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Flanker Michael Rhodes to leave Saracens

17 Jun 2021

(Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Saracens flanker Michael Rhodes will leave the StoneX Stadium after Sunday’s Greene King IPA Championship final against Ealing.

Rhodes’ seven-year spell in north London, consisting of 106 appearances, has seen him win three Gallagher Premiership titles and three European Cups.

The 33-year-old South African has formed part of the club’s most potent back row, packing down alongside Billy Vunipola and Jackson Wray.

Episode 34 – Jamie Roberts & Simon Zebo on South Africa’s Move North, French Owners, Sexton’s Temper and Lions Greats

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Episode 34 – Jamie Roberts & Simon Zebo on South Africa’s Move North, French Owners, Sexton’s Temper and Lions Greats

“Perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay Michael Rhodes is that if you asked our players who they’d least want to play against in our team, it would be him,” director of rugby Mark McCall said.

“The definition of physical on both sides of the ball, his relentless work rate and full throttle approach to the game have made him a central figure in all the club has achieved.”

Saracens play the second leg of their Championship play-off final on Sunday having amassed a 60-0 lead from the first instalment.

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Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 17 minutes ago

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

SFM will be starting 10 with Pollard on in the last 15 al la Morne Steyn.

185 Go to comments

GrahamVF 21 minutes ago

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

Careful Nick - we don’t want to awaken the Karaken OJ🤣

185 Go to comments

GrahamVF 26 minutes ago

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

That’s the one Nick 😁

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RJ 27 minutes ago

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You couldn’t be more wrong. Most people outside the URC don’t think about Leinster at all. Maybe if you play Tigers (my club) in Europe, I’d think about you once or twice, but other than that, I’m just indifferent.

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GrahamVF 28 minutes ago

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

Absolutely agreed. The lifestyle in Japan is apparently exceptional.

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GrahamVF 30 minutes ago

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

Perhaps he and his family simply prefer the lifestyle in Japan? I wonder if you or I were in Richie’s position which loyalty we would have prioritised. Actually I don’t have to wonder if the choice was mine.

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GrahamVF 42 minutes ago

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

JD what I don’t buy is the argument that NZ provincial rugby would weaken if you allowed players to play overseas and still be eligible for the AB’s at the same time. I watched the Hurricanes/Brumbies game and replayed a lot of key moments, and unless the Hurricanes have become the new Bay of Plenty in the NZ provincial pecking order, there is a dramatic fall off in NZ rugby standards. That is while not allowing the AB’s to pick overseas based players. As a South African, I love the NZ grass chair brigade - long may they stay locked into their splendid, lofty, antediluvian ideals. But it is a pity that the best players in the world are not allowed to play against the best opposition available. Mark my words, this “stay at home or don’t play for NZ” obstinacy is going to hurt NZ rugby dreadfully in years to come.

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Hammer Head 1 hour ago

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Who would you start instead of Wallace, Lakai has been great hasn’t he? Sititi looks like he was brought back from injury a touch too early and is adjusting to some extra kgs too.

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AH 2 hours ago

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Go back to the last international game of the bloke against Wales. You will see the coaching of tony brown on the hendrickse s. I think every shark on the field yesterday was clueless. Really got to try very hard to be that clueless. No instinctive feel and useless at executing the basics . If you get a chance watch the blues against the chiefs from yesterday. Great example of what proper coaching achieves

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SteveD 3 hours ago

Bulls book Leinster URC showdown but injury to Springbok tarnishes win

Can’t comment on the Sharks, as I’ve not seen they play without the Hendrikses but the Stormers seem to have a perfectly good style of play when Sacha isn’t on the field, encompassing all the correct parts of what a team should be like, especially tackling (where it all should start), but go to pieces when - like his full game against Glasgow when they missed 40 tackles - he seems to decide that he will call the play, presumably without telling the rest of the team, and they have no clue what he’s going to do. Thinking about the Hedrikses, they seem to be even worse than Sacha, believing they’re the bees knees when in fact they’re useless at passing (the SH takes too long passing to his brother who then seems clueless about what to do with the ball afterwards); tackling - huge holes left by both of them during the match - and kicking. IMHO of course. At least Sacha can do that stuff pretty well.

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