He waxed lyrical about the country and its people and equally loved South Africa, which he often visited.  They sounded like golden lands, full of sunshine and opportunity and, when I stumbled into a career in retailing myself, my uncle offered me a job as his assistant. I was on the point of setting sail when my uncle was killed in a traffic accident while travelling back from South Africa and so, without a sponsor, the opportunity disappeared. 

Ever since that time I have been interested in the history of what has become the benighted Zimbabwe and also the optimistic Rainbow Nation of South Africa where so many still seek the promised pot of gold at the end of their particular rainbows. 

Tigers’ opponents this week have their own band of Voortrekkers, however whereas their Boer forebears trekked from the British controlled Cape Colony to escape Perfidious Albion and their administrators, peopled by what the Afrikaans called Soutpiels, to form the Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal regions, these latter day Voortrekkers have chosen instead to seek their fortunes in England with fellow travellers from neighbouring Namibia and Zimbabwe. 

 Players born in southern Africa constitute just over a quarter of the Watford club’s published Premiership squad for this season (source Aviva Premiership Website) and with a CEO who forged a career in South Africa, a South African defacto Director of Rugby who’s based in the Republic and a South African billionaire owner in Johann Rupert, who funds the substantial losses that the St Albans based business incurs, Saracens remains something of an oddity in the world of English rugby union, for never before in the professional era has a club been so focussed on one nation for its playing staff, management and financing and is, to all intents and purposes, the manifestation of the earlier but abortive “London Tribe” project with which Mr Rupert was rumoured to be involved. 

In spite of having the mantle of Champions Saracens only attract small crowds to Vicarage Road with attendances averaging just over 6000 even though the team are again flying high in the Premiership. 

Saracens are pinning their fiscal hopes on the modest project to move their home matches to the refurbished 10,000 capacity Copthall Stadium where they seek to improve crowd numbers, although why moving to Barnet should achieve this must be open to conjecture but good luck to them in producing a sustainable business to match their success on the pitch, as surely even a benefactor with pockets as full as those of Mr Rupert must eventually blanche at persistent and substantial losses.  

Icy weather, which we have been experiencing even here on the usually mild south coast, has two advantages; the first is for EoN who manage to dip their hands ever further into my pocket as our central heating works overtime and the second that I, excused other duties, can watch wall to wall rugby. 

It was, in rugby terms, an extraordinary weekend. 

Extraordinary that a third rate England performance again relied on the bounce of the ball from a charge down enabling Charlie Hodgson to score his team’s only try. 

Extraordinary that the media are reduced to benignly nodding as Stuart Lancaster launches into another execrable flood of psychobabble and management speak.  

Extraordinary that in spite of another display which saw the England pack do their job but the backs having no ambition and as much penetration as a milk pudding they still find themselves having defeated the two contenders for this year’s wooden spoon, even though both Italy and Scotland looked the better sides for long periods. 

Extraordinary that down at Sandy Park Tigers once more squandered a worthwhile lead and again gave way to a second half renaissance by their opponents, a mental weakness incomprehensible in days of yore. 

Extraordinary that once again Greg Garner produced an awful display of refereeing that, as was the case last year, favoured Saracens when they visited High Wycombe and again beat Wasps. 

Extraordinary that Saracens have been able to recruit a squad of such depth and quality that with, reportedly, nineteen players absent through international call ups and injury they could field such a high quality match day ensemble and all achieved while remaining within the salary cap. 

Extraordinary that Gloucester looked peerless in putting Saints to the sword only to suffer a second half defensive seizure enabling a depleted Northampton to escape with a losing bonus point. 

Extraordinary that the organisers of the Six Nations lack the intelligence to arrange matters so that the showcase France versus Ireland match could take place.  In spite of the options open to facilitate the match the organisers chose the one to play it in long running sub zero February temperatures at 9pm! Just when you think that the highly paid individuals charged with administering our sport cannot demonstrate greater abject stupidity they go onto to astound us mere mortals with levels of idiocy that reach beyond credibility.  There may be sports suffering worse management but I’ve yet to find one. 

Finally it was extraordinary that I had to wait until Sunday afternoon to watch a match that set the pulse racing as Scotland, again looking the better side for long periods, fought toe to toe with an impressive Welsh side which won with a score line that again ill serves the efforts of Andy Robinson’s side. It was a great second half in which Roman Poite summarily disallowed a perfectly valid Scottish try without recourse to the TMO. 

Thank goodness we are spared the Six Nations for a week while Tigers outspan and trek down to Vicarage Road to meet their latter day Nemesis. 

What a shame that on the last five occasions that these teams have met only twice has it been without the drag of EPS strictures.  In those instances honours have been shared. 

Tigers continue to stutter and splutter while Saracens remain cohesive and forceful.  Their style of rugby may not be everybody’s cup of Bovril but my goodness they’re good at it. 

Unusually Saracens went behind to the plucky Wasps whereas usually they snatch a try or kick some penalties and then deploy their enviable defensive system to hold on to the lead.  However on Sunday they had to come from behind and while it’s true to say that they had copious assistance from Mr Garner in achieving their objective they stuck at the task like limpets and of course it doesn’t hurt to be able to bring Springboks Brits and deKock on where other leading sides are supported by cohorts of novices.  As I said; there’s much that’s extraordinary about Saracens – one might even be tempted to say “special”!! 

Against Exeter Tigers deployed the venerable Julian White alongside the almost equally venerable George Chuter and with Cole unlikely to be released by England and Richard Cockerill refusing to start the dynamic Hawkins, I expect the same front row next Sunday, especially as Stankovitch pulled out of the Sandy Park squad leaving Ayerza as the only experienced loosehead and White the only experienced tighthead.  Tigers would have hoped that Martin Castrogiovanni would have been available as Italy tend to return players during fallow weekends in the Six Nations but he too has now succumbed to injury. 

Happily Jamie George got a start against Wasps relegating his more illustrious Springbok colleagues variously to the bench and to playing out of position at prop in the process. I continue to be mightily impressed by young Jamie George who’s a splendid scrummager, an accurate thrower and is remarkably mobile around the park.  However as the match is at home I expect to see Brits get the #2 shirt, for while there may be few Saracens’ supporters willing to pay to see their team play those that do turn up will want to see as much of the iconic Brits as possible.  With Carstens back home and Stevens with England I’d expect Welshman Rhys Gill to be at loosehead with the fiercesome Nieto on the other side and that still leaves the vastly experienced Smit as an option from the bench 

This should be a decent contest but one that I can see Saracens winning. 

Slater and Skivington have formed a bit of a partnership at lock but with Louis Deacon out for the season Tigers lack a real enforcer and Deacon is also sorely missed at the breakdown, which remains an area of concern and one that hasn’t been addressed by Richard Cockerill, or if it has it’s been with a remarkable lack of success.  It was noticeable from the highlights of the contest with Exeter that Tigers were once again slow to the breakdown leaving players isolated and with Sean Davey whistling for offences real and imagined it was another seemingly shambolic performance around the tackle area. 

Saracens meanwhile are one of the most effective sides in this department and are fantastically adept at preying on any weakness or predilections of the referee with their pre match analysis outstanding. 

Even with Borthwick and Botha missing against Wasps the collective again worked well.  I was especially impressed by young George Kruis, who, in spite of a name redolent of the Dutch Reformed Church so beloved of the Afrikaans, is English born.  He was steady in the lineout and caught the eye in the loose and at the breakdown.  I had not previously seen Australian born USA Eagle Hayden Smith who has 18 caps.  I believe he’s just back from the Land of the Free where he’s been having American Football try outs.  He too filled his spot well and even if Borthwick and Botha are still missing next week, without Parling and Croft, Tigers will struggle to find any dominance here. 

It’s odd that with such a strong back row that Tigers still seem hesitant and disorganised at the tackle area where Julian Salvi ploughs a lonely furrow at times.  Mafi and Waldrom are splendid in loose play but the coaches and players must use more wit opposing Saracens against whom there is absolutely no point in contesting on their ball, better to cover their second pod which will be ready to exploit the gaps generated by opposition players being sucked in to the breakdown.  Saracens don’t turn over much of their own ball anyway so better to defend the outcome.  Where Tigers must be vigilant is in protecting their own ball and to this end they must get to the breakdown quicker and in numbers, then clear the ball out with despatch as Saracens are as vulnerable as any other team to quick and accurate ball. 

Even without such luminaries as Ernst Joubert and Burger Saracens are breathtakingly efficient at the tackle area, without the mores of Mr Garner against Wasps and Mr Barnes in the last match against Quins assisting them. 

If Justin Melck and Jackson Wray continue (and Wray incidentally looks a very good player indeed and something of a Jordan Crane lookalike I thought) in concert with the mysteriously ignored Andy Saull, who as a genuine open side with tremendous pace should surely have been around the EPS squad long before now, then I can’t see much in the way of turnover ball for the visitors. 

On what I’ve seen this season it will be remarkable if Tigers can get an edge at the set piece or the tackle area and therefore are potentially going to be suffocated by the home side. 

