S3 E39E: Fezcasters Assemble

It's our last show of the week so it's time for our Fezcast team to get together. Listen in as Jez. Matt, Barry and Sam look forward with varying levels of optimism to the season culmination at Twickenham as Saracens  go shark hunting!

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Title Music (from Season 4): "Herald" by This Winter Machine

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SPEAKER_04 0:01

The following podcast is brought to you on behalf of the Starrison Supporters Association and is not an official product of Starrison's Limited. Content provided voluntarily by our guests and contributors are of their own opinion, which may change over time and should not be taken as fact, particularly as the podcast hosts are regularly talking drivel. Anyway, if you've got some drivel of your own you'd like to share, you can find us on Twitter and Instagram at Fezcast underscore SSA. You can search Facebook for the Fezcast, or you can email Fezcast.com.

SPEAKER_06 0:32

You're listening to the FezCast.

SPEAKER_03 0:45

Hi, Alex Osterberry here, Director of Rugby for Saracens Women. You're listening to the Saracens Fezcast.

SPEAKER_06 0:52

This is the Fezcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Well, welcome everybody to our fifth and final show of the week. And I am personally I'm I'm just about ready to uh to finish this. It's been a it's been a labour of love this week. Uh interviewing people, recording stuff, putting shows together. Thanks to Barry who's joining us or Doctor Strange, as we are calling him now because it's Fezcasters assembled this evening for today's Friday, whatever it is. I'm the honk. I'm in me, I'm in my Bruce Banner stage at the moment, but it could easily be shirt stripped off and turning green butt at some point. And then we've got um Captain Saracens, Matt, and uh four Sam Norris. We call him four because he's just run up the stairs and he's knackered. So he's obviously very four with his lisp and everything. But good evening, gentlemen, how are you? Have you enjoyed the shows that we put out this week? I've not listened to any of them.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

No, I have to anyone listen to any of them.

SPEAKER_05 1:57

It's been keeping me uh keeping me happy on my little 15-minute commute into the office every day. It's been great. I think we should do it every week.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Oh well, what volunteered Sam? You you know, you could take next week's uh shows if you like, but yeah, no, I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. I mean, obviously, missing out the scoop on Kelly's departure and interviewing him, not knowing this, and uh and just talking about everything other than Kelly's career. But thanks to Barry for jumping in and helping me with attribute to him. And then chatting to Fio and Toby was brilliant, really enjoyed that, and Kieran from Sale as well. Superb to talk to him. Um, we're gonna do this show in two parts. We've got some parish notices to get through, shall we say, beforehand before we get into the main bones of our hopes and fears and our our thoughts about the final coming up in part two. But yeah, part one. Matt, you've been to see a different sport. You've been to see the girls, um, the Mavericks playing Netball recently.

SPEAKER_04 2:53

I have. I should say I picked a brilliant week to be really, really busy and to leave you to do absolutely everything, didn't I? Sorry, mate. Well done.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

I thought you'll buy me a pint on Saturday to make up for it.

SPEAKER_04 3:04

I've find you definitely. I mean that that pint that's about 15 quids worth as well, isn't it? So there we go. Um, but yeah, no, I I um Monday night I I had uh promised a few people at the Mavericks that I'd make sure I get to at least one match per season, and did realise that this was the very last home fixture, so um made sure I uh made sure I went. Um it was good to go as well, actually, because um Sasha Corbyn, who we spoke to at the start of the netball season after um ten years as as captain of the team and many more as um as a general player is is retiring, and it's you know it's it's their Jackson Ray. Um it's the Mavericks version of Jackson Ray who's retiring. Um and it was a very, very nice occasion. Um a few little tributes to her, a few awards given out at the end of the season. It was good to see some of the Saracens women's rugby players as well um turning out to watch there. Um unfortunately did end in defeat um to Bath, so hopefully that's not a uh not a premonition of anything for uh for coming up, but um and quite an odd occasion as well, because Sasha's sister Cadeen, who was playing for the Mavericks, was also playing for Bath and pretty much in the latter stages of the game sealed the victory, so kind of spoiled the party for her own sister, really. But it's um I had made a few comments that as a sport to watch netball. I mean, I'm it just makes you out of breath, sweating, heart palpitations. It's it's one of the most physically draining sports I think to watch, barring squash bizarrely. Um I wouldn't last two minutes playing netball, and honestly, it I don't understand half the rules, but it's still really, really entertaining. So um I definitely Saracen's fans out there, just just give it a go. Go and watch the Mavericks, it's it's it's good laugh. So get yourself down there next season.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

