Saracens Andy Saull working to build same power as Jacques Burger
Then when a player comes along who ticks all those boxes, Saracens‘ Andy Saull finds himself on the outside of the England Elite Squads.
Injuries have played their part in Saull’s demotion from the Saxons squad with Bath‘s Carl Fearns and Worcester‘s Matt Kvesic moving in.
There’s never a good time to dislocate your kneecap, but to suffer such an injury just weeks before England’s summer tour to South Africa was particularly cruel.
Likewise it does not help he shares the Sarries 7 shirt with the one-man wrecking machine that is Jacques Burger, whose destructive physicality Saull acknowledges he needs to add to his own game.
The 23-year-old Saull said: “I am trying to improve aspects of what I am doing but I am not trying to change the type of player I am – what I have been doing has got me this far.
“What makes me different is my pace, my ability to link play in attack, how I can get over the ball and my ability to leg tackle. I am probably one of only a few classic English ‘fetchers’ around.
“I will keep playing to those strengths rather than conform to something else. But if I can bring Jacques Burger’s physicality and Schalk Brits’ X-Factor without compromising on those things then hopefully I can become a more complete player.
“The coaches explained they wanted to have a look at Matt Kvesic and Carl Fearns. Carl had a brilliant tour and the physicality he has is very in fashion at the moment.
“The door is not closed on me – the first thing I asked was how and what do I need to do. They mentioned they re-jig the squad at Christmas so if I can get a run of games and prove I have made improvements then I would hope to be back in there.”
There’s no better person to whip Saull into shape than Sarries’ head of strength and conditioning Philip Morrow who has held the same role at Ireland and Ulster.
During that time, Morrow has helped to mould Stephen Ferris and Sean O’Brien into two of the most destructive back rowers in international rugby.
Saull is not scheduled to return to full training until September but has been working hard with Morrow adding muscle while not losing any of his trademark pace.
He added: “I have been doing quite a bit of gym work focusing on body power and stability.
“My physicality is nowhere near Jacques’ level and that’s something I need to improve.
“It is not that he is stronger or more powerful but how and when he uses it – there are not many players like him who can move five guys off the back of a ruck in one movement like he does.”
Burger, though, remains an obstacle for Saull and, since the end of last season when both players were out injured, a new force emerged in the shape of Will Fraser.
Saull added: “If Jacques was English he would be picked because he has been the outstanding seven in the Premiership so it is not a case that I am at the wrong club.
“It is always a big barrier if you are not getting a consistent run of games but I just have to focus on playing well week in week out.
“I am knocking on the right doors but it just seems at worst times I shut the door on myself.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD
