REA BACK ON ROAD TO VICTORY
Sarries defy the jeers with Euro hat-trick as they target double TENNIS MADRID OPEN
EUROPEAN champions Saracens will reset their co-ordinates for the double, thriving on being the club the rest of rugby loves to hate.
Under investigation for breaches of the Premiership salary cap and with matchwinner Billy Vunipola booed by Irish fans who outnumbered their own support, Sarries defied their detractors by becoming England’s most successful club in Europe.
With a third European title in the bag, Brad Barritt’s bruisers will now try to add the Premiership and repeat their historic 2016 double with the wagons circled again. “It’s us versus the world and that’s fine by us. The season we’ve had, the amount of outside negativity we’ve had – it just goes to show that if we stay tight as a group we can do anything,” said hooker
Jamie George.
“We had to fight for everything. We were playing the second-best team in Europe, we were 10-0 down, but how tough the boys were was inspirational.
“That was the hardest we’ve had to work for a European trophy and that’s why it’s the best feeling.
“Success in Europe doesn’t come easily – not many teams have won it, so for us DEFENDING World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea began his comeback charge at Imola and beat his Ducati rivals to two vital wins.
But the Kawasaki Racing Team rider was denied the chance of a hat-trick as yesterday’s second race was axed after heavy rain hit the Italian track.
Rea (right), who beat series leader Alvaro Bautista by 7.832secs to do it three times is a pretty impressive feat. And we’re an English club with a lot of home-grown English players. “As for the double, after we’ve celebrated this, we’ve got Worcester next week, we’ll see what we can do there and then probably in Saturday’s opening scrap, took his second win of the weekend yesterday against Bautista’s Aruba Ducati team-mate Chaz Davies by 2.141secs in the 10-lap Superpole race.
“I am so happy, I want to thank everyone in the team for believing and continuing to push,” said four-time champ Rea. “I love racing on this track and it has been perfect this weekend. I’m super happy.” Gloucester in the semi-finals so bring them on.”
Saracens’ reaction to the loss of both props to injury in the opening half hour and the sin-binning of Maro Itoje showed their response to adversity. As Itoje trudged off, Owen Farrell gathered his team-mates together.
George added: “Owen said, ‘Right, what are we going to do about this? We can either mope for 10 minutes and cling on or we can take it to them. You choose’. We chose to take it to them.”
If Saracens are hard to love, they are even harder to play.
Leinster could not contain the English side’s giant forwards. “They have some big bodies and it takes its toll,” admitted Leinster secondrow James Ryan.
None bigger than Vunipola, who held off four tacklers to score 12 minutes from time.
For the England No.8, it has been a difficult few weeks after supporting Israel Folau’s homophobic views. “I’m just grateful to be in this team,” he said. “It’s not about me and what I stand for.” NOVAK DJOKOVIC said he was back to his best after winning his third Madrid Open title, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4.
The world No.1’s victory was also a recordequalling 33rd Masters 1000 title for the Serbian, drawing him level with his rival Rafa
Nadal at the top of the all-time list.
Djokovic (right) said: “I wasn’t playing my best tennis after the Australian Open so I was looking to regain momentum. I played some of my best tennis here – it’s a big win.”