However to be positive and assuming that the referee keeps Saracens honest at the breakdown (and frankly they are good enough not to need to infringe) it will fall to the Tigers half backs to get their backs onto dynamic rather than static ball as without Barritt and Farrell (who with Hodgson as the incumbents of the England shirts will surely not be released by Saracens’ coach Andy Farrell in his England guise) there looked opportunities when Wasps got some quick ball, even though they were determined to butcher their chances. 

Tigers lost Sam Harrison to injury against Exeter and it is to be hoped against hope that he’s fit for next Sunday for with Micky Young unjustly and incomprehensibly suspended by ERC and the still out of sorts Ben Youngs likely to unwisely be kept in camp with England, James Grindal is the last experienced scrum half still standing at Tigers and for all his work ethic he’s not going to produce enough quick ball. 

Saracens have had their own injury problems at scrum half with Wigglesworth out for the season as well as deKock and, find of the season for the Sarries, Ben Spencer, also injured, so they have brought in cover – in the shape of the vastly experienced international; Peter Stringer .  Where other teams have to make do with injury cover from “Old Fartonians” Saracens bring in Peter Stringer – extraordinary! 

Against Wasps the Irishman was immune from the attentions of the home side’s breakaways due to protection from Mr Garner and the now familiar carapace that Saracens form at the back of the breakdown, which sees their scrum half so removed from the unwanted attention of the opposition that he’ll soon need binoculars to see them, so distant have they become.  This nifty ploy not only protects the Sarries’ scrum half but makes counter-rucking all but impossible and enables their forwards to be swiftly mobilised once the ball is away – very, very clever.  I wonder why nobody else does it? 

Toby Flood still looks very much below par; missing kicks and going into super slo-mo with a clearance kick charged down by the Exeter open side generating a try for Richard Baxter.  It’s inconceivable that Flood should be retained by England next weekend as with Hodgson and Owen Farrell, Lancaster and Andy Farrell have a working system and with Barritt completing the centres and being coached by a Saracen employee the style is much as that of Saracens.  It’s working so far, at least against the Six Nations’ also-rans.  I sense though that more ambition in attack will be required against Wales, Ireland and France so Lancaster must be hoping that Tuilagi M and Flood come good. 

I can’t say that I thought Nils Mordt looked at all comfortable in his unaccustomed fly half position against Wasps and if he continues there the Tigers’ breakaways will be targeting him I’m sure, maybe Alex Goode will step in. The Saracens’ make shift mid field looked less assured and with stalwart Adam Powell at inside centre and USA international winger Chris Wyles in unfamiliar territory at outside centre there could be some opportunities there for Tony Allen and Manu Tuilagi, the latter surely being available to get some match time ahead of being subsumed into the England squad. Obviously though to those who are not too blind to see the Tigers’ centres, and especially Allen, will not be able to acquit themselves if their half-back colleagues are not producing front foot ball for them and they receive the ball with an opponent a nanosecond behind it. 

With the spectacular Michael Tagicakibau now back from injury I wonder if he’ll get a start, if he does it will be something of a “blast from the past” for Saracens’ fans to reprise his mazy running and electric pace and it would enable the excellent Wyles to be back on the wing to replace utility back Duncan Taylor who got his starting debut at the sparsely populated Adams Park where less than 5500 souls turned up (there were over 9000 at Sandy Park). 

If Tigers’ backs get some quick go forward ball then there could be a way through the redoubt of the hosts’ defence as the Tuilagis target James Short who’s big on pace but at just 85kgs something of a lightweight in these days of behemoth wingers. 

Out wide Alex Tuilagi bulldozed through Exeter’s Matt Jess and Dollman for another try on Saturday and if he’s fit I expect to see him once again in the #11 shirt and partnered by his fellow departee; Horacio Agulla with Geordan Murphy, whos lovely pass was instrumental in Tuilagi’s try, continuing at full back. If Tuilagi isn’t fit the Hamilton will probably get the nod although personally I’d like to see Niall Morris given a start or Matt Smith move to the wing. 

Alex Goode is a player, like his opposite number Geordan Murphy, who is rarely flustered and has slotted smoothly into Owen Farrell’s role as lead kicker. Both are capable of making subtle and decisive line breaks and pretty bomb proof under the high ball but, in the absence of Hougaard, Hodgson and Farrell, Goode may be dragooned into #10. 

While Saracens system clearly works and it’s winning that ultimately counts I am always left feeling that while they’re good if only they had a more ambitious playbook for their talented back division they could be spectacular. 

Vicarage Road has never been fertile ground for Tigers and with the current vintage so dysfunctional and Saracens showing such a strong collective amongst their all star cast I can’t see much joy for Tigers next Sunday so I expect another loss on the road, although not with a 25 point margin and leaving some Sarries’ supporters a little less to unattractively crow about.

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