Gallagher Premiership: Sale Sharks clash a 'good test' for 'exciting group of young talent' at Saracens - Mark McCall
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Published 22/12/2023 at 16:56 GMT
Sale Sharks host Saracens on Friday night, live on TNT Sports, for a mouthwatering repeat of last season's Gallagher Premiership final as we reach the midway point of the season. Mark McCall believes the trip north will provide a "good test" for his emerging young players, and spoke of having an "exciting group of young talent" at his disposal this season to blend with more experienced players.
Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, looks on during the Investec Champions Cup match between Saracens and Connacht Rugby at StoneX Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Barnet, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
Mark McCall has lauded a “very exciting group of young talent” coming through at Saracens ahead of their Gallagher Premiership clash with Sale Sharks.
The two English heavyweights go head-to-head on Friday night, live on TNT Sports, in a repeat of last season’s final, when Sarries came out on top.
McCall’s side head north in fourth place after eight rounds, but only two points behind the table-topping Sharks.
Sarries go into the game on the back of a confidence-boosting 55-36 win over Connacht in the Investec Champions Cup last Saturday, and director of rugby McCall is eager to see what lies ahead in the 2023-24 campaign.
"The squad is changing at the moment - we are excited about it," he told the BBC.
"We've got a new group and we are trying to forge ahead. I'm really excited about some of the young talent that we have got coming through."
McCall has led Saracens since 2011 and has been able to lean on a contingent of experienced England stars like Owen Farrell, Jamie George and Maro Itoje during a period of huge success.
But new players are starting to emerge at the club, such as 21-year-old centre Olly Hartley, who played a starring role in last weekend’s European victory.
TNT Sports pundit Lawrence Dallaglio predicted a “big future” for the youngster after his performance on his maiden European start, while 23-year-old Argentina flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez scooped the player of the match award.
McCall added: "It's really exciting to watch their development and very exciting to watch our senior players support them and mentor them in the way that they are.
"There's a very exciting group of young talent here and it's our jobs to try to mould them into a great pack of forwards.
“If we can keep them all, and have them here for three years, then we have coaches who have done it with other packs - it's a really exciting group.
"We are at the start of that process and Sale is the next stage. It's a really good test, halfway through the season and Sale are going very well this year.
"They are incredibly physical and confrontational like they were last year and I definitely think they are playing a little bit more and playing with a bit more width than they did last year."
The Premiership season will last only 18 rounds this season after the league was reduced to 10 teams following the demise of Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish last term.
That means Friday’s clash between Sale and Saracens will mark the halfway point of the season and a chance to lay a big marker down against a major title rival.
Sarries defeated Sale 35-25 in last season’s final at Twickenham to claim their sixth Premiership title, and their fifth in the last eight years.
How to watch Sale Sharks v Saracens live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Coverage of Sale v Saracens starts at 19:00 on TNT Sports 2 on December 22, with kick-off at 19:45.
For the latest information on which rugby matches are on TNT Sports, click here.
Premiership Rugby matches this weekend on TNT Sports
- Friday, December 22: Sale Sharks v Saracens - 19:45
- Saturday, December 23: Exeter Chiefs v Leicester - 15:00
- Saturday, December 23: Bath v Harlequins - 15:05
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TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media
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