Tobias Elliott has been on fire for Saracens, says Ivan van Zyl
Saracens scrum-half Ivan van Zyl knew Tobias Elliott was the real deal when the young wing was ripping the first team to shreds in practice last season.
Elliott, scoring at a rate of a try a game so far in the Premiership, spent most of his last campaign at Championship outfit Ampthill.
But Van Zyl was convinced the 21-year-old was something special and the youngster has proved him right. Elliott, right, keeps his place on the wing as Saracens look to make it four out of four at Harlequins today.
Last Sunday against Exeter, Elliott scored, again, and had a hand in two more tries as Saracens won 29-14.
Van Zyl knows a good winger when he sees one, he won six caps for the Springboks in 2018 and was in the same squads as Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe.
On Fire
The 29-year-old said: “He has been on fire, it is nothing unusual for us to see him tearing it up like that. Even last season in training against the A team he was doing that in sessions.
“It was just a matter of time before he was going to get his chance and it was great to see him going out there and doing exactly what he is capable of.
“He is scoring some incredible tries. He is very explosive and it is great, when you get someone in, young like that, who just backs himself.
“That is part of the culture we are trying to create in this team. Anyone who comes in can be himself in terms of the way he is playing and really express himself. He is one of the examples.”
Leadership Role
Van Zyl has taken a bigger leadership role at Saracens this season with the likes of Owen Farrell and the Vunipolas out of the door.
He skippered the team against Chiefs, in the absence of Maro Itoje, and revealed Saracens have gone back to their ‘band of brothers’ regime as they go through a rebuild.
He added: “We keep on chasing having meaningful relationships with each other and really loving being out there with each other.
“Ultimately that makes you more successful – having good people around and fighting for each other.
“That is what makes Saracens, Saracens. Maybe we lost track of it over a period of time, but we are focussing on that.
“If we keep on doing what we are doing and helping each other, we will be in it at the end.
“We have been so successful here for 10 years and it is natural you start focusing on different things when you are still winning trophies.
“But ultimately when some big characters left we realised we had time to think about who we want to be again as a team. It is a refocus on what we want to be.
“You have that deeper bond than just playing rugby and there is something more meaningful behind every action.”
Mark McCall
Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, backed up Van Zyl as he contemplated their perfect return of 15 points from 15 this week.
“It is very early days but there is a really good energy in the group,” said McCall.
“It has come from the playing group – from the moment we came back in pre-season, everyone agreed that we want to enjoy what we do more.
“Be clear on our game model and enjoy week-to-week a lot more than we did last season. That is what happened.
“We haven’t had a bump in the road yet, let’s see what happens when that bump in the road comes along, which it will. For now, it is a good place to be.”
Juan Martin Gonzalez makes his first start of the season, while Itoje returns to the second row to captain the side.
The only change in the backline comes at fullback as Alex Goode gets the nod with Elliot Daly moving out to the wing.
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