Saracens take a break in Barcelona as historic Double Double beckons

THE REWARD for their heroism was a brutally early alarm call yesterday, for a pre-dawn flight to Barcelona, for what the Saracens players were describing as a… ‘debrief’. Of course it is no such thing. Instead, it is another example of how the London club place value on forging camaraderie as a means of driving their quest for historic success. Their short trip to Spain will not be an entirely dry exercise, but then reaching another Champions Cup final is incredibly thirsty work. So, bonds will be tightened, ready

BATH lost 28- 25 to Stade Francais in Paris yesterday after George Ford missed a penalty in the game’s final play that would have sent the European Challenge Cup semi-final into extra-time.

Tries from Semesa Rokoduguni, Robbie Fruean and Elliott Stooke saw Bath overturn an 18-6 deficit. But Hugh Pyle’s try and the conversion and a drop goal from Jules Plisson sent Stade through to an Edinburgh final against Gloucester. for the last push towards the Double Double. What Saracens did to Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was an act of supreme efficiency and ruthlessness. Once the fabled ‘Wolf-pack’ defence had finished crushing the Irish resistance, the men who had manned the barricades looked forward to their break. In recent years, it has become a familiar routine — hard graft punctuated by precious down-time. Together. United. ‘We’re flying out to Barcelona for a day or two’s team-building,’ said hooker Schalk Brits. ‘We’re going there for a debrief and to see the sights.’ The choice of destination is appropriate — a city synonymous with sporting excellence and a team who have dominated all-comers, at home and in Europe. That is what Saracens have become. Their collective spirit underpins it all, as it did when they stood firm in the face of a Munster onslaught in a semi-final of Test intensity. Brits said: ‘Sometimes people wonder how you get an extra five per cent out of a player. But all the shared experiences of the past help you do more for each other.’ This was a momentous result for a club who have had many of those in the last few years. Owen Farrell kicked 16 points, Michael Rhodes tackled like a run-away train and Maro Itoje was a dynamo at the heart of it all. And then there were the Vunipolas — Billy driving his team forward and brother Mako scoring a try and even showcasing his tactical kicking credentials. ‘We don’t really talk about Doubles and Double Doubles,’ Mako said as Saracens continue their bid to retain the Premiership and Champions Cup titles they won last season. ‘We want to look back and be counted as one of the great teams. ‘That comes from winning trophies but that’s not the only thing. We want to make memories.’ They made memories in Dublin and they will be making more now in Barcelona. Saracens are already being counted as one of the great teams.