The Saracens players share their reactions after beating Racing 21-9 to lift the Champions Cup trophy.
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The rival outhalves and goal-kickers will have major roles to play at the Grand Stade de Lyon in front of an anticipated 59,000 capacity crowd.
He said: “Of course we want to be able to put our best foot forward, we didn’t do that two years ago”. And with a young English core of Owen Farrell – so impressive in Saracens colours this season – Maro Itoje, George Kruis, the Vunipola brothers and the outstanding Alex Goode, today may signify the start of their continental dominance.
And while Saracens have become a real European juggernaut, reaching the final and semi-final of the continent’s premier competition in the last two seasons, they have twice seen their hopes ended by French sides.
“The togetherness of the squad really shines through in these tight encounters and it gets us over the line”.
“So I just find myself pretty lucky to play alongside some great players and in some great teams”.
“I saw the standard of European rugby was a lot higher than the (French) club competition, the Top 14, and once you get to the play-offs, that standard goes up another level”.
He also feels that you “cannot underestimate the importance of Ronan O’Gara at Racing” and says the Munster and Ireland legend represents a “vital link”. “It has been hugely beneficial for us to have the guys who have been there and done that”. The two of them are very different, yet very similar.
“We are here to win something”.
“Part of that is for us to just get into the game, relaxed and ready to enjoy ourselves because in the quarter final against Northampton we were a bit anxious and a bit worried about the outcome and we certainly don’t play our best rugby when we are like that”.
“We knew this was a game we could win, we had the form coming into the game, we knew if we do what we do, dominate the gameline, then we could win and thank god we did”.
Machenaud, handed the kicking duties for Racing, scuffed a first early effort and Saracens replied by mounting the pressure. Replacements: V Lacombe, K Vartanov, L Ducalcon, M Carizza, A Claassen, M Phillips, R Tales, H Chavancy.
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Farrell put a dinked kick through and as Chris Ashton went to recover, the covering Brice Dulin dabbed the ball out, handing the English side a scrum five from which they won a penalty, Farrell converting.
