England's strong Saracens contingent won't be fazed by World Cup Final pressure, says Mark McCall

A broad grin comes across Mark McCall’s face when he is asked how his Saracens players will be feeling ahead of Saturday’s World Cup Final.

The club have eight ­players in Eddie Jones’s 31-man squad after scrum-half Ben Spencer was called up this week and McCall is in no doubt about their mood as they prepare for the biggest game of their lives.

“They won’t be able to wait, I know what they are like,” said McCall. “Those players will be having the greatest week of their lives. I don’t think they will be nervous, it will be excitement rather than fear. When we play finals here, those weeks are the most enjoyable.”

It is unsurprising that Saracens ­players have been enjoying those weeks, given that they have won their past seven major finals in a row.

However, it is not that incredible record that has McCall believing the likes of Jamie George, Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje can add international honours to their club ones but, in fact, the pain of defeats they have ­suffered in previous finals.

In Pictures | England prepare for the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final

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“A lot of them played in a final for us in 2014 against Toulon — and a lot of them would be the first to tell you they weren’t very emotionally ready at that point. They are now,” he adds.

“When New Zealand got their try, England were as calm as they’ve ever been. They were in control of everything. That can only come from experience. That can only come from having been in those kind of situations before and big enough matches.”

While experiences of numerous finals stand Saracens’ stars in good stead for Saturday’s showdown against South Africa, their grounding at the club’s academy cannot be ­overlooked.

Of the nine in England’s squad, seven came through the academy and the head of that operation, Mike Hynard, had a suspicion he had a special bunch on his hands when they essentially started doing his job for him.

“I think Owen and Jamie’s year were the first group where the coaching staff and everyone else took a back seat,” he says.

“They genuinely took ownership of their development. They genuinely drove the programme. That was quite impressive for 17, 18-year-old lads to just say, ‘No, we’re running this and we’re driving it’.

“I would say they are greedy, greedy for more success — but I think genuinely competitive people are greedy.”

The senior players at Saracens soon cottoned on to the buzz emerging from the academy about the talent coming through and it is why no one there is shocked about their growth.

Scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth says: “No one is a sure thing, but a couple of those lads are as close to it as you’ll get. Owen’s trajectory was: first year out of school, he kicks the winning points from the touchline to win our first Premiership title.

"The way he handled the pressure that day, you knew he was always capable of handling it.”

Those Saracens not gunning for World Cup glory on Saturday, like former England international ­Wigglesworth, will be watching their team-mates in Japan before they face London Irish in the afternoon.

“I am sure, in hindsight, Premiership Rugby will wish they had called off the fixtures this weekend,” jokes McCall.

Given their English ties, many of Saracens’ squad will be cheering on Eddie Jones’s side, but whatever the outcome, the club can be sure they will have at least one World Cup winner in their ranks, given that prop Vincent Koch is playing for South Africa.

Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje with the European Cup
Getty Images

However, McCall has not been ­losing sleep over the prospect of ­having one gleeful South African on his hands and nine deflated Englishmen.

“The reason I haven’t thought of it is I just don’t think it is going to happen,” he says. “Maybe that’s a big thing to say, but England seem to be on top of their game and in control of everything they do. I can’t see how they can lose.”

Wigglesworth's lowdown on Saracens' England stars

Richard Wigglesworth, who won 33 England caps, runs the rule over his eight Saracens team-mates who will be involved in Saturday’s final…

Jamie George

The nicest man you’ll meet and very sociable. On the pitch, he’s incredibly skilful.

Maro Itoje

You’re glad he’s on your team because he’s a nightmare to play against.

Getty Images

George Kruis

Line-out obsessive and the butt of plenty of jokes. Brings loads of knowledge to the team.

Billy Vunipola

Everyone thinks he’s good because he is big, but he’s got a great rugby brain, too.

Mako Vunipola

One of the best. If he was a Kiwi, we’d have been singing about him ages ago.

Getty Images

Elliot Daly

He’s so quick and skilful. He’s got everything.

Owen Farrell

Relentless in knowing what he wants — and he always gets it.

Ben Spencer

Quiet lad who gets on with his job, a good team man.

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