I know, I mean, Matt, admitting to um palpitations and sweatiness watching um I knew I knew you were gonna come out with that. That's almost as big a that's almost as big a remission as me uh uh stated my uh my levels of uh playing number eight with Toby Knight yesterday, but you know, I got a little bit starstruck now, I suppose. But yeah, uh moving back into the game, Robert. You mentioned Saracen's Women there, Matt. Um the big news this week from Saracen's Women obviously had a bottom and up in front of the beak, said sorry. Um it's taken a reasonable slap on the wrist, quite rightly. And I think myself and Joe discussed this at the time. At the time, it was apparently an insinuation of cheating, wasn't quite that. I mean, she's just uh whinged a little bit about a uh decision, happens all the time. Um, and I think Sam they dealt with it in the right way, haven't they?

SPEAKER_05 5:48

Yeah, by the looks of things. Um, I think you can always measure a lot of this kind of stuff by the reaction of of others. And and I think Twitter's always a good hotbed for that kind of stuff, and everyone seems to sort of be on the same page that uh everything was kind of justified there. So and I think you know, look, we we all know, and I know that you don't necessarily agree with it, uh Jez, about the whole if you say sorry, you get, you know, your game's deducted and all that kind of stuff. But in this instance, it seems to have worked out right, I think.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

Yeah, indeed. And hopefully you also learn from that, and other players will learn from it as well. Um perhaps just have a count of five before you say anything or whatever in that situation. The other big news coming out of the club though, Barry, great news. Ivan signed another contract, is it for two years, I think, if I'm if I'm right. But yeah, he's he he's standing at the club for the foreseeable future. And I know all of us here, and and when we when we do the player of the year um votes and everything, we know that Ivan's gonna be right at the top. And indeed, Kelly mentioned it on the interview I did with him, how much the coaches have been impressed with him, and he's been rewarded with a new contract, Barry.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

Yeah, cracking news. I mean, we've been talking on here uh quite a bit about players. Are we are players leaving? Are they staying? Who's out of contract and what have you? And it's it's come late, but it's it's very, very welcome that he is staying for, as we say, another another two years, which will be four years minimum. Um, his he has improved so much from when he first came here, it is it's just not true. And if we can get even another 10% improvement on where he is now, he's gonna be one heck of a player. Um, does anyone know if he qualifies for England yet?

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Well, that was a question I was just about to ask as well, because I mean, um looking at him, I mean, how old is he? He's born 1995, so he's only what 28, which is a wee uh whip a snap of a of a boy still. And I mean, you know, Ben Youngs is still playing for England at 63 or however old he is. So, I mean, you know, if he does qualify, you know, I would I would imagine as well, Matt, that somebody in South Africa must be looking at it and thinking, is he worth a look at? Because South African rugby don't have too many problems with picking overseas players. You would have thought Razi or the coaching staff there might have been having a look at him, but if they haven't, and he does become available for England, he's got to be he's got to be in the thoughts of somebody, hasn't he?

SPEAKER_04 8:12

You'd think so, yeah. I mean, I'm just trying to work out because he has got South Africa caps, um, and I'm just trying to think of the timing of those. Um it's a th and it's a three three-year stand down from international rugby. So I would say um he would be eligible for England, but yeah, it depends on residency and things. So but yeah, I I wouldn't be surprised if if South Africa are now now looking at him, and and you'd think on on current form, he'd certainly be making a squad for um for a World Cup, but I suppose there's not a lot of international fixtures for him to really stake his claim. So that'd be interesting to see.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Absolutely, absolutely. You know, a couple of injuries in that key position, and uh could well be uh um in somebody's thoughts for both sides. Uh 2018 was when he played, I think. So uh there we go. Um, talking about South African-born players, one who did play for England and um uh and was brilliant for England as well, was our captain Brad Barrett, the man who's run through more brick walls than I think is possible. The evil can evil of the rugby world, perhaps. But about time, I honestly thought he was in the premiership hall of fame. He should have been in the premiership hall of fame years ago, Sam, shouldn't he? But he's been called in along with Tom Young's and Matt Banahan. So three great players there in the Premiership Hall of Fame. But yeah, well done to Brad. And he's over here for the game, isn't he? So all good as well.

