Next up for Saracens is a home semi-final with Clermont Auvergne and Mark McCall will be hoping the French giants suffer another bout of travel sickness later this month during the Heineken Cup clash at Twickenham.
Saracens director of rugby McCall masterminded Saturday’s victory over Ulster and now has to prepare for Clermont who, while undefeated in 75 games at home, have lost five of their last six fixtures on the road.
Beating Ulster at Ravenhill is arguably a sterner test than facing Clermont at home but McCall believes his squad must still make further improvements if they are going to beat the star-studded Top 14 side to next month’s final at the Millennium Stadium.
“We will have to be significantly better against Clermont but you have to believe you are good enough against those kind of teams,” said McCall. Saracens have never reached the final of Europe’s premier competition and quarter-final opponents Ulster were favourites to progress until full-back Jared Payne was sent off after five minutes at Ravenhill.
Payne was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Alex Goode, who was knocked unconscious but is expected to make a full recovery.
Goode required urgent on-field treatment but McCall admits the sending off was debatable and ultimately decided the outcome of the tie. “We were lucky we got over the line in the end,” said McCall. “Payne’s tackle wasn’t intentional but it was reckless. It was a big call to make and it changed the match.”
With Wesley Fofana, Julien Bonnaire and Sitiveni Sivivatu among their ranks, Clermont are still considered front runners. But Brad Barritt is confident Saracens can go all the way in Europe. “We have been to a quarter-final, a semi-final and the next logical step is to go one further and get to [the final in] Cardiff,” said the England centre.
While Saracens are the only Premiership team remaining in the Heineken Cup, both Harlequins and Wasps have qualified the semi-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Quins defeated Stade Francais 29-6 in Paris on Friday and will now face Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens on April 25.
England prop Joe Marler was accused of making contact with the eye of Stade captain Laurent Sempere and must now wait to hear if any disciplinary action will be taken.
Wasps beat Gloucester 36-24 at Adams Park last night and will now face Bath in a home semi-final later this month.
