GLORY BUILT ON FORMIDABLE ENGLISH PACK

GREAT players consistently performing at their very best week in, week out is what marks Saracens out. That is very easy to say but very difficult to achieve over a long season. Hard work, camaraderie and a team spirit forged in adversity is behind much of their success. Don’t forget it’s only three years ago that within the space of a week they lost both the European Cup final and the Premiership play-off final. Such a crushing experience can make or break a team. Since then Sarries have embarked on a trophy-winning rampage. They’ve added immeasurably to their game in those three years. Already strong and likely to dominate up front, they recognised the need to develop a more incisive attacking game and it has paid dividends. Owen Farrell has developed his offensive game, Alex Goode has the licence to counter-attack and in Chris Ashton they have one of the best finishers in the game. I highlight those three players but the likes of young Alex Lozowski, Marcelo Bosch, Richard Wigglesworth and Brad Barritt have also provided the key attacking play or magic moment. The pack, though, is still their glory with five of them, all English, heading to New Zealand with the Lions. All except Billy and Mako Vunipola have been homegrown which is testament to a club that once stood accused of excluding English players at the expense of overseas imports. The big names take the plaudits but there are unsung heroes, like Jackson Wray and Michael Rhodes, with the latter having a particularly good game on Saturday. It says everything about Saracens that a world star like Schalk Burger joins but is not guaranteed a starting place. Burger ‘gets’ that totally and gives it his all off the bench. A formidable team and club.