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McCall: Saracens not guilty of targeting Sexton
By Peter Thompson
Mark McCall denied claims that Saracens deliberately targeted Jonathan Sexton in Leinster's European Champions Cup quarter-final win on Sunday.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen felt there were "three or four instances" where Ireland fly-half Sexton was hit by late tackles.
A packed Aviva Stadium crowd let their feelings be known when Richard Wigglesworth was not shown a yellow card for a shot on Sexton when the ball had gone.
Sarries director of rugby McCall said the dethroned holders did not go out with the intention of roughing up Sexton in Dublin.
"There wasn't any plan to do that," McCall said.
"We wanted to make him make his decisions earlier, we wanted him to pass a bit sooner than he wanted to, to kick a bit earlier, but apart from that no."
Cullen had a different view after watching his side set up a semi-final with Pro14 rivals the Scarlets by securing a 30-19 victory.
"It's tough on Johnny because he's been played off the ball a few times in the first half. It's hard for him not to get frustrated," said Cullen.
"I'll have a look back at the game and some of those clips again. There's three or four instances I can see that he's been hit, played late off the ball.
"I'll have to have a look back at it and how that unfolds because I think it's important to take all those things in the context of the game."
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Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.
Go to commentsKeep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.
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