We are only going to get better says coach McCall
SARACENS recorded their 17th Champions Cup win on the bounce to book their place in the final once again and boss Mark McCall reckons they’re still “on the up”.
The 26-10 victory ensures they have a shot at defending their crown at Murrayfield on May 13 in a bid to become only the fourth side to do so after Leicester, Leinster and Toulon.
McCall said: “It was a brilliant, hard working, fighting, energetic, team performance. Whatever happens in three weeks time, this is a team that is still on the up.
“The age profile of the group is really good and we want to be in occasions like this as often as possible. Whether we win or lose in Edinburgh won’t define us as a group.
“We think we are a good group that is developing really well. We just have to keep fighting as we are and we will be OK.
“It was a brilliant performance, not always as we would have liked it to be, but our defence was extraordinary.
“There was a very important defensive set at the start of the match and then another one which lasted two or three minutes when we were just queueing up to tackle them.
“It’s probably as good a defensive display as we have had and we were just gutted to concede a try at the end. We had to stay patient because they put us under a lot of pressure in the first half and had a lot of field position.
“We had one good chance in the first half, which we butchered, and then we had another good chance at the start of the second half when George Kruis dropped the ball over the line. We had to stay persistent and we did that.
“They put us under some pressure aerially and they kicked the ball a lot. We knew they were good when they got to the 22, and they were in our 22 more often than we would have liked, but we defended incredibly well.”
Munster’s South African coach Rassie Erasmus said: “We played against a team that were better than us. That’s a reality. We had a few opportunities but I thought the scoreboard was a true reflection of the game.
“That’s the way Saracens play, not just applying pressure but absorbing pressure and finishing you off in the last 15 or 20 minutes. That’s been the story line this season against all teams and they did the same against us.”