SPEAKER_05 9:46

I was I was the same as you, James. When when the news came out, I thought, hang on a second, surely he's already in there. But if you think about it, he he only stopped playing actually not that long ago. So, and players tend to get in there after they finish playing, um, but thoroughly deserved. And yeah, I mean, to be to be honest with you, I follow him on Instagram and and I see him running around and stuff now. I think he could still do a pretty decent job now, to be to be honest. He's kept himself fit.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

Well, absolutely, yeah. No, unlike the rest of us, uh, when we retire and go to fat for a little bit and everything. But yeah, uh, I mean, Barry, I mean, uh, what's your favourite memories of of Captain Amazing?

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Uh I think um one one of one of the funniest things I can remember. I don't know if you um a couple of three years ago we had uh was it a Brad Barrett Appreciation Day at the at the Stone X or something, I think, and they everyone was handing out these little face masks of of Brad. And I as I collected one from the SSA, I said, it doesn't look much like him. He said, Well, come here and I'll punch you on the nose, and it will do.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Well, absolutely. I mean, was it was it the season that we got to we what we won the Europeans the last time we won the Heineken Cup? Was it he he played one of the games literally two weeks after having metal pins and scaffolding putting his cheekbones in there? I mean, the bloke's just nails, isn't he?

SPEAKER_02 11:05

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

I mean gave back a bad name.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Yeah, you you wouldn't fancy trying to stop him doing anything, would you?

SPEAKER_01 11:15

Oh, absolutely not, but a lovely guy as well, you know, always had time to speak to people after games or uh uh um gatherings or whatever. Just uh a really nice guy and well deserved, Brad. And if uh if you see him on the weekend, buy him a pint, shake his hands, and and say hi. I certainly will do. And if I see him and try and get him on here in the future at some point.

SPEAKER_04 11:37

I have reached all you know, all you need to do is turn up to Twick and I'm holding a massive magnet.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

Yeah, drag him along to a microphone somewhere. Uh those are Paris notes, is done. Let's um have a word from one of our advertisers and then we'll come back and discuss the final. Well, I'll let you three guys discuss the final because I've done enough talking about it. I'll just facilitate and jump in every now and then, but we'll be back in a minute.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

You're listening to the FEDCast, which is proudly sponsored by the Saraton Supporters Association. And I'm Alison Davis, one of the SSA committee. For £10 annual subscription, the SSA provides our members with monthly newsletters, virtual and in-person player events, away match ticket allocations, and we organise pre-match gatherings at away matches. We sponsor men's and women's players and we support the Taratons Foundation track club on behalf of our members. On top of all that, every year we have a seasonal SSA badge, which is exclusive to members. Where else can you get that much value for a tenor? Join now at membermojo.co.uk forward slash SSA. Or come and see us on match day in the Oasis at the Stonex.

SPEAKER_06 13:08

This is the Fezcast.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Well, uh welcome back to the part two of the Fez Cast, our fifth of the week. This is Friday morning, and apparently there's something big happening at Twickenham tomorrow. Um, something to do with another final for Saracens, and we're going on a shark hunt. Um are we all looking forward to it, gentlemen?

