronomical goal kicking, and while this is something that the purists look down upon, it keeps the score board ticking over, relieving the pressure on Saracens to score tries.

Perhaps they are not the most scintillating team in the league to watch at times, but the pragmatic approach Saracens display ensures they are winning matches. While it might not be the way we approach the game ourselves, they have some fantastic players who compliment the system incredibly well, and the level of tactical acumen they show is something we should stand and applaud.

On Saturday, Saracens can etch their name into the Premiership Trophy for a second successive year, and while some might be calling them boring, history only remembers the winners.

Filed under: Gallagher Premiership, Saracens
Written by: Edward Kerr
Follow: @edwardrkerr · @therugbymag