PREVIEW…
Date. Kick-off 3pm, StoneX Stadium
SARACENS went into the latest round of matches second in the table with one defeat in seven after their promotion from the Championship, but DoR Mark McCall describes his side's start as merely ‘okay”.
Sarries will be without their captain Owen Farrell for at least another seven weeks after he was injured on England duty, but hooker Jamie George is expected back before then after also hobbling out of the Autumn International campaign.
“There have been patches when we have shown what we are capable of and there is an appetite in the club to be more consistent,” said McCall, below. “We are coming into an important block of games now and the trick is not to look too far ahead.
“You have to concentrate on the task in hand, which is Sale. They are a terrific, well-coached side and it will be a massive game. A year ago we were not playing and did not know if there would be a league. We were watching the Premiership on television. The players missed games like this, a full house against a great side.”
Sale's Premiership record against Saracens is poor, 13 victories in 46 meetings. They have won three of the last 18 and their only success on the road in 23 attempts came in 2005 when they won 40-32 at Vicarage Road.
The Sharks reached the play-offs last season, but their away form was the reason they started this round in eighth position. They have won their three league matches at the AJ Bell Stadium but have yet to triumph on their travels, three defeats following a draw at London Irish.
They are coached by Alex Sanderson, someone who has a good working knowledge of Saracens having spent 13 seasons as a coach at the club where he finished his playing career.
“Alex is a good friend and he is someone that everyone here has the utmost respect for,” said McCall. “He is a smart, intelligent coach but I am not worried that he understands our processes. Teams know each other so well these days because of analysis and most spend a great deal of time concentrating on themselves.
“We are proud of people who have been here for a while and then go on to other things. It is magic to see how Ireland are going under Andy Farrell, Paul Gustard did well with England and now Alex is making his impact. I hope it is a sign we are doing things right and when people leave others step up.”
McCall said he hoped Farrell would be fit to start England's Six Nations campaign.
The outside-half has had surgery on the ankle he injured against Australia in the second week of the autumn series.
“I hope he is able to play a couple of games for us before the Six Nations,” said McCall. “He is not very mobile at the moment, but he is keen to be involved with us in the coming weeks.
“Jamie did not need an operation and we will see if we can get him back a little earlier than anticipated. Losing them is unfortunate, but it is what it is. There will be some sort of comedown for our internationals who have come back fit and we have to make things as simple for them as possible.”
Summer recruit Marco Riccioni will not play for Saracens again this season after rupturing the anterior crucial event ligament in his right knee playing for Italy against Argentina this month.
“I am devastated for him because he has made a big impression on the group,” said McCall.