SPEAKER_05 13:38

I'm I'm so nervous. No. Nice to have a couple of pints before the game just to settle the nerves, I think. I think I'm more I'm actually more nervous this year than I was last year. I went in, I I mean, I always get nervous. I'm here representing both me and John as the anxiety boys of the of the Feds cast. But I I for the first time in a long time last season, I went to that game thinking, I think we've got tigers, I really do. And then we didn't. Whereas this season, everyone's sort of talking about us being, you know, the favourites by a decent margin, and I'm more nervous this year than I was last year. I think with Sarneson in charge, you know, he know he knows us better than anyone. Um, and I think it's gonna be, it's really gonna be uh a big game on Saturday. I think there's gonna be it's gonna be fine margins, basically. I don't think we are the clear, clear favourites everyone thinks we are by any meant any stretch.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Well, you're funny you should say that, Salmon. It's certainly, I mean, yeah, I I see exactly where you're coming from there. On the reverse, though, I'm a lot more calmer about this year, primarily because of last year. And the simple and and you know, we spoke to Fio and Toby in the week, and we brought this up and said how much, and with Kelly as well, how much the last year's final is playing on people's minds is part of the preparation of everything. And they're very keen to say it isn't, but I don't think it's got to be there somewhere, and I know full well that there's enough of those players who were there last year, a part of that final, and I think it's exactly the same as when we won the first time in 2011. The year before we turned up and we put Leicester on the ropes, and it was only I can't remember who it was the New Zealand lad when it played on the wing, you've got to try in the very last minute to win the game for Tigers, and it's how we came back from that, and the next year we played Tigers again, and there was no way on earth that we were going to lose that game, even though it was close. And I think you're right, Sam. I think it is going to be a close game, but I can see there being you know two points in it and an Owen Farrell turnover, like it was in 2011 to win the game. And I just don't think that when it comes down to it, when you need that extra one or two percent, Saracen's minds will go back to last year and say, we ain't doing the same thing again, you know, and and it's coming back from disappointment. And I do think that to be a champion, you first got to experience those loads to understand what it takes to be a champion, and you know, that's why I'm more confident this year than I was last year, which I mean it could it could well be that because I'm just a eternally optimistic guy and I'm having too good a year sporting-wise because I've got the football team in a European final, and you never know, Essex might win a trophy as well. I mean, that'd be amazing. But Mary, I mean, where do you stand on all of this?

SPEAKER_02 16:39

So I it it would be exceptionally Saracens if we had started planning for this year's final um as soon as we came off the pitch from last year's one, because you're right, there is unfinished business there, and uh uh despite what everyone says, they will have looked at that and said, Okay, we build from here and we go again next season and we finish the job. Um, I think we will. I don't think there'll be a huge amount in it. I think we'll probably win by single figures um uh points wise, but um, yeah, I I I'm fairly relaxed. I mean, to be fair, it's it's out of my hands anyway, because I'm definitely not going to get picked. Um, we look forward to seeing the team tomorrow. But uh yeah, it it's we'll we'll be alright. I've let's let's enjoy it, let's enjoy the day, let's enjoy playing um or see seeing sale in a final as well because it's good to see them back first time since 2006. Um and I just hope everyone has a great day out. And I to be honest, I'm all nervous about trying to get through 36,000 Luton fans from Luton train station who are heading towards Wembley for the same day, but never mind.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

Yeah, I can understand that one as well. I mean, Matt, I mean, we'll ask you as well. I mean, you you you you tend to tend to be the victim, Eldrew, of the um of the fest cast on occasion. You I mean you you can uh you can bring the the mood down when you when you want to, but I mean I completely understand what everybody's saying, and yeah, I know and I think the important thing is I do think it's gonna be a good game of rugby. I think both teams they we've we've got the final, the two best teams in the in the in the land this year, you know. That's without a shadow of a doubt. Both teams have played some really good rugby, both teams have got some exceptionally good players. George Ford against Owen Fowl is one of those little subplots. But yeah, I mean how confident are you, Matt?

SPEAKER_04 18:28

Um I've loved the uh Jez. I'm gonna take a back seat and let you three chat as he departs on two meandering monologues.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

It's Andrea's fault, you know. The the big line, it's the big line Andrea's fault.

SPEAKER_04 18:45

Look, I I'm I I would wouldn't say that I'm necessarily being the victim eldrew here, but um I think I'm a little bit philosophical. Um and I actually think that there's a hell of a lot more pressure on us this time round. Um I mean, if you wind back to you and I doing these shows um at the start of last season, we've just been promoted, and you and I were sitting here going, well, if we finish mid-table and qualify for the the Champions Cup, we'll absolutely take that. And then all of a sudden we're rolling through the season and we've ended up in the final. And again, we both said it's still been a brilliant season, we really want to win it, but we've just been promoted. Alright, we've still got all the big players, and and so we were able to be a little bit philosophical about losing the final last year, and we also said that actually there is a scenario where it was the best thing for us to lose that, given how we've then responded and how we've started playing this year. So I think the final this year is the culmination of all of that. Um, and so if we were to lose this one, I think it's a lot harder to take. Um, I think from a very sort of narrow-minded Saracen's point of view, we have to win this final. Um, I mean, obviously Sale fans are gonna say exactly the same. It's it's a massive chance for them, it's a massive chance for rugby in the north, or if you believe all the social media hype for everyone except Saracen's fans. Um but yeah, I there's if we play well, if we play 70-80% of what we're capable of doing, we should win this game. Not comfortably, but we should win it. We've shown that on our day we blow sides away, we put 50 points on Leicester, um we'll beat anyone playing well. So I think it's entirely down to us. Um the reason we're top of the league is because we've played mel played well most weeks, and even when we played really badly, like the game against Bristol, we've still found a way to win. Um, but at the end of the day, it is a final, odd things can happen. There could be a red card, I really hope there isn't. I hope it is the game, like Barry says, just a brilliant game of rugby, a brilliant day out for both sides, and we can both walk away going perfect, best team won on the day, end of. But yeah, I'm absolutely cacking bricks, I think, because uh because of how much more I think this final means in the context of the last couple of years. Um it's massive.

SPEAKER_05 21:19

I think also it'd be really easy for us to revert to type in this game and and go back a couple of seasons to our kicking game, defensive game, all that kind of stuff. I think I'm really hoping that um McCall and the and the coaches are reminding the players how we've got there this season, which is by playing this new brand of expansive rugby, and that we should be brave and go out and and express ourselves doing that on a pitch that we're quite used to playing on, which Sale aren't. Um I think that also helps us out. This year we've gone unbeaten at home. And I'm not saying that Twickenham is our home, because that would be very Leinster like, wouldn't it? Um, but we've played there a lot more than Sale have, and a lot of our players have played a lot of England games there, so it's a it's a familiar setting for us, and if we can express ourselves in a similar way to how We've played at home this year this season and almost treat it like a home game. I think that will stand us in in really good stead. But you know, we we know that sometimes it's very easy on the big occasion to to sort of go back to a much more simpler way of playing.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

Yeah, absolutely. I mean the weather's set fair for the weekend, so um let's hope it is a good entertaining game of rugby. Let's hope we do uh chuck it about a bit and um let's hope as we were talking earlier on, let's let's hope even van Ziel has uh has one of his decent one of his very good games and and gets the ball away from the base very quickly.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

Well indeed, that that's the interesting point you make there, Barry, actually. And I think you know, in in kind of a lot of ways, I mean, as you'd expect, a lot of the promotion has been around Farrell versus Ford, best mates together, master versus apprentice on the coaching side of things. But I think where the game is gonna be won is probably in those less lauded positions and less lauded players, you know. And when you've got the likes of Jackson Ray up against John O. Ross, you know, great player as John O is, Jackson's got that big game experience. Okay, you've got Maru Atoji versus uh Johnny Hill, but I mean, other second rows, who's gonna win out there? Um, you you you're prop forwards, okay. Marco Riccioni. We know he's a spectacularly good player, but unless you're Italian, you probably don't realize how good a player he is. He's gonna be a big difference. Um, you know, at blindside, who's gonna be playing at blind side is Nicaziqi fit? Is there potentially a magic FIO coming back into, you know? I mean, nobody said anything, but there was enough kind of hinge drops that might be a surprise or two being um on there. Yeah, your Nick Tompkins, yeah, Alex Lazowski's, those people who are a little bit less superstarry, as much as they're great players and everything. You know, how do they fit in? Where do are they better than their opposition numbers? Uh, if only you just say about a red card, Matt, I know what I would be doing first up, and I would be running people down uh Manutu Alagi's channel early doors because the one thing you know about Manutu Alagi is he'll be up there somewhere, it'll be pumps, and I bet you within five minutes, he the potential for him taking somebody's head off and getting a red card is really, really high. Now, I hope that doesn't come back and bite me on the ass when Owen Farran gets done for it or something like that. But you know, that's where I would be sending in Ben Earl's. I'd be sending Ben Earl down Manu Tulagi's channel and forcing him into making big hits in the hope that he makes makes a bit of a Rick's a one. It could happen. So, I mean, there's lots of little subplots that people aren't talking about outside of those of us perhaps more in the know who watched Sarasons play, you've watched Sale play, whatever. I mean, those those they're going to be the keys to the game, aren't they, Sam?

SPEAKER_05 24:58

Do you know? I think a player that's not really revenge at all could be the the key, and that's Elliot Daly, particularly if he starts on the bench. I think you might have mentioned it earlier in the week, Jess, in one of the other episodes. Having someone like Daly, fresh, because he hasn't played as much as he probably would have wanted to this season, sitting sitting in a in a 23 chair where we've got the whole of maybe 50 odd minutes to look at the game and go, where's the best spot to get Daly involved? Then bring him in with the exact game plan to find those holes in a tiring defense. I think Daly's the key man for us, even if he starts on a bench.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, last 20 minutes and a fresh Elliot Daly running out. Yeah, that's gonna be frightening. Now, what we do have to talk about is the refereeing team. And I know Matt's put a five-pound wager out there for anybody who wants to take it. So 15,000 of us going there. Matt's um throwing a fibre out there. He reckons that we'll be walking out 10 yards behind um sale at the very least, because Luke Pierce will probably walk us back to Streetham. I'm actually quite happy that Luke Pierce is the referee. I think he's the best referee in the world at the moment, let alone the country. It's him and Barnes, and it's a real problem for the World Cup coming up because the two best referees in the world, if England gets a World Cup final, won't be refereeing it. But Luke Pierce is great. Yeah, I thought Christoph Ridley, you know, he's got his old mate Carl over the other side in the in the Champions Cup. He he he spent most of the time looking quite bemused. And thankfully, we haven't got Claire Hobner in the in the trailer either. It's Tom Foley in the trailer. So um, you know, I'm quite happy with that as a as a refereeing team. And I will point out to Matt that the walking 10 yards back and everything, Billy is still injured. So I mean, the likelihood of that happening is less, isn't it? But we're happy with a refereeing um team, guys? Barry?

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Yeah, I think so. Um it's interesting because obviously Wayne Barnes had last year's final, and and as we say, it's it's Luke this year. Um I wonder if that is the official changing of the guard, as it were, at the top of the uh the RFU refereeing uh hierarchy, if you like. And I wonder if uh perhaps Mr. Barnes will never quite uh quite reach that that height, giddy height again. But um no, it's it's the referee is the referee. We we have to we have to be on our game, our discipline has to be good, uh, we have to avoid saying too much uh at the wrong times and and through the wrong players and and just getting on with the game. I thought we did pretty well at all of that against uh Northampton in the semi-final, and I just hope we can do it as well on Saturday.

SPEAKER_05 27:39

I think it was uh it might have been last season in the the rugby championship down south. Um and I think Luke Pierce went down there and refereed a game, maybe Australia, New Zealand, and what was really telling was how shocked the Australian commentary team were at how competent he was. Um, I just remember there was a lot of compliments being paid, and you don't get an Aussie giving on Englishman compliments too often. So I think that's just testament to the quality of his refereeing at the moment, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

Yeah, I think the one thing that Luke Pierce does better than anybody else at the moment is have the courage of his convictions. If he thinks he's seen something, he's seen it, he will act accordingly. He doesn't need confirmation from others, he will go, yes, that's it. And unless Tom Foley or whoever's in the in the box gets in his ear and points it out, and they very rarely do because he very rarely gets it wrong, we just get on with the game and the game flows, which I think will be to our benefit. I think Sale will want to slow this game down appreciably on the weekend. So having a referee who's going to allow it to flow within the laws is great, and I think that's all good for us, provided, as Matt says, we get on his side. Um, other than that, anything else you want to talk about? The final I mean, I mean, we've mentioned quickly selection and everything like that. I think all of us could probably pick the team, and we would pick probably the same team that Mark McCall's gonna pick with perhaps one or two boulders here or there. Um you know that that I think he stands. It's you know, it's the team that's started against Northampton, it'll continue doing that, won't he? And battle hardened with some freshness there, ready to go. I mean, they deserve their chance, they've got their chance, they're gonna finish the season and start, don't you think, Barry?

SPEAKER_02 29:33

Yeah, I certainly hope so. Um the the only real questions from the from the semi-final are has Nicazique got over his HIA because obviously he uh didn't finish the game. And would it would it be Goody or or will it be Daly starting at fullback? Um it it wouldn't be unlike um Smalley to uh to chuck a uh a dead cat out there and and make a change, but um yeah, I think he probably will stick with the same with the same 15 assuming Nick's uh fit uh fit and available.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Um yeah, absolutely. The one thing I'm not gonna do is I'm not gonna ask for any score predictions or anything like that. Uh I see Sam Whitey's proud there. Um I hate doing that because it always ends up uh going wrong. And we look, you know, I I I am a fairly superstitious kind of guy. When I played, um, being an old West Ham fan, I used to do the Paul Ince trick, even though I hate Paul Ince with a passion. But I used to do the old trick of walking out last in the changing room and putting on a shirt um before as I left the the changing rooms. Why, who knows? But you know you put the spectators through that.

SPEAKER_05 30:38

That's that's horrible of you.

SPEAKER_01 30:41

Where I was playing playing sad, there weren't that many spectators, mate. Don't worry about that.

SPEAKER_05 30:46

But yeah, that was that was my way of getting in that I had a few spectators when I played.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

But no, I mean, yeah, I mean, we're not gonna make predictions. I just I think we'll all concur. I mean, when I spoke to Theo and Toby, as I said to them, the message I gave to them to give to the to the squad, we're gonna be making those hits with the guys, we're gonna be making the tackles. As I say, I still make Jack Burger's tackles for him however many years later, 12 years later, I could still feel him in my shoulders. That depth wicked and I spend most of the game going, oh, oh, like that. Um, but yeah, you know, we just want to see a good game of rugby, and I think it's gonna be a good game of rugby on the weekend, isn't it, boys?

SPEAKER_04 31:28

Yeah. Um I I mean I'd be lying if I say I want it to be a good game and the result doesn't matter. I would I if we win 3-0, I don't care. Um, but yeah, I think for the good of the game, this needs to be a good final. It needs to be a good game to watch. Um, and I think to be honest, both us and Sale over the course of this season have shown that we're both perfectly capable of doing that, so it would be good. Um, I would encourage all of our players to re-watch the last 15 minutes of the 2011 final, um, and then also encourage them to make sure we don't have to go through that again.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

Well, you say that, Matt. I mean, you know, uh we're Saracens fans, long-term Saracens fans now between us. We don't do it easily, we never have done it easily. It's always been whether it's been Marcello Bosch stepping up to slam over a 50-metre conversion in the last minute, or Faz knocking over a drop gold at Gloucester, or Ben Hill scoring a try right and a depth against Northampton. We don't do it the easy way, and I don't think we would want to do it the easy way. That's why I'm drinking the red wine because it thins the blood and it will lessen the uh opportunities for a heart attack at around 20 to 5 on Saturday afternoon. But look, gentlemen, thank you for your time tonight. And I would also like to say a big thank you to everybody who's been involved in this week's um Fezcast um spectaculars, our marathon show. So that's Kelly Brown, it's uh Kieran from Sales Sharks, Joe obviously on uh Monday, and Theo Dan and Toby Knight. And of course, big thanks to Ollie Um Sharpley at the club for uh facilitating all of those uh conversations for us, and thanks to you guys for joining us, but thanks to everybody who's listened in this week. And uh yeah, come on, the men in black.

SPEAKER_04 33:24

Let's do it. See you on the other side.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

That's it. Jack Berg says, time to go to work. Absolutely. Cheers then, thanks a lot, folks.

SPEAKER_06 33:36

This is the Fezcast.