SARRIES SET FOR EURO BATTLE
Lozowski says champions won’t roll over:
SARACENS launch the defence of their European title without all their superstars, but with Alex Lozowski warning: “We are the champions, we won’t just roll over.”
Reeling from a 35-point penalty imposed for breaching the Premiership salary cap, the Londoners have chosen to put top-flight survival ahead of a fourth Champions Cup crown in five years.
That means omitting seven of their eight players who lined up for England in the World Cup final in Japan a fortnight ago.
Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Billy and Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, George Kruis and new signing Elliot Daly all miss tomorrow’s trip to Paris to face Racing 92.
The exception is scrum-half Ben Spencer, who played four minutes off the bench in the convincing defeat against South Africa.
Saracens’ decision to rest their best players comes ahead of a determination on whether to seek a review of the punishment that would leave them well adrift at the foot of the table and £5.36million worse off.
Until that is made, the future of all concerned remains in limbo, but England centre Lozowski says such uncertainty does not make Saracens easy to beat.
“When you play for this rugby club, when you pull on a Saracens shirt, you are expected to win,” he said. “That’s the standard we set ourselves.
“While this weekend’s team is very different to the one which started the final in May, we are still the champions. We are not just going to roll over and let whoever else comes along dominate us.”
Only Lozowski, Spencer, prop Titi Lamositele and lock Will Skelton remain from the side who came from behind to beat
Leinster 20-10 at
Newcastle’s St James’ Park in last season’s European showpiece. When asked earlier this week if the ruling against England’s flagship club tarnished their achievements, director of rugby Mark McCall conceded: “I think in lots of people’s eyes it will.”
Lozowski will leave such judgments to others. He said: “If you let yourself think about anything other than the game you’ve got to play, you’re going to run into trouble.
“The news broke last week and we had to find a way to focus on a massive game at Gloucester.
“We got the win but, had we not prepared as well as we did, we would likely have been taken to the cleaners. It is the same this weekend. We are aware
how good Racing are, what great players they have. Also, how important it is for us to start well in Europe.
“We also saw what happened with other results last week. Comments were made by certain people from other teams and the results didn’t go their way.
“That shows where getting distracted with the wrong things gets you.”
Lozowski says the potential for job losses or players being sold off has not been discussed. But he says to a man they are ready to fight. “If the points deduction remains, I’d fully expect all the boys to roll up their sleeves and show that real competitive spirit that exists among everyone at this club,” he said.
“It’s obviously not a position we would want to be in, but we have to see good in every opportunity. It’s a chance to really show what we’re made of.”