VYVYAN RELISHING SECOND-ROW CHALLENGE
Hugh Vyvyan is relishing the competition with All Black Chris Black and England captain Steve Borthwick for the two spaces in London Saracens' second-row. But with that calibre of players in the team the 32-year-old believes the club should be higher than seventh in the Guinness Premiership at the halfway stage of the season.
Whether he is selected to start on Sunday against Bristol or not, the former Newcastle Falcons captain knows that his team need to beat the bottom-placed club if they have any hope of making the play-offs - though he thinks Richard Hill's team position belies their ability.
"I have watched videos of Bristol's last few games and I can't believe they are at the bottom of the table," said 6'6" Vyvyan. "They have got some good players and they play a good, aggressive style of rugby. They have a very good lineout and their scrummaging is handy.
"We know Bristol will be very, very difficult to beat and we are expecting a tough physical battle. But we need to focus on ourselves and make sure we are playing well - if we do that then the result should take care of itself."
Guilford-born Vyvyan, who won his one and only England cap against Canada in 2004, started in last Saturday's 22-16 defeat to Gloucester as Borthwick was rested as part of the agreement with England's Elite Performance Squad. And Vyvyan said of his 28-year-old club skipper: "Steve has been great for the club - he works so hard on and off the field. He is a good leader and a great player.
"The second-row is in really good shape as we have Chris as well - he is probably the best lock I have played win. And though those two have been packing down recently, the competition is good for me and pushes me along too. I'm enjoying the rugby at the moment and it is good to have two world-class players in my position - it means I can't ever rest on my laurels. Hopefully over the course of the long season I will have my fair share of games.
"Our squad are all enjoying the rugby and we have grown in confidence and we are understanding how we want to play, and improving more every week. Each week we get a little better in every aspect of our game."
The ginger giant said of the Gloucester loss: "It was a game that was there for the taking and the type of game that, if we want to do well in a competition, we must win. We were leading at half-time and there was very little between the teams but Gloucester ended up winning, which is not ideal for us as we want to be in the top four at the end of the season.
"I don't think there is anything between the top seven sides, and you can include Wasps in that list too, now. It was a good win to beat London Irish in what was another close game (16-13) - but that showed that there is nothing between us and the top side.
"We have played 11 games now, exactly halfway through the season, so it is important to really make sure we win the games we should. We have lost four games narrowly - we also lost to Gloucester at home 25-21 and we should have won; Sale Sharks beat us 18-15 thanks to a drop goal in the last second; and Quins defeated us 21-24 in our first game of the season.
"If in second half of the season we are in the same situations we have to win those games. We know there are going to be many more close games between now and the end of the season - we just have to hope we get the bounce of the ball. If we win 80 per cent of those close games then we are going to be at the top end of that table when it matters."
Hugh Vyvyan is relishing the competition with All Black Chris Black and England captain Steve Borthwick for the two spaces in London Saracens' second-row. But with that calibre of players in the team the 32-year-old believes the club should be higher than seventh in the Guinness Premiership at the halfway stage of the season.
Whether he is selected to start on Sunday against Bristol or not, the former Newcastle Falcons captain knows that his team need to beat the bottom-placed club if they have any hope of making the play-offs - though he thinks Richard Hill's team position belies their ability.
"I have watched videos of Bristol's last few games and I can't believe they are at the bottom of the table," said 6'6" Vyvyan. "They have got some good players and they play a good, aggressive style of rugby. They have a very good lineout and their scrummaging is handy.
"We know Bristol will be very, very difficult to beat and we are expecting a tough physical battle. But we need to focus on ourselves and make sure we are playing well - if we do that then the result should take care of itself."
Guilford-born Vyvyan, who won his one and only England cap against Canada in 2004, started in last Saturday's 22-16 defeat to Gloucester as Borthwick was rested as part of the agreement with England's Elite Performance Squad. And Vyvyan said of his 28-year-old club skipper: "Steve has been great for the club - he works so hard on and off the field. He is a good leader and a great player.
"The second-row is in really good shape as we have Chris as well - he is probably the best lock I have played win. And though those two have been packing down recently, the competition is good for me and pushes me along too. I'm enjoying the rugby at the moment and it is good to have two world-class players in my position - it means I can't ever rest on my laurels. Hopefully over the course of the long season I will have my fair share of games.
"Our squad are all enjoying the rugby and we have grown in confidence and we are understanding how we want to play, and improving more every week. Each week we get a little better in every aspect of our game."
The ginger giant said of the Gloucester loss: "It was a game that was there for the taking and the type of game that, if we want to do well in a competition, we must win. We were leading at half-time and there was very little between the teams but Gloucester ended up winning, which is not ideal for us as we want to be in the top four at the end of the season.
"I don't think there is anything between the top seven sides, and you can include Wasps in that list too, now. It was a good win to beat London Irish in what was another close game (16-13) - but that showed that there is nothing between us and the top side.
"We have played 11 games now, exactly halfway through the season, so it is important to really make sure we win the games we should. We have lost four games narrowly - we also lost to Gloucester at home 25-21 and we should have won; Sale Sharks beat us 18-15 thanks to a drop goal in the last second; and Quins defeated us 21-24 in our first game of the season.
"If in second half of the season we are in the same situations we have to win those games. We know there are going to be many more close games between now and the end of the season - we just have to hope we get the bounce of the ball. If we win 80 per cent of those close games then we are going to be at the top end of that table when it matters."
Labels: Chris Jack, Guinness Premiership, Hugh Vyvyan, Newcastle Falcons, Saracens, Steve Borthwick
