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'We don't shy away from it, there's no awkwardness'

(Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Rival internationals Elliot Daly and Nick Tompkins have explained why they are currently making such a consistently potent midfield partnership for the title-chasing Saracens. The pair would have been on opposite teams in the recent Guinness Six Nations, Daly starting as the England outside centre in their late February 23-19 Twickenham win over Wales who had started for his country in that hame at inside centre.

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Daly returned to Saracens following the championship and started some games at full-back wing. However, ever since their club’s April 24 win over Exeter, Daly and Tompkins have been an item in the Londoners’ midfield. Heading into this weekend’s Gallagher Premiership final versus Leicester, Daly/Tompkins have become the preferred 13/12 axis in the club last six matches – four in the league and two in Europe.

It’s a development that has pleased Daly, a player that more usually plays his games positions at full-back or on the wing. “It has been brilliant this year,” he enthused at a Saracens media briefing ahead of their Twickenham final.

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      The Breakdown | Sky Sport NZ | Episode 17

      “We have had a few different centre partnerships this year and then the second half of the season, me and Nick have sort of settled into those positions which is brilliant. The more you play with each other the more you understand each other’s games and what you need from each other – and we are only getting better in that aspect which is good.

      “Hopefully, we can rely on each other’s strengths in this game and I’ll give the ball to Nick in no space and he will make space, so that is what I know he can do and he does that in tight channels and bangs people as well.

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      “It’s one of those things, it’s just brilliant to get that partnership with someone but to be fair we have got the partnership all round. The way we train, we are constantly in and out whether it is Duncan (Taylor) or Alex (Lozowski), whoever is in the centres, everyone is very comfortable with each other which is a great thing for this team.”

      Asked for his thoughts on the current Saracens centre partnership, Tompkins initially struck a jovial chord. “He’s all right,” he quipped to much laughter. “He’ll do. For me, Elliot brings everything he does internationally, he is that calibre of player.

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      “But I like it that we genuinely get on and we can have honest conversions, we are pretty talkative on the pitch. Whatever fix-ups I need to make and stuff like that we don’t shy away from it, there’s no awkwardness. That is what I like about it.”

      Up for interview together, the pair continued on for another 19 minutes on a whole myriad of other topics – including the pub session that helped focus minds when automatic relegation for Saracens became a reality. Then when it all ended, Tompkins revered to light-heartedness, exiting the room singing, “I love playing with Elliot.”

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      PL 2 hours ago
      Lions Tour Aussie takes: Bigger is better, the stars who failed to fire

      I find it interesting that journalists who have done nothing in rugby comment on selections & coaching like they are experts

      Concussive injury’s will remove insurance cover from the game unless their is strict application of the laws designed to remove MND Parkinson’s and CTE from the game


      Head on head I saw red to Adam Coleman as tackler for Irish while unconscious on a stretcher - concussions occur without twitching on the ground or the wobbly boot - I know I had maybe 20 from rugby


      The officiating of last feet is non existent

      The lack of effective wrap by Lions front rower & that decision had a close relationship with ordure in a toilet

      A head on head tackle red for Coleman not even penalty lead to a try in a phase or 2


      Powys v Evans lead to a £> 2 mill verdict against the ref personally special leveraged to Hiuse of Lords

      Refs will stop reffing with no insurance then no game


      About 5 years ago 4 or 5 French colts died from head hits in elite club games - that led to below sternum law - hamlets honoured in breach not observance

      Last feet non existent - enforcement favour flowing rugby nor lions meat grinder forwards get momentum and puck & drive NZ Vowel noise


      The UK Class Action could be very well be lost WRC will try every dirty trick in case they already used dial a neuros to argue the unarguable is law gossip


      I reffed ref coached & assessed for ruffly 17 seasons


      The application of laws is like a zig zag on speed

      Line out laws not enforced scrums tight pulling loose down one side mirror on other side elbow pointing to ground stretch marks on jersey

      Der moment the refs need to go Soec Savers

      My bet unless they stop lack of intestinal fortitude game management


      Yellow every time head contact or above sternum


      Needs sterner GMGs material impact removed set piece caterpillar remove

      Last feet to last feet + 1 m


      When I reffed I kept them well apart - hated me till they got over yellow and they actually had fun & complemented me post game backs had room and pick and drive had momentum


      As for intentional foul play like tackle in air auto red no replacement 100,000 fine player 250,000 club


      Treble it for international 26 week suspension & it’s disappear over night

      25 were scrum for dissent


      Penalty all this rubbish shots at opponents after error


      All the s.ite would disappear


      The pathetic unsportsmanlike behaviour would lead to standards


      Remember Les Boyd’s penalty re Brohman -if that is the way we treat foul play but while foul play with potential serious injury with a feather duster like we are the game is destined to no insurance following that no refs cause would you risk bankruptcy like Powys v Evans

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