Strettle Moves to Saracens
England winger, David Strettle, has completed his highly anticipated move from Harlequins to Saracens.
The move was being talked of a few weeks back but there was uncertainty over whether it would actually happen. This is because few expected Strettle to leave without a hard fight coming out of the Harlequins camp.
The player says he hopes the move will allow him to play regularly in a side fighting for the Premiership title. It will also be a good move if he starts games regularly because it will mean his chances of staying in the England side will be higher.
There are many parts of his game that will make him a key figure at his new club. However, he has to remember the profile of the side he is joining because there are a lot of players in the squad who can challenge him for his place.
Attributes
One of Strettle's main attributes is his pace. This makes him a very popular player in wide areas of the pitch. It lets him be just that little bit quicker than his opponents as he tries to dance his way around them to score a try.
He has big ambition and this has been shown by the size and nature of this move. He wants to play international rugby and the only way he can keep doing this is to join a club with a very big profile in England. Saracens will also have the coaches who are able to take his game on another level.
He is good at linking up play and passing the ball around. The reason this is important for a winger is because the ball has to be moved on if the winger is blocked out. There will be teams that double and triple up on Strettle and if he can switch the ball quickly then he'll be able to come up with try scoring chances.
It's very clear that he has a good level of experience despite the fact that he is only 26 years of age. This will help him in various situations and it should also ensure that the transition to his new club runs very smoothly.
Be Wary
There are a few minor reasons to be wary in relation to this move. Strettle is not guaranteed a first team starting place. He will have to earn it in the same way as any other member of the Saracens squad.
There is a chance that if the club does allow him to have his way and go straight into the team then other players are going to get very upset. This means that squad morale and harmony will be threatened and it will make it very difficult for the player to settle down easily.
Betting Advice
Strettle should do very well at his new club and there is a good chance that he will score a few tries. Don't be afraid to back him to do so by the end of the season or on a match-by-match basis. His pace and agility is likely to get him into many dangerous positions in his opponent's half of the field.
Saracens will have to work hard as a team to replicate the form that saw them narrowly miss out to Leicester in the Premiership final last season. Teams have been doing some good work during the close season and have brought in good players. This will mean that the standard is higher than it's ever been and the competition will be more intense.
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