McCall heaps praise on scrumhalf Davies

Saracens boss Mark McCall has been decidedly complimentary regarding the contribution of Wales scrumhalf Aled Davies. 

It is a big weekend for Saracens who face Toulon in the Challenge Cup semi-final and Davies will once again be donning the number 9 jersey. 

Davies currently has 20 Welsh caps but rendered himself unavailable for more when he left Wales to join the English Premiership.  

“Aled was a player we had spotted who we thought had all the capabilities that we wanted in that scrum-half position,” McCall said. 

“It was a very brave move from Aled to come here, because effectively having been capped by Wales very early in his career he was saying goodbye to international rugby while he was here. It was a courageous move for him to make. 

“He felt that he needed a fresh start and something new. He had moved from the Scarlets to the Ospreys, and things weren’t quite working out the way he had hoped. 

“Then of course, we are in the Championship all of a sudden, which is not ideal. But he was prepared to embed himself in the club, which he has done. 

“Sometimes it takes time in a pivotal position to be the player that we knew he was going to be, but he has been incredible this year. 

“His performance level has been outstanding, and we are very lucky to have him. 

“He is everything you need from a scrum-half – his passing and his speed between breakdowns is as good as I’ve seen. 

“He is an incredibly tough competitor, so defensively, he really adds. It is important you have all the skills at your disposal, and he kicks the ball beautifully as well. 

“It’s just his all-round game and his competitive spirit.”