Maro Itoje’s early second-half injury cast a shadow over Saracens’ 45-26 victory against an injury-depleted Sale Sharks at Stone X Stadium, as the defending champions claimed their second successive win to go top of the Premiership table.
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Saracens Dominate Despite First-Half Setback
Seven penalties from Alex Lozowski and tries from Tobias Elliott, Elliot Daly (twice), and Jamie George propelled Saracens to victory after trailing by a point at the break. The home side’s second-half resurgence proved too much for a depleted Sale, who were missing several key players.
Itoje’s Injury Raises Alarm
The spotlight turned to Maro Itoje, who was withdrawn just one minute into the second half after appearing to suffer a knee injury. With England’s international fixtures on the horizon, fans will be hoping for a swift recovery for the influential lock.
McCall’s Cautious Approach to Itoje’s Injury
Saracens Director of Rugby, Mark McCall, offered a measured response to Itoje’s injury post-match:
“He’s got a bang on a grumbly knee, really, to be honest. And we took him off real quick just to preserve that, so he’d be fine. But whether he plays next week, I’m not sure.”
Itoje’s condition will remain a focal point as Steve Borthwick ponders over his squad for the Autumn Nations Series in November.
Richie McCaw’s all-time rugby dream team is something special
Captaining the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, from 2006 to 2015, McCaw led them to two Rugby World Cup victories.
Known for his exceptional leadership, tenacity, and skill, he remains an iconic figure in rugby, earning numerous accolades and leaving an indelible mark on the game.
Extracted from a series of interviews, here is our interpretation of how his dream team would be arranged.
RICHIE MCCAW DREAM TEAM:
BACK-THREE:
- 15. Christian Cullen (New Zeland)
- 14. Julian Savea (New Zealand)
- 11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
McCawon Lomu: “When I first became an All Black he was in the team. To play alongside a guy you have watched as a young fella was pretty amazing. He made me look silly in training more than once.
“He is one of the absolute superstars of rugby. If you go to somewhere where rugby is perhaps not well known then the one guy they do know is Jonah. It’s really sad that he’s passed away at age 40. He was a legend of the All Blacks and a legend of rugby.”
CENTRES:
- 13. Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand)
- 12. Jonny Wilkinson (England)
McCaw on Wilkinson: “He’ll go down as one of the greats of world rugby.”
HALFBACKS:
- 10. Dan Carter (New Zealand)
- 9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand)
McCaw on Carter: “There are a lot of good players but the guys who did it for a long time and that I’ve been lucky to play with is Dan Carter. In the final, he was sensational and he’s been great for a long time. So to be able to play with him for the years I’ve been playing was pretty cool.”