‘Owen and the gang will be back in title mix’

FORMER skipper Brad Barritt has warned the rest of the Premiership to watch their backs as Saracens arrive back on the scene next season.

The five-times champions and three-times European kings will open their account against Bristol on September 17 after a year in the Championship following relegation in the wake of the salary cap scandal.

Centre Barritt was part of all of those triumphs in a career that spanned a dozen years at the club, 26 England caps and a brief stint with the 2013 British & Irish Lions.

The 34-year-old, who retired at the end of last season, was part of the furniture at Sarries from 2008 when he joined from the Sharks.

He is convinced Owen Farrell and the rest will be near the top of the tree when the trophy is handed out at the end of next season.

Barritt told TRP: “I have no doubt they will be a contender in the Premiership. The ethos and the drive, the determination, the things that are pillars of their success are still there. It is not necessarily about one person or one individual, people will be driving it forward and making sure the club will be in the best place it can be.

“I have spoken to all of them and kept in touch over the last year.”

Barritt is back in South Africa but Covid restrictions will prevent him meeting his old mates with the Lions.

“It is sad I am not going to be able to host them at my house, get to show them what South Africa is all about. I will certainly be supporting them.”

Barritt says a tour without fans is a huge blow for players.

Speaking from Cape Town he added: “There are many guys in the Lions team and you don’t know if it will be there first, last or only chance and it is a shame. But everyone in professional sport has had to endure that. Think of people going to an Olympics but they get to do what they love and getting the Games on is probably a satisfactory outcome.”