Saracens v Leinster

[Teh Mite]

Well there's a f-ing change:

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_6452624,00.html

Saracens' Director of rugby Brendan Venter is not winning any friends amongst rugby's administrators as his latest outburst is investigated.

Venter was scathing ins his criticism of French referee Christophe Berdos' interpretation of the breakdown in his side's 23-25 loss to Leinster on Saturday and Heineken Cup officials have confirmed that the South Africa's rant will be given a closer look by the tournament's disciplinary officer Roger O'Connor.

"We will be urgently reviewing the comments and their context to see if he has brought the tournament into disrepute," ERC Chief executive Derek McGrath told the Telegraph.

The Saracens boss had pointed a finger at inconsistencies in refereeing since the change how the breakdown should be handled.

"I asked European Rugby Cup how much effort had gone in to ensuring all the referees were on the same level," said Venter.

"They said nothing. That's a disaster. I could have guaranteed you this would happen. We don't have enough systems in place to feed back and show everyone what to do."

McGrath was at Wembley on Saturday and said that he was "disappointed" by Venter's comments before adding that "The ERC take this issue very seriously,"

"There is a system of communication already in place and we will be reviewing all the refereeing decisions over the first two rounds," he said.

"Brendan was in contact with Donal Courtney, our referees performance manager, about putting together some clips (from Saracens' defeat by Clermont Auvergne) to explain the decisions to him, but we didn't receive the clips."

It's the first time Sarries have had a run-in with the ERC this season after they snubbed the tournament launch by sending skipper Steve Borthwick to the Oktoberfest instead.



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No doubt the "independent commission" will deem he has "no case to answer". As usual.

 

[lynam1104]

At lest somebody put him in his place from the off he got any with it too much last year.

 

[Teh Mite]

Nobody has put him in his place yet. As usual there will be the repeated threats of reprimand with no delivery (unless of course you count an 11 week ban which only takes effect during the off season).

 

[munstermuffin]

Why can't he accept that his team was beaten hands down by Leinster. Also I don't know if it Saracens or the media who do it but I hate way Sarroes are hyped up when they have nothing to show for it.
In Europe they're 0 from 2
in Premiership I've learnt over the years that it's all well and good starting the league well but as Leicester and others have shown in the past it's all about how you finish.

And what have Saracens even done to deserve hype

 

[gingergenius]

Why can't he accept that his team was beaten hands down by Leinster. Also I don't know if it Saracens or the media who do it but I hate way Sarroes are hyped up when they have nothing to show for it.
In Europe they're 0 from 2
in Premiership I've learnt over the years that it's all well and good starting the league well but as Leicester and others have shown in the past it's all about how you finish.

And what have Saracens even done to deserve hype

Saracens have done nothing to deserve the kind of hype Munster and Leicester get. But I don't think we get that kind of hype. As for other hype - well, the 2 weeks before the Heineken Cup started we beat the 2 best teams in England; and we'd come very close to winning the Prem Final last season. So saying we're a good side is not unreasonable. I think both Clermont and Leinster will say that much about us too.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

So saying we're a good side is not unreasonable. I think both Clermont and Leinster will say that much about us too.

Yep, Sarries are a good team and are brilliantly coached. If they find a new home ground and can build a supporters base I think Saracens will rise still further. To borrow an overused phrase, "there's something special happening at Saracens". I don't think they expect to be among the sports elite European teams yet but they certainly aspire to get there- there's nothing wrong with showing that ambition.

They badly need to improve their PR within the game though.

 

[Teh Mite]

Therein lies the problem; With Doctor Evil you may get the coaching but you also have to get the mouth piece - Half the reason he does well is because he's very efficent with the mind games with other clubs and likes to get under their skins.

Eddie Griffiths doesn't help matters, but the root of the cause is Venter, both what they're good at and what they're good at being bad at.

 

[munstermuffin]

As I said it might be the media that over hype Sarries. I know they are a good side and well have potential but I just think the PR of the club in a way is awful. The image been portrayed at times the way management go on is that of arrogance and been cocky.

 

[gingergenius]

Even as a Sarries fan, it isn't easy to like us. I don't care about the South Africans because we've got a few good young English players too; I don't care about the Saracens Sensations, Wembley, Tinie Tempah and that song because it's all fairly innocent. But Venter's outburts & Griffiths' bullshit are so unnecessary - it doesn't get us anywhere, it doesn't win us extra favour with the refs, the RFU, the rugby world...

I love that we're now playing at the level of rugby we should have been at for the last decade. I love that we're capable of playing attractive rugby and scoring tries, and I love that we can keep it tight as well. I love that we're really trying hard to expand the fanbase - something that will ultimately come with success as well. But we could do all this without the outbursts, and we wouldn't be hated like we are.