Look out Chiefs, Faz glares to dream
AT ALLIANZ PARK more he rises to it. He certainly leads from the front,” said George.
Saracens are finishing a season which promised to unravel when they suffered seven successive defeats in the dark depths of winter like a steam train. Their forward thrust against Wasps, with Mako Vunipola and Maro Itoje on full power, was frightening and will be hard even for Exeter to resist on Saturday.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: “This is our fourth final in the last five years in the Premiership. We’ve been in three Champions Cup finals in the last five years. To have those kind of tallies is an incredible achievement from the whole group and we want to go and win it now.
“I thought you saw in the first 20 minutes against Wasps – which was maybe as good as we have ever played – the real intent and desire in the group to do that.”
The one concern is a limping Billy Vunipola, who was hauled off at half-time after suffering more issues with the hamstring problem that has plagued him of late.
“I think he has a chance to be fit. He probably won’t train on Monday or Tuesday, though,” said McCall.
Wasps’ season is over but as ever they provided some sumptuous entertainment as it ended. Scoring five tries in Saracens’ den is unheard of – but unfortunately they conceded six.
Their director of rugby Dai Young said: “We’ve always been up there with the top two or three try-scorers in the league every season – that’s our DNA and we’re certainly not going to flip it by taking away from our attacking rugby.
“But if we want to achieve things we have to shore up that defence, control that gain-line and our setpiece. It’s something that will always be challenged at this level. If we really want to compete at the highest level, those are areas where we have to improve.”