Brendan Venter bemoans scrum problems after Saracens lose to Bath (From Watford Observer)

Brendan Venter bemoans scrum problems after Saracens lose to Bath

11:08am Monday 1st March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter admits their current scrum is not good enough to win the Guinness Premiership.

The Men in Black suffered their fourth defeat in the last five league games after losing 16-14 at home to Bath yesterday. Saracens conceded their second penalty try in the last three games during which two of their players have been sinbinned for scrum offences.

Venter said: "We're not going to win the Premiership like that. I said from day one we're literally not there to make the semi-finals. Our goal is to win the Premiership this year, that's what we want to do, and we're not going to win the Premiership if our setpiece is like that, it’s as simple as that."

Saracens were missing a number of key forwards including England captain Steve Borthwick and injured Italian Carlos Nieto and Venter accepts his replacements have struggled in their absence.

The South African said: "We have almost got a normal team out there except in our setpiece. You must understand we have lost Rhys Gill, Matias Aguero, Carlos Nieto to his ankle, Steve Borthwick and Hugh Vyvyan. That was our entire starting front five at the beginning of the year. We've got a good rotation but maybe they're just not at the same level, the new guys, and we're just learning that because I thought they [Bath] definitely had the better in the setpiece.

"Every time you look at the amount of penalties it was just ridiculous. We might have conceded more than two thirds, I'd say 75 per cent, of our penalties at the setpiece either failing to stop their drive or in the scrum.

"We've now conceded two penalty tries and two yellow cards in the last three games in the scrum. Unfortunately we're getting a bit of a reputation."