Let the Hate begin

[TRF_Olyy]

Guscott reckons Sarries by 7+ and that Strettle has a chance in hell of "overshadowing Ashton"

 

[Conal]

ah stand up for the saracens the only rugby song worse than stand up for the ulstermen and that is why sarries need to lose

 

[Teh Mite]

Guscott also believes Wilkinson is still relevent in modern rugby, Bath are the best team in Europe and Shontayne Hape is the perfect inside centre. Make of that what you will...

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Guscott is a terrible pundit! Granted he was a good player he has no clue about the game at the moment.

 

[smartcooky]

Oh, I see.

I thought it might have something to do with the fact their logo is actually a stylized version of an Islamic symbol.

Saracens logo

The Crescent & Star of Islam

 

[Teh Mite]

So you never put 2+2 together and realised the seam is called "Saracens", then considered why the logo is as????????

 

[smartcooky]

So you never put 2+2 together and realised the seam is called "Saracens", then considered why the logo is as????????

A long time ago actually.

I am well versed in English history, the Crusades, the reign of Richard Coeur de Lyon, the Saracens, the Moors and the Knights Templar.

I also know that Sarries are actually based in St Albans; they only play in Watford, and only since the late 1990's. Before that they were at Enfield FC's ground at Southbury Road, and before that at Bramley Road, Enfield.

Also, the Crescent & Star wasn't always their logo. At one time their logo was this one....

depicting a Saracen battle helmet and Scimitar, and then sometime prior to WW1 they changed it to something more like they one they have now.

However, what I have never been able to get to the bottom of is how they got the name "Saracens" in the first place. How did a rugby club get given a name like that?

Originally, they might have had another name, possibly "Old Philologians" derived from the Old Boys of the Philological School of Marylebone who originally founded the club in 1876. Perhaps the name came into being when they merged with a nearby club called the "Crusaders". The "Saracens" were historically the enemies of Richard the Lionheart's Crusaders, so the name was possibly derived from that. It seems vague at best.

 

[Duckdee]

Oh, I see.

I thought it might have something to do with the fact their logo is actually a stylized version of an Islamic symbol.

Yeah, that's right, we're all US Republicans and hate anything loosely associated with those freedom hating turban heads.

 

[Feicarsinn]

A long time ago actually.

I am well versed in English history, the Crusades, the reign of Richard Coeur de Lyon, the Saracens, the Moors and the Knights Templar.

I also know that Sarries are actually based in St Albans; they only play in Watford, and only since the late 1990's. Before that they were at Enfield FC's ground at Southbury Road, and before that at Bramley Road, Enfield.

Also, the Crescent & Star wasn't always their logo. At one time their logo was this one....

depicting a Saracen battle helmet and Scimitar, and then sometime prior to WW1 they changed it to something more like they one they have now.

However, what I have never been able to get to the bottom of is how they got the name "Saracens" in the first place. How did a rugby club get given a name like that?

Originally, they might have had another name, possibly "Old Philologians" derived from the Old Boys of the Philological School of Marylebone who originally founded the club in 1876. Perhaps the name came into being when they merged with a nearby club called the "Crusaders". The "Saracens" were historically the enemies of Richard the Lionheart's Crusaders, so the name was possibly derived from that. It seems vague at best.

[wiki]Saracens F.C.[/wiki]

 

[smartcooky]

Yes yes, I know all about Wikipedia, but it can be edited by anyone so its hardly a reliable source, and in any case, it does not answer my question.

I have a couple of good books on the English Rugby history.. "A Social History of English Rugby Union" by Tony Collins, and "A History of Rugby" by Paul Morgan, one of the best Rugby books in my collection.

I get most of my historical information from them.


PS: The content of that Wikipedia page is plagiarized almost word for word from the Saracens website

http://www.saracens.com/news/club-info/index.php

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Yes yes, I know all about Wikipedia, but it can be edited by anyone so its hardly a reliable source, and in any case, it does not answer my question.

I have a couple of good books on the English Rugby history.. "A Social History of English Rugby Union" by Tony Collins, and "A History of Rugby" by Paul Morgan, one of the best Rugby books in my collection.

I get most of my historical information from them.


PS: The content of that Wikipedia page is plagiarized almost word for word from the Saracens website

http://www.saracens.com/news/club-info/index.php

Will be interesting to see what more we can learn of this rather unusually named team.

 

[Peat]

Yes yes, I know all about Wikipedia, but it can be edited by anyone so its hardly a reliable source, and in any case, it does not answer my question.

Last scientific survey found it to be as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Everything is written by someone. As long as you cite your information sources it can be as accurate as any other secondary source of information.

 

[Teh Mite]

And your teams

South Africa:15 Nils Mordt
14 David Strettle
13 Kameli Ratuvou
12 Brad Barritt
11 Chris Wyles
10 Derick Hougaard
9 Neil de Kock
1 Deon Carstens
2 Ethienne Reynecke
3 Carlos Nieto
4 Steve Borthwick ©
5 Mouritz Botha
6 Kelly Brown
7 Jacques Burger
8 Ernst Joubert

16 Schalk Brits
17 Matt Parr
18 Petrus du Plessis
19 Hayden Smith
20 Don Barrell
21 Richard Wigglesworth
22 Owen Farrell
23 Michael Tagicakibau

Saints:

15 Ben Foden
14 Paul Diggin
13 Joe Ansbro
12 James Downey
11 Bruce Reihana
10 Shane Geraghty
9 Lee Dickson
1 Soane Tonga'uiha
2 Dylan Hartley (capt)
3 Brian Mujati
4 Mark Sorenson
5 Christian Day
6 Calum Clark
7 Tom Wood
8 Phil Dowson

Replacements
16 Brett Sharman
17 Regardt Dreyer
18 Tom Mercey
19 Mark Easter
20 Roger Wilson
21 Ryan Powell
22 Stephen Myler
23 Jon Clarke

Reihana is going to snap David Strettle into 2 very evenly sized halfs.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Are Ashton/Lawes injured or being rested?

4. Borthwick :lol:

I don't think the two Strettle halves will be equal, he has a very "roman" nose, which'd throw everthing off balance

 

[Teh Mite]

EPS squad rested is the current vibe, if Ashton's not 100% fit it's a smart move. That'll mean Foden and Hartley won't play next week.

 

[Duckdee]

Bit risky not playing Brits, isn't it? They're not going to beat Northampton's set-piece play, anyway, may as well use his attacking threat.

 

[Peat]

Ashton went off with a foot injury last week.

Add in to the other reasons for hating Sarries - starting games with only 4 EQPs...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

and two of those are South African anyway :lol:

In the starting XV:
9 x South Africans (two are EQP though...)
2 x English
1 x Italian
1 x American
1 x Fijian
1 x Scottish

On the bench:
2 x South Africans
4 x English
1 x American
1 x Fijian

Is there a limit on how many non-EQP are in the starting lineup? There should be, because that's mad!

 

[Shaggy]

and two of those are South African anyway :lol:

In the starting XV:
9 x South Africans (two are EQP though...)
2 x English
1 x Italian
1 x American
1 x Fijian
1 x Scottish

On the bench:
2 x South Africans
4 x English
1 x American
1 x Fijian

Is there a limit on how many non-EQP are in the starting lineup? There should be, because that's mad!

... or in the squads, you're bound to get this kind of situation when the clubs hold more power than the country's